Class Group Allocator
Divide a class into groups balanced by ability, mixed or matched, with keep-apart and keep-together constraints and a check that the split is actually balanced.
Last reviewed by the Radiatus Cloud team
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Random grouping is not balanced grouping
Dealing names out at random produces groups that differ substantially by chance: with thirty students in six groups, one group routinely ends up with three of the five strongest. That is a real difference in what those groups can achieve, and it is invisible unless someone checks. Distributing by rank instead, taking the strongest into each group in turn and then reversing direction, keeps the group means close together by construction.
Mixed and matched grouping serve different purposes
Mixed ability groups let stronger students explain to weaker ones, which benefits both, and they risk the strongest doing the work while the others watch. Matched groups let each work at its own level and allow the teacher to differentiate the task, and they make the ranking visible to everyone in a way that can be demoralising. Neither is right in general, and choosing deliberately rather than defaulting to random is what matters.
Constraints are usually the real requirement
Most grouping decisions in practice are less about balance than about keeping two particular students apart, or keeping a student with a support need alongside a peer who helps. A tool that optimises perfectly for balance and ignores those constraints produces an allocation that gets discarded. Applying the constraints first and balancing within what remains is the order that actually works.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why not just group at random?
Because random allocation produces genuinely unbalanced groups by chance. With thirty students in six groups, one group frequently gets three of the five strongest, which is a real difference and invisible unless someone checks.
Should I use mixed or matched ability groups?
It depends on the task. Mixed groups let stronger students explain, which benefits both, and risk the strongest doing all the work. Matched groups allow differentiation and make the ranking visible. Choosing deliberately is what matters.
How does the balancing work?
Students are ranked, then distributed one at a time into each group in turn, reversing direction at the end of each pass. That keeps the group means close together by construction rather than by chance.
Can I keep certain students apart?
Yes. Keep-apart and keep-together constraints are applied before balancing, because an allocation that ignores them gets discarded regardless of how well balanced it is.
What if the class does not divide evenly?
Some groups have one more member than others, which is unavoidable. The extra members are spread across different groups rather than concentrated, and the imbalance in size is reported alongside the ability balance.
Privacy & Security
Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
How to Use
Paste your student list with optional scores to allocate balanced groups.
Disclaimer: This tool is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Results are for educational and utility purposes.