Sunderland pupils get smaller classes and longer days in bid to boost performance

Academy 360 Head of Maths Samantha Gjorven with Year 11 Maths students.

Pennywell-based Academy 360 has condensed class sizes for Year 11 maths and English lessons to an average of ten pupils in a bid to give youngsters a better chance of GCSE success next summer.

And in another change, principal Rachel Donohue has added two hours of study to the end of the school day on Tuesday, meaning that school now finishes at 5pm.

Ms Donohue said students have reacted positively to smaller class sizes, telling staff how they like the ‘A-Level feel’ of smaller teaching groups allowing more personalised tuition.

And if the smaller classes prove successful, the principal says she will look at the possibility of introducing the model for other academic year groups.

Last summer, Academy 360 saw its GCSE pass rate double from 16% to 32% and school bosses hope that will improve further next year.

Under the new set-up, eight lessons per week out of 25 on Year 11 students’ timetables feature the smaller class sizes, which allow for children of similar academic progress and attainment to be taught together.

Classes are also taught in round-table layout - similar to university seminars- rather than in traditional rows of desks. The schoolsays benefits include more one-to-one learning and exam practice and better student engagement in lessons. The smallest class size is eight students and the largest 12.

Ms Donohue said: "We are keen to create opportunity and choice through accelerated progress and that means establishing a culture of achievement and high aspirations.

"Expectation of students to perform well in examinations has never been higher and we are committed to giving our students the very best opportunity to realise their potential.

"To have a maths or English specialist teacher on a one-to-one basis is a wonderful opportunity for our Year 11 students.

"Our students and parents are hugely appreciative of the measures taken to improve achievement outcomes and I can only thank them at this time for their support.

"We have a school full of talented young people who deserve the very best opportunity to choose what they want to do when they leave us."