Should children as young as three, four and five be taught by ability?

Grouping children like this in nursery school, Reception and Years 1 and 2 is increasingly common across England, according to a report by University College London's Institute of Education and the National Education Union.

The study raises concerns about the impact of teaching by ability on pupils' confidence and aspirations.

The report says school leadership teams expect teachers to group pupils and the practice is seen as preparation for tests such as the phonics screening check and KS1 Sats tests.

Many teachers think children are aware of their group, and they are concerned about the detrimental impact of being labelled on children's self-confidence and behaviour, and about the production of limits on children's learning.

John Blake, head of education at the think tank Policy Exchange, says: "If children need additional support to understand the key concepts of learning, then grouping them together to provide such support is perfectly sensible.

Read the full article on grouping children by ability by Katherine Sellgren at BBC