Calling pupils ‘average’ holds them back, teachers warned

TEACHERS should stop labelling children ‘average’ because it can hold them back from reaching their potential, according to a study.

The term also hampers youngsters who are falling behind but are being overlooked by teachers who think they have mid-range abilities.

GL Assessment studied 24,500 children aged 11 or 12 who sat the company’s verbal reasoning, quantitative and spatial tests, which are designed to check their understanding of English, maths and abstract concepts.

Researchers concentrated on the 50 per cent of children who performed in the ‘broad middle’ of the ability ranges across the tests and found they displayed ‘distinct differences’.

Among the 50 per cent considered ‘average’, their chances of getting at least a B in GCSE English varied from one in ten, to seven in ten, depending on the strength of their verbal skills, the study showed.

Shane Rae, head of publishing at GL Assessment, said: ‘Average suggests that any problem children have cannot be serious enough to worry about and that any potential is too feeble to shine. And that’s not smart and it’s not fair.

‘For children who struggle with numbers or words but who are good at masking those problems, the “average” label can mean teachers don’t address the underlying issues because they assume these children are coping – and they’re not, they’re just good at muddling through.

‘Conversely, children who have potential that’s not identified are not stretched because they’re incorrectly labelled as “solidly average” – so the term acts as a cap on ambition. We should only use “average” sparingly and as far as individual children are concerned, not at all. It’s so broad a definition, it’s practically useless.’

Educational psychologist Poppy Ionides said children ‘who start “average” have the ability to be all but’. She added: ‘Schools have the power to influence children’s mindset.’

Schools in danger of slipping below a ‘good’ rating could be offered a two-year lifeline, it was revealed yesterday.

They will not automatically be downgraded under a planned overhaul of the Ofsted inspection regime next year in a bid to ‘catch schools before they fall from being good’. Instead, primaries and secondaries will hold on to their ‘good’ judgment and be given a letter by inspectors outlining ‘priorities’ for improvement before their next visit.