A FORWARD-thinking tutoring system is being introduced at the Lakes School which will place pupils of all ages together.

The Troutbeck Bridge school has created new tutor groups made up of four or five pupils from each year group between Years 7 and 11.

Acting head teacher Michael Gallop said the new system, known as vertical tutoring, better reflected the real life communities in the rural Lake District.

“Our pupils are used to socialising with people a few years older and younger than themselves because they live in very small rural communities.

“It’s basically to get students to be more aware of what society and communities are like rather than to go through life labelled with a particular year group,” he said. The system is relatively common in schools across England and is something the Lakes School used to use several years ago.

Pupils will also remain within a house system but this has been downsized from five to three groups.

Mr Gallop added: “This system should also help Year 7s as they will have advice from older pupils to draw on.”