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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is vertical tutoring?
It is when the tutor groups are arranged into groups made up of students from mixed years. Currently we have single year tutor groups (e.g all year 7, 8 etc). A vertical tutor group would have 2 or 3 students from each year group in it. The tutor groups will then be organised into 8 houses. Each House will be led by a Head of House so that the school is set up as mixed age house groups rather than year groups.
- Why are we changing?
Vertical tutoring is not a new idea, in fact it is one of the features of many of the top achieving schools in the country. Splitting the school into houses and vertical tutor groups will hopefully allow:
A greater family environment in the school where everyone is approachable and there are no "year group" cultures or perceived blocks against talking to older students.
Peer mentoring will begin to happen naturally as older students talk to younger students (e.g. year 10 students supporting year 8's with choosing their options)
The size of tutor groups will be reduced from 30 down to about 20 meaning that form tutors will have more time to engage with individual students and support them at a crucial time of the year and when they make important decisions.
Mixed tutor groups will encourage students to work with people of different ages and will help them prepare more for the world of work.
A House system will give older students opportunities to show their leadership skills as house or sports captains and help them to promote positive role models for the younger students.
There will be greater opportunities for students to make friends with students in other year groups and break down year group barriers.
- When will it happen?
We are expecting that every year group except the current year 12 will move into vertical tutor groups when we return to school in September 2010. We are hoping to be able to move years 7-9 into vertical tutor groups for 1-2 weeks at the end of the Summer Term.
- How are we preparing for it?
We have been preparing to move to vertical tutoring for the past six months. Heads of year have been to visit local schools that follow a vertical structure to see how they have organised it and this term some student representatives from each year group have also visited schools to see how it works. These representatives will be visiting each year group assembly before Christmas to give students details of how it will work and opportunities they will have to add their ideas to the system. Our aim in preparing for the new structure is that people throughout the school community can have an involvement in the way that it will work.
- How will students be placed into houses? And how will houses be split into tutor groups?
Each year group will be split between the eight houses from current years 7 to 11. The current year 12 will be the only year group not involved in the vertical tutoring system. New year 7's in September will also be split between the eight houses. Our aim is that all siblings will be placed in the same house so that their parents have one Head of House responsible for all of their children, we will try not to place them in the same form. All pupils and students (including Year 6 pupils coming to Aquinas) will be able to choose five names of friends they know or with whom they work well with. When the new tutor groups are created we will try to place students together with at least one of these nominated friends.
- How will the sixth form be affected?
Eventually year 12 and 13 will be split into vertical tutor groups in the same way as the rest of the school, however in the first year, current year 12's who become year 13 will remain independent from the system. Current year 11's, moving into year 12 will go straight into vertical tutor groups in September and remain in these groups into year 13.
What's in it for sixth formers?
Vertical tutoring will create opportunities for sixth formers to take on leadership roles acting as mentors, coaches and buddies to others e.g. house and sport captains.
Act as role models and leaders within each house.
Sixth formers will have the opportunity to represent their house by competing and organising various inter-house competitions for e.g. sports competition.
There will still be a Head of Sixth Form who will guide and oversee all processes involved in transition to sixth form and their opportunities for employment and further education.
This experience of leadership roles will greatly assist them in their university and job applications in the future.
- Will students be taught lessons in mixed age groups?
Students will not be taught in mixed age groups for their normal academic lessons. The only occasions when they will be in mixed groups will be when they are in form or in assembly.
- How do house assemblies work?
House assemblies will take place once a week.
The assemblies will have more of a community ethos and whole school impact.
- How will Year assemblies work?
Year assemblies will take place occasionally throughout the academic year when necessary supporting pupils with issues that may arise during the year e.g. GCSE options
- Can non-teachers be tutors and should they?
We have in fact, this year, employed 4 non-teachers as tutors as part of our preparation for Vertical Tutoring. They have taken their role very seriously and are much respected by their tutor groups. Our support staff are essential if tutor groups sizes are to be reduced.
- What will we do in tutor time?
Form period will provide an opportunity for pupils to take part in structured activities such as debates and discussions about topical issues of interest to them. This will also support and encourage inter house competitions.
Each form will have the opportunity to lead a house assembly and form time provides an ideal opportunity for tutees to plan their assembly.
With only 20 tutees in each form group, the form tutor and pupils will have time to discuss and monitor individual progress and achievements.
- My child is worried about being bullied by older students
Our research has shown that the introduction of Vertical Tutoring has reduced bullying in schools. Victims of bullying in schools that have introduced vertical tutoring have said that things improved when their school moved to vertical tutoring. The older students in the group tend to ‘look out' for the younger pupils. This is down to the multi age friendships and the feeling of the ‘family group' in each tutor group.
- Do students like vertical tutoring?
In the schools we visited the students were very positive. Many were not in favour at the start, they were sceptical and did not want change, but after a very short time the opposite proved to be the case.
- Will uniform change?
It is not the intention to make major changes to the current uniform but we are considering ways of individualising the student's connection to their House, e.g. perhaps adding a new coloured stripe in the school tie to represent the House colours.
- Who do I contact if I have concerns about my son or daughter?
You will be able to contact your child's form tutor or Head of House (just as you do currently). With smaller tutor groups the form tutor has greater opportunity to be involved in monitoring each student's progress.
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