Grammar Sets - The Vision

At Towers School, we offer Grammar sets across our core subjects. Grammar sets offer significantly greater flexibility and subject-specific precision than whole-school streaming. Streaming places students into a single group based on overall attainment, which can mask subject-specific strengths and weaknesses. In contrast, setting allows students to access appropriately challenging provision in each subject area, for example, a student may be in a Grammar set for English while receiving targeted support in Maths in a lower set. This approach recognises that attainment is not uniform across subjects and allows for more fluid movement as students develop at different rates.

Please note that the Grammar sets, as per all other sets, are constantly reviewed. Parents and carers will be informed if there are any concerns about their child’s progress within the Grammar set before the set reviews take place.

How are students set for the Grammar sets?

Parents are able to express interest in the Grammar sets. We consider students who have passed the Kent and/or Shepway Tests and also take into account the Key Stage 2 Contextual Data. This informs us of students’ reading attainment as well as their attainment in writing and maths. We will then look at the outcomes of our in-school assessments. All of this information will help us to place students into appropriate sets.

Maths: students are assessed during the Y6 Transition Week in June/July 2026 and on an ongoing basis once they enter the school.

English: students are taught in Personal Development(PD) groups at the start of Year 7. They are assessed with a national creative writing assessment in Term 1 and then an analytical writing assessment in Term 2. Based on the results of these two assessments and work in class, students are then put into class sets in week 2 of Term 3.  

Science:  students are taught in their PD group at the start of Year 7. They are assessed in line with the above and with end-of-term assessments in Terms 1 and 2. Based on the results of these two assessments and work in class, students are then put into class sets in week 2 of Term 3. As Science is not taught en-bloc, there will be a grammar set in both bands, 7a and 7b.

Mixed attainment sets

Foundation Subjects: In the History, Geography, Religious Studies, Core and Modern Languages, students develop through conceptual understanding, critical thinking and discussion rather than strict prior knowledge. Mixed-attainment groups enrich these subjects by enabling diverse viewpoints, collaborative reasoning and inclusive exploration of themes such as identity, belief and culture. Literacy demands can be effectively supported through modelling, structured writing frames and guided dialogue, making a separate grammar pathway unnecessary for ensuring progress.

Visual Arts, PE and Performing Arts are not set by attainment. Class size is taken into consideration for subjects that have practical elements, in addition to being taught on rotation so that students are able to access a broad range of disciplines. 

How to register interest for Grammar sets

If you would like your child to be considered for a Grammar set in one or more subject areas, please complete the Expression of Interest form below. This Expression of Interest will form one aspect of our process to identify students for Grammar sets. Expressing interest does not guarantee a place in a Grammar set.

We consider students who have passed the Kent and/or Shepway Tests and also take into account the Key Stage 2 Contextual Data. This informs us of students’ reading attainment as well as their attainment in writing and maths. We will then look at the outcomes of our in-school assessments. All this information will help us to place students into appropriate sets.

The Grammar sets are not rigid and set in stone. Please note that the Grammar sets, as per all other sets, are constantly reviewed. Parents and carers will be informed if there are any concerns about their child’s progress within the Grammar set before the set reviews take place. A student’s suitability for the Grammar set is assessed after every bi-termly assessment and at the end of the academic year. 

Expression of interest form

If you would like to discuss the matter further, please contact Mr. Tim Parker on ext.220 or at t.parker@towers.school