Councillors back new composite class policy

Councillors have agreed a policy on how composite classes are made up in primary schools where more than one age group needs to be put together. 

Nineteen out of 20 primary schools in Orkney – or 95% - already have composite classes. 

The Council’s Service Manager for Primary Education, Morag Miller, said: “In Orkney we have many small schools, and composite classes are the norm across most of them. Over the last number of years, composite classes have also become the norm in a number of our bigger primary schools as well. Currently out of the 17 primary and 3 Junior High schools, only one does not have composite classes. 

“Previously, we had guidance on composite classes which dated from 2015, so this policy provides greater clarity to school staff, parents and carers about the criteria schools should use when making up composite classes. 

“All primary headteachers and Parent Council Chairs were provided with a draft of the policy and were invited to provide feedback. Changes were made to the original policy from this feedback. 

“Whilst we recognise that some parents and carers have raised questions around the placing of their children in composite classes, we hope that as time passes and children settle, any concerns that they had at the outset will have diminished. 

“This can be further strengthened by research carried out by the University of Strathclyde across Scottish schools and published in 2021 that found that exposure to older peers was highly beneficial to primary school pupils in terms of attainment. They also found no evidence that the achievement of older pupils was adversely affected by the classroom presence of younger peers.” 

The composite class criteria includes:  

Classes of up to 25 children. 

A good gender balance where possible. 

Pupils with additional support needs spread reasonably across classes. 

The birth date of children i.e. the oldest children from the younger stage joining the youngest children from the older stage. 

Chair of the Council’s Education, Leisure and Housing Committee, Councillor Gwenda Shearer said: “I welcome this revised policy around composite classes, I am pleased that schools now have a clear policy around composite classes outlining the steps that must be followed by head teachers – this should give greater clarity to all as to how decisions are made. 

“I am further reassured by the research carried out that the associated cost savings that composite classes can provide, do not appear to come at the expense of quality.” 

Councillors recommended approval of the Composite Class Policy, which will require to be ratified by Full Council in due course.