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Original poster

help any year 7 maths teacher could give me an honest opinion PLEASE

34 replies

overweightnoverdrawn · 07/10/2010 12:15

Hope someone can give me some advice please . So trying not to come across as a pushy precious parent . My ds is good at maths has a fantastic understanding of all the concepts and dosnt struggle . He was doing year 8 maths in year 6 of his primary as were the rest of the top maths group he was in . He goes to a maths and IT College (secondary state) school . We chose this over another high achieving secondary school because of the maths . He got level 5 in all his sats . He comes home says he is bored at maths . He does his work in class then gets given some extra and then some more extra work and THEN he is told to help other students in the class (this isnt right is it helping is fine its the lack of work for him ) I telephone the school and spoke ever so nicely to the head of year 7 learning saying I dont want to be seen as a pushy parent and told her my concerns and saying that what ever she decides is fine by me . She said they asses them on their sats results and the assesments they have done so far at the new school . This morning I download his maths homework for tonight being an IT school what you can do on the computer is bloomin fantastic ) ( well to me it is as I am so new to all this LOL ) Any way the down loaded homework is what I would say he covered in year 4 of primary . its Maths Link by Oxford University press 7b assesment level 4 . I was and am feeling so frustrated as I dont want to look like the precious parent saying he is in the wrong set but the work is not enough ,even he says he is bored and not challenged enough . Dont get me wrong I know my sons failings well enough (whiney lippy lazy soap dodger ) but I also know what he is capable of . So HELP what do I, do leave it till next week and phone school again giving them time to sort it out .Do I phone his old school and ask his maths teacher (easy to do as she is so lovely and kind and knows me so well ) Speak to them tomorrow . I am just so new to all this that I dont want to rock the boat . I am used to being seen by his old school as a supportive parent coming down on the side of the teachers ,homework always in ,help given when needed (trips and such ) They knew they could always tell me the truth about my Ds and I was never the parent in a million years that would say Oh no my son would never do that .I just want some advice really is this the right stuff for him and if not how far and when do i spaek to the school again TIA sorry its so long aI am a bit of a chatter box in Rl lol

OP posts:
Original poster
overweightnoverdrawn · 07/10/2010 14:00

thank you so much for replying i will play a small waiting game . Keep you fingers crossed for me .

OP posts:
titchy · 07/10/2010 13:55

By the way dds maths homework last week was to learn 2 and 3 times tables! However if this is the level of homework once she's in her set I will complain, but not at the moment while they're teaching in mixed abilities.

titchy · 07/10/2010 13:53

I think it would be unusual if he had been put into sets this early. Most schools move dcs into sets after half term. Then the work shoudl be more at his level.

Original poster
overweightnoverdrawn · 07/10/2010 13:40

Thanks for the advice. That one sentance about how a pushy parent asks and how a supportive parent asks has totally made me feel better so thank you so much . I think they have been streamed because another class got told that they were the top maths group not my sons class if you see what I mean . If you saw this home work you would so know its not right for him . I will send a message to his class tutor . (thank goodness he is a maths teacher but not my sons )(bummer) and will ask him how to go about setting up a meeting with the head of maths for year 7 .thank you

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Kez100 · 07/10/2010 13:32

Yes, that is what I am wondering too Senua. Maybe they they use the first half term for assessment and covering old work - to make sure they really do know it and remember it after the summer break!

I've been in a similar situation with daughter going into GCSE French and a lot of KS3 revision work up until now which she found easy because she remembered it. However, I've been informed that it is common to do this and make sure all children are up to speed on KS3 stuff at the start of GCSE and that, soon now, the work difficulty will take off!

senua · 07/10/2010 13:26

Sorry: don't understand.
Have they been setted yet?

Kez100 · 07/10/2010 12:39

It appears to me that you have had contact with year 7 leader but only very, very briefly - enough for her/him to explain how assessments are done.

I would now, given the homework he has been given, contact the Head of Maths and ask more questions. Supportive parents do have a different way of asking things than pushy ones and I am sure that will be obvious straight away!

At our school you would be able to do this without the fuss of a meeting as we have a year 7 parents teachers evening very early on - about October time - so any issues like this, as well as settling in, can be raised.

I personally would approach the HOD of Maths for a chat (either via a meeting or the year 7 settling in evening if you have one) to find out a lot more than just how they are assessed and to let the school know he has commented that the homework was very easy and his time in class is not challenging at all.

Kez100 · 07/10/2010 12:38

It appears to me that you have had contact with year 7 leader but only very, very briefly - enough for her/him to explain how assessments are done.

I would now, given the homework he has been given, contact the Head of Maths and ask more questions. Supportive parents do have a different way of asking things than pushy ones and I am sure that will be obvious straight away!

At our school you would be able to do this without the fuss of a meeting as we have a year 7 parents teachers evening very early on - about October time - so any issues like this, as well as settling in, can be raised.

I personally would approach the HOD of Maths for a chat (either via a meeting or the year 7 settling in evening if you have one) to find out a lot more than just how they are assessed and to let the school know he has commented that the homework was very easy and his time in class is not challenging at all.

Original poster
overweightnoverdrawn · 07/10/2010 12:16

feel free if any one wants to put this long post into paragraphs I wont take offence honest .

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