“The Blue Table Means you Don’t Have a Clue”: The Persistence of Fixed-Ability Thinking and Practices in Primary Mathematics in English Schools

The use of structured ability grouping is increasing in English primary schools and is regularly seen in primary mathematics classrooms. Ability is a normalised discourse with beliefs that some individuals are ‘born to do maths’ permeating society and infiltrating school practices. In this paper observation and interview data illustrate the persistence of fixed-ability thinking, even in situations where explicit ability-grouping practices are not used. The data analysis suggests a mismatch between mixed-ability practices and fixed-ability thinking, and the paper argues that change will be difficult. A NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY Throughout this paper ability (and its derivatives, e.g. mixed-ability) is presented absent of quotation marks to aid the readability of the paper. However, the reader should assume that the legitimacy of the concept – and its associated assumptions – is continually in question and challenged throughout