Setting remains a problematic if not controversial subject. But research carried out at Craigiebarns Primary by P7 teacher Vivienne Snee and her former colleague at the school, Loretta Mulholland, convinces them that setting in maths - and writing - raises achievement, helps less able pupils progress while allowing better students to fast-track a little and contributes positively to school ethos.

Craigiebarns upper school has set in maths for five years, introducing it first in P7, then in P5 and in its third year rolling it out to P4-7.

Last year the school achieved an aggregate score of 83 per cent attaining or exceeding minimum 5 to 14 levels in maths against a school target of 79 per cent, an authority target of 75 per cent and a national target of 81 per cent.

“Setting played a major part in this success,” says Vivienne Snee.

The two classes at each stage are combined together and then split into four ability groups. The two class teachers, the depute head and the support for learning teacher all have the responsibility to teach and set work for a group.

Pupils are taught maths in their groups three days a week; the other two days they are given follow-up work to do independently.

The research project surveyed both pupils and teachers in January and February this year. Nearly all the pupils (95 per cent) felt they listened better in their maths groups while 80 per cent felt they worked better; every one of them felt they got more help. But 90 per cent of the unset P3 pupils felt it was “not better” to change teachers and felt their own teachers knew them better.

The 10 teachers using the setting system felt it worked well, made it easier for them to spend quality time with their pupils, cut down on paperwork and allowed pupils to concentrate better.

Nine out of 10 teachers believed setting encouraged pupils to perform “to their best”, while eight out of 10 believed it led to higher standards.

Of the four teachers who had worked in both the upper school and the infant department, three believed setting could be successful in the infant department.

One major discrepancy, however, was that three of them were unsure if they knew exactly how each member of their class was performing in maths.

“With pupils in sets three days a week, it can be difficult for the teacher to be aware all the time how each pupil is doing,” says Vivienne Snee. “In an ideal situation with enough staff, resources and space, setting should be five days a week.”

With an average class size of 33, she believes setting is “crucial”. Top sets average 25 pupils, second sets 16-17 and third sets 12. “You need smaller groups for more teaching input in the lower sets,” she says. “In general setting is easier because you’re teaching one lesson to the whole group. You’re teaching at one level and you have time to go round to check progress and to support.”

Time and space constraints, however, remain a problem. Depute head Avril Martin, who has no official teaching duties, takes a maths set from each of P5, P6 and P7, as well as supporting teachers with the writing sets, making a teaching input of around 10 hours per week.

“It means less time to devote to management duties though it all gets done in the end,” she says philosophically.

The school library functions as her teaching area and her office as well as doubling as the school’s information and communications technology area. “We do need more space and time,” she says. “We’re bursting at the seams.”

Craigiebarns will pilot maths setting in P3 later this session, probably after the Easter break. If the summer term’s setting proves successful, headteacher Ethel Sharp says they will consider introducing it earlier in the session. There are no plans to introduce setting lower than P3.

“In the upper school setting has been a success and the pupils seeing teachers other than their own class teacher is a good preparation for secondary,” she says.

“The teachers are all on board. It helps the school ethos, raises staff morale and gives the management team a good vehicle to get an overview of what is being delivered, as you have both a depute and assistant head teaching above and beyond the call.”

Depute head Mrs Martin agrees. “It’s good the children see promoted staff they might only otherwise meet in ‘behavioural situations’ and it helps you get to know the children.”

However, given the time and teaching commitment involved setting can prove problematic when a teacher is off ill. “That leaves one teacher with two groups, which rather defeats the purpose”, says Mrs Snee.

The perceived benefits of maths setting were such that Craigiebarns introduced setting in writing three years ago. Mrs Snee believes this has also led to “a huge improvement”.

Every group (three groups per stage from P5 to P7) has a set time once a week for extension work in areas such as autobiography and writing books to be read further down the school.

“We have book launches with signings and readings to which parents are invited,” says Mrs Snee. “Some of the pupils dress up as characters from their books and we provide juice, cheese and biscuits. The local press turn up. We make an event of it.”

Last year Craigiebarns also exceeded its writing targets with an aggregate score of 81 per cent.