Have we got a starting Secondary School Support thread?

I hope the SENCo is responsive. It's so hard when you know they're struggling and you can't fix it straight away. Hope things are better for her soon.

I had glandular fever as a teen. My dad thought the GP would ring if I had it and sent me back to school when I could barely hold my head up! It's been 84 28 years but I still harbour some resentment. DS2 is o.kish but we'll just have to see how it goes. He can't manage tablets so I need to speak to the school about him having antibiotics as it's 4 doses a day.

Poor boy, glandular fever is grim.

Ooh yes I could email the Senco about something legitimately. Good idea. Thank you :)

Oh no Aornois, is there any way you can engineer a reason to contact the school without mentioning the texts?

We're just back from the GP. He's got a throat infection and his glands are up. Got antibiotics but GP said with the length of time he's had it, plus feeling lethargic it could be Glandular Fever. Will see if the antibiotics help, if not arrange a blood test. I should have taken him back sooner but I was thinking it was allergy related as his eyes have been streaming.

Aargh. Things have somehow gone wrong today. Dd's texting me from the toilets in a right state and I can't do anything about it because she'll get into trouble for texting.

I'd heard some schools do ability streams rather than sets, but not really ever considered what it meant. I think DS2's school just sets for Maths, English and Science, largely based on SATs, though they did some CATs on an induction day.

That's weird basing it on the lower result as if they were amazing at Maths but very weak in English, presumably they'd be in the botton set for Maths based on the English result!

all schools do it so differently.
at dc's school they have 'houses' (tutoring groups) who do everything together. a class really.
mixed ability with a buddy system which (only a few weeks in) seems to work well.

They base it on assessments in maths and English, one test in each. He got a level 5 upper for his English assessment but the sets are based on the weaker result. He'll survive if he does have to be in the lower set for a while but he was sobbing last night, saying 'I feel so ashamed writing Set 2 on my work' :( Have done lots and lots of reassurance on that score but my heart's breaking for him.

I hope the HOY rings back today spiderlight. It seems a very illogical system, particularly as they set for the majority of subjects. I know there's no perfect way to do it, but, to base it on maths alone must be incredibly demotivating for those that are stronger in other subjects. The fact your DS didn't get to complete his test due to a nose bleed makes it farcical.

Yes, definitely moved for all subjects based on one test. They're mixed for PE and Tech but stay with their set for every other subject and he spent yesterday being told to sit quietly and not put his hand up to answer questions while his new set did work he'd already completed in all subjects. He is gutted - he's always been such a high achiever academically and it's hit him like a ton of bricks, especially because he seems to have been doing so well in his maths classwork.

Apparently the Head of Year is going to 'ring us back at the end of the day or tomorrow to take us through it' so we'll see how that goes. Lots of tears last night though :(

Also, did they only do that one maths test to assess them? My dc did at least two.

Is it definite that he has been moved down a set for other subjects based on maths? Or have they set only for maths and reshuffled the timetable generally?

What they do in dc school, (Year 7 child is my second dc there,) is they are mixed ability for everything for the first month. They test them in maths, then set them.in maths after the first month taking into account their KS2 result also. The timetable is reshuffled and they get new teachers for everything and are with different children. English, Science and MFL are now set beginning of year 8. Used to be earlier. In dc school it doesn't make much difference whether they are with friends or not in lessons as they have a seating plan (boys next to girls).
It sounds like they are set from the beginning in your dc school. Is that right.
I tend to email rather than.phone as then they can either forward it on to the appropriate person or phone or email back when convenient for them.

@CaramelAngel - no, she's an RE teacher. It's not a bad idea to try and speak to the head of maths though. Even if he is fundamentally Set 2 level in maths, which we will accept and try to help him with, I really can't see how dragging all his other subjects down is going to help.

God I miss primary.

Is the head of year a maths teacher? In dc school a Maths teacher sorts out the sets. Could you email the head of maths and explain the situation?

Sorry things are still problematic Penguins. Poor DS spiderlight I'd be querying it to and I hope the school respond positively.

Trudging along here. DS2 didn't bother getting himself any lunch today as the queue was too long. I've said he can have a packed lunch but he doesn't want take one . Got the GP for him tomorrow, it's during school hours but otherwise it was a v long wait. He'll miss PE which he is rather pleased about!

Caramel I sent a polite email directly to his head of year about an issue we had last week but she didn't reply and it took DH going into school to get anywhere with it. DS has now told me that his actual maths teacher has said to him today that if it were up to her, she'd let him do the assessment again, but that it was entirely in the hands of this bloody head of year, who is a complete battleaxe. Really don't know if we'll get anywhere with her :(

Looked and Mathletics are doing a free 48 hour trial, got one for DS but he won't use it. He will be if he ends up home tomorrow.

spiderlight
I'd send a polite email today if i were you. In a large school the info about his nose bleed could easily not have been passed on. My eldest is in year 10 and over the years I've resolved a few things by sending a polite email and been satisfied with the response

I'm sorry things are so tough for you Penguins, and I'd definitely query that set, Spiderlight. Not much changes here. DD2 is still agonisingly resistant with the homework. It's like death by a thousand paper cuts.

We have got a form teacher how is your child settling in meeting and you get a 5 min slot!

I get that teachers don't want to do long evening, but then don't complain about lack of parent involvement...

Thanks Penguins - I'll look into that.

Red we've just had our booking slips to see the form tutor and head of year at parents' 'evening' - the latest slot offered is 4.50-5pm.

Spider We got Mathletics at primary which is really good for maths and covers secondary year by year. You can adjust the year too up and down up to 6 times. It's about £39 for the year. I might get it for DS again as he's missing so much school though he tells me he just missed the 1% lessons you will never need today - dance and RE, he also missed French and DH is French

Red Our school seem to think the mother is permanently available at no notice and the father apparently won't do, has to be mother or they moan. Though I send DH a lot anyway.

oh pinguin that would awaken my mama-bear modus. what incompetence.

on laptop front, school has aquired a sponsor which will distribute laptops to all y7 pupils. we were told last week. today they told us using the school ones is mandatory and that a parent has to pick it up one day this week, between 3 and 3:30.

do they think every pupil has a parent that can slink away from work with a couple of day's notice?

I'm just glad that we put off buying one until half term...