Read the full letter here

Dear Parents/Carers,

I am writing to inform you of two related updates which will take effect from September for current Year 7 and Year 8 students (next year’s Year 8 and Year 9).

We are making some adjustments to both our banding structure and form naming conventions to improve clarity and ensure our provision continues to meet the needs of all students.

We would like to reassure you that this change is primarily about structure and naming; there will be no changes to form tutors or students moving groups as a result of these naming changes.

What is changing?

  • The introduction of an additional band, Scholar Band.
  • A simplified and more meaningful form naming system.

Students currently in ST, RT, SH and RH forms will be part of the new Scholar Band. Students in SE, RE, SY and RY will continue to be in Fast Track. Upper and Middle Bands will continue with their existing name.

We are also moving from letters to a numerical form naming system.

A simple guide to the updated naming system which will take effect from the start of the new academic year in September 2026.

 

Band

Current Form Name

New form name



Scholar Band

ST

S1

RT

S2

SH

S3

RH

S4

 


Fast Track

SE

F1

RE

F2

SY

F3

RY

F4


Upper Band

UU

U1

US

U2

 

Middle Band

ML

M1

MC

M2

MO

M3

 

Note: Within Scholar Band and Fast Track, there will be no difference in ability between forms 1 and 2, or between forms 3 and 4. These will continue to be groups of equal prior attainment, as they are currently. This change is purely to improve clarity and consistency in naming.

Why are we making this change?

At present, 70% of our cohort of students are grouped within a single band in Fast Track. Introducing an additional band allows for more cohesive groupings, ensuring that banding more accurately reflects students’ starting points and supports appropriate levels of challenge.

The revised naming system also responds to feedback from parents and other stakeholders and will make it clearer and easier to understand than the current lettering system.

What does this mean for my child?

This change is primarily about structure and naming; there will be no changes to form tutors or students moving groups as a result of these naming changes. Future band changes will continue to follow our usual process, based on Tracking Assessment (TA) data.

There will be also no changes to the subjects students study in Key Stage Three. All bands will continue to receive a full, broad and balanced National Curriculum.

For students currently in Year 9–10, there are no changes at all. As they are already following their GCSE courses or have selected their options, no further banding changes are anticipated.

We are confident that these changes will provide greater clarity and allow us to better meet the needs of all students, while maintaining continuity and stability. Students will be informed of these changes in an assembly tomorrow.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Yours sincerely,

Mr D. Carlin
Vice Principal