ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to justify mixed ability teaching in primary schools by examining the context and some of the driving forces of primary education. It examines the kind of successful primary school contexts in which mixed ability grouping operates successfully. Paradoxically, although patterns of school organisation within primary schools are less structured than in secondary schools, styles of teaching and classroom management are usually more varied and imaginative. One of the distinctive features of the primary school is each teacher’s responsibility for the whole curriculum. This demands a breadth of knowledge and considerable skill in classroom organization. At the heart of effective schooling lies the teacher. In the primary classroom the teacher depends as much on management skills as knowledge content. Organisational flexibility is vital and depends on precise planning and preparation, and must be capable of responding quickly to divergent needs.
