ABSTRACT
[…] The banding system was introduced at Beachside in the first-year intake of 1969 to replace ‘fine streaming’ 1 This cohort and each subsequent first year, until 1973, were divided into three broad bands of ability. In the second-year cohort with which we are concerned, there are ten forms in all; band 1 consists of four parallel forms; band 2 also of four parallel forms; and band 3 of two forms, one of which is designated as remedial. The forms are all labelled and referred to by initials taken from the names of their teachers; 2FT being the band 1 form of Miss Foot, 2MA the remedial band 3 form of Mrs Mather, etc. Each form is timetabled separately for academic subjects, with the exception of Mathematics which is ‘set’ within the bands. There is grouping within the bands between forms for Games and Technical subjects.
