School refusing to move DD1 down a maths set.

There won't be, teachers are on holiday. You will have to wait till Monday at least for a response.

And no-one answering phone or email during half term. :(

No, it's sets not streams - I agree that I could understand if it was streams as maths is clearly her best subject.

Which is what makes it all so gutting - if this was happening in a subject she found harder, I wouldn't mind.

In fact, there is no setting for English so her relative abilities won't matter (not that she's so bad there either - she managed a level 5 albeit with extra time).

Sorry I meant that she ended up in the third set out of six..based on her maths ability..

Argolis - just wonder if your DD's school had streams rather than sets? If this is the case then she may be in a lower stream due to her English aptitude. This is the case in my DD's new school and she had ended up in the third set out of 3, due to her lower scores in maths (even though she managed to scrape a level 5).

Oh, ouch then :( That's not so good. All the more reason to get it sorted out now then. And moan at them about their too rigid setting policies.

No, it's my older dd whose been there 3 years who told me that! dd2 has no idea how things work, obviously.

For someone who's only been there half a term she knows an awful lot about how things work ;-) Honestly, don't worry, it's highly unlikely she has entirely accurate information. See what the head of maths says about how they did the setting and then go on from there.

Now feeling v v sad.

According to dd1, NO-ONE has ever moved up to one of the two top sets once they've been put in a lower set. Apparently, the only person she knows to have moved set is a girl who found the top set too hard and asked to be moved down.

Presumably, the top sets go v quick and so lower sets can't catch up.

Sorry for thread hijack by the way!!

Thanks noblegiraffe and Atia. It is a semi-selective school but only 25% selected, so she still ought to be in the top half, I would have thought? Could it go on CATs as well?

As it's a semi-selective school, those who got places on exams will probably have had a lot more practice than her at exams (she got in as a sibling) - but I doubt their maths is actually loads better. She was one of only 2 in her year at primary to get a maths level 6, and didn't have any tutoring.

Well, if/when I get hold of anyone, I will ask the questions you suggested, noblegiraffe. As far as I'm aware, school league tables will measure her expected progress and if she came in at a level 6, however they do it, surely she ought to expect to end up with a top grade in maths at GCSE - so it's in the school's interest as well to make sure she doesn't get stuck doing lower level work.

I asked her if she asked her teacher about her group - she said he spent the lesson doing games, then announced the groups just before the bell, so no chance to ask anything. And this just before half term, so I can't raise it either...

Suppose I'll just have to stew, unless I can find an email address...

Argolis, if you look on the school website there might be an email link for the head of Maths? I always start my school communications with an email, easier than playing phone tag trying to get hold of each other.

If she wasn't feeling well when she sat the test and they have only set on those test scores, then you have a clear case for arguing that she is in the wrong set. Set 3 for a level 6 is ridiculous, however little weight you place on SATs as a measure, unless the school is selective and has an unusual number of level 6s.

When you speak to the school, if it's not a mistake, ask how many other level 6 children are in set 3, and what level set 3 and the top sets will be expecting to achieve at the end of the year. If the target is level 6, ask how your dd is expected to make any progress from KS2. Then ask how many level 5s are in the top sets and if any, ask why they deserve to be given more challenging work than your DD.

These are all valid questions, btw, don't be shy of asking them, they should have an answer for you.

And Retroformica - she is very logical and grasps new ideas very quickly. But they haven't been doing any new work, anyway, just going over old stuff she'd already covered in year 6. So I don't think she needs a tutor.

Although she may do to catch up with the top group, if she's left to languish in a group which is too easy. :(

Thanks, noblegiraffe. Am very upset for her as she has always been overshadowed overall by her elder sister and lacked confidence except in maths, which was 'her thing', and which she was top in despite being youngest in her year. I know that she is much better at maths than her elder sister, so there is no logic in her being in a lower set, albeit in a different year. It's not even really the second set, as there are 2 top sets, 1 middle and 1 very small bottom set, so the 'middle' set is really well below mid-point numerically.

It's certainly not based on her teachers' greater knowledge of her - she's only been there half a term, has had a bug so missed a few days' lessons, and has had 2 maths teachers, 1 of whom herself has been off a lot! with a bug, and also had almost no maths homework. She's quite quiet and well-behaved, so I'd be v surprised if either teacher even knew who she was or had any info apart from a single test (done when she wasn't feeling that well) to go on.

I tried calling the school but no-one there - v frustrated.

I would expect a child who got a level 6 to be in the top set, and if she isn't, then school will certainly be expecting a call querying it as it would be an unusual decision.
There won't be anyone around at half term, but definitely phone school the first day back. You'll be wanting to speak to the Head of Maths, and they should be able to explain what your dd needs to do to move up. Dyslexia shouldn't make any difference in setting decisions, not in maths.

It's possible that there has been a mistake in the setting. If not, like I said, they'll be expecting your call.

She's obviously very capable but struggling with the learning/teaching style. Can you ask the teacher what areas she is struggling in and then employ a weekly tutor to help her get to grips with these areas? Or get the teacher to set more work for your DD to do at home so you can help her get to grips with things. Learning maths often just repeating something over and over again, once there's an understanding of method.

I wouldnt say anything Argolis. I said above same happened to my DD and i told her to prove herself which she did.My ds is dyslexic and was in second set until yr 10 when he went up to top set. He is now taking maths and further maths at A level. My dd was always better at maths than he is.

My dd has just had the opposite problem, of being put in the second set (in year 7) when I suspect she should be in the top set (was top of her year at primary at maths, got level 6 in SATs, is better at maths than her older sister who has always been in the top group). But dd2 is dyslexic so wonder if this is why she has been put into a lower group. Who should I talk to to discuss it? And any chance they'll be anyone at all around over half term to talk to at all?

If 3/4 of the set are doing the exam in Nov then they will split the class then so hopefully your DD will get more help then.

If there are 14 sets, then the work done in set 1 isn't going to be particularly different to the work in set 2. In which case your DD just wants to move sets to be with a teacher that she likes.

Any school that starts moving students based on teacher preference is just asking for trouble.

That's not such a big school, it's enormous! I taught in a school with 6 form entry/6 sets in core subjects, and that was a school of 1300+. 14 sets would mean 3000 odd! I would not be happy to have my child in a school that big for many reasons - I think appropriateness of maths set is the least of your worries. Surely there is some middle ground between private and enormous?
Too late for that now though. You have to accept the school's decision at this stage in the game.