To start off with, what is Vertical Tutoring? Vertical tutoring involves each tutor group being composed of students aged 11 to 19 instead of the normal form tutor groups. Tutors and key stage leaders in schools construct new groups to ensure that everyone is with someone they know in their groups. Each form has 4 people from each year: yr 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth. Therefore there will be around 28 people per a class, and different form tutors would be assigned. In some schools all the people in the new forms are in the same house so that they are familiar with each other. Pupils stay in these groups for most Form Pds, and for some schools; VT takes place in SMD (Social Moral Development) as well. In SMD forms learn information about drugs, sexual health, smoking etc. But is it really appropriate to be talking about these issues with differently aged students?

On top of this, what are the further disadvantages of Vertical Tutoring? The main disadvantage would be for the students who would have to go through the new regime. Pupils have got used to their forms and have made many friendship groups and would be annoyed if these were to be split up. Some pupils have also become friendly and fond of their form tutors. Another thing point to consider is, what kind of an effect it will have on lower years and upper years if the class is discussing about drugs and smoking? It is much more appropriate of a Lower Sixth student to be learning about drugs and smoking, than a Year 7. This is as they are at the age where they can buy cigarettes, consume alcohol and they could be dragged into drugs. Another flaw is that will vertical tutoring really help out student’s education? It may just create even bigger quarrels within the new classes.

On the plus side, there are many advantages of VT as well:- It develops individual learning, which allows the form tutor to learn detailed information about your learning as an individual.

It can also get older years to interact more with younger years and vice-versa. The older years can help out younger years with tests by giving advice. E.g. A lower Sixth student could give advice to a yr 11 on GCSEs.

It brings some of the years together and may get rid of some of the tension between different years. It generally brings the school together.

It also gets rid of “gangs” and misbehaving groups of classmates.

Finally, in some schools, e.g. Tiffin Boys, when talks and presentations specific to a year group happen, then the year group will be brought together as an assembly. For example, when talking to you about options, careers, sexual health, drugs etc.

Tiffin Boys School, Kingston Upon Thames, has recently decided to uptake this new idea for next year, so parts of form time will be done vertically. SMD is a mixture of both, so when talks are specific to a year group, it is done within the year (horizontally), but other than that exception, it’s done vertically. When students were told about this new scheme, which is likely to take place next year it is not definite, it didn’t go down too well… “I think this idea is pointless! I doubt it’ll actually work, as we’ll probably end up in like arguments with the upper years. I also have made lots of friends in my form group and my form tutor is great. I’m happy the way things are but why does our school have to do this!” quoted a Year 9 student.

"One advantage of VT is that the form is a community comprising a range of age-groups and this mirrors and thereby strengthens the house system. The tutor group also offers students the opportunity of mentoring so for example older students to younger students," commented Mr Fitzgerald - Careers adviser at Tiffin Boys School.

Despite this, the main problem seems to be splitting up forms. But surely pupils have more friends in the year group, and other year groups, and in their houses. In addition, VT only takes place in Form Pd. and SMD, so classmates will still get to see each other in normal lessons. Students also have friends within houses.

To conclude, it is safe to say that Vertical Tutoring does have its downsides, but overall it seems to be a very positive and benefiting new scheme, looking at all of the positives it brings to schools. It helps bringing different year groups together, and help each other out to create an enduring community.