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Original poster

Mixed ability maths Y7

54 replies

ihearttc · 18/10/2016 18:07

Ive posted about this before but we are now 6 weeks into the school year and nothing has changed. DS1 loves maths (or at least he did until he started High School) and is completely bored and disengaged with the work they are doing. He got good SATs results (111 in maths) but is not any kind of mathematical genius or anything but genuinely enjoys the subject. He used to have extra maths lessons for extension work in Y5/6 before school for fun! His High School don't set for maths until the start of Y9 so we have 2 whole years of this. Yes I knew they were mixed ability when we applied for the school but we live quite rurally so it is literally the only High School around here...next nearest is in a different county and he wouldn't have got in (plus I can't get him there everyday).

They have learnt to use a number line apparently (which my 5 year old is currently doing!) and have done some work on multiplication x 10. They have 3 levelled sheets to chose from and he picks the hardest one (he said the hardest question on there was 23X10). He could do stuff like that in Y2 so completes it in 5 minutes and basically sits there the rest of the lesson.

We had a form tutor parents evening 2 weeks ago and I mentioned it then and his tutor said he would speak to the maths teacher but nothing has changed. Im completely at a loss of what to do? Whatever I say comes out like I think he is some maths prodigy and needs calculus or something but I just genuinely want him to be challenged and to enjoy maths again.

OP posts:
BackforGood · 18/10/2016 19:08

I had this for YEARS with dd1 - used to love maths but the philosophy of the Head of Maths was that mixed ability teaching was the best way for everyone.
I complained every year. I would speak to the maths teacher teaching her first, and, if nothing changed, then I spoke to him. In his defence, things usually did get a bit better after my complaint to him, and then he decided to put her in his own maths set. He did give her some more challenging work, but he couldn't grasp that lumping together children doing EYFS maths, with children on every level up to 'probably capable of taking GCSE early' level just made the challenge too great for many of his colleagues.
I spent a LOT of energy chasing it up It didn't change the system unfortunately as dd2 is now at the same school, but it did make things better for her.

noblegiraffe · 18/10/2016 18:56

That's not mixed ability teaching, that's shit teaching. I hate mixed ability teaching but if I were doing that, I'd expect 23x10 100 and 100 to be on the easiest sheet (are you sure he didn't pick up the wrong one???) multiplying and dividing 10,100,1000 with decimals on the middle sheet and the top end to be doing multiplying and dividing by 0.1, 0.01, 0.001.

If the form tutor hasn't had any joy you need to approach the teacher then escalate to Head of Department. It's not acceptable that your DS is being given this, and it won't be good enough for the majority of the class.

Original poster
ihearttc · 18/10/2016 18:17

I did think of that but to be honest I haven't got the money to spare for one.

I totally get that they have to go over the basics and refresh their knowledge but he is so fed up with it all.

OP posts:
Nermerner · 18/10/2016 18:13

Oh God I am dreading this. Dd is in year 6 and is predicted 110+ in maths - not a genius but confident and engaged. Our state secondary doesn't set for maths either. I am getting her a tutor!!