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Original poster

Set changes in year 7 - ds being moved down

32 replies

Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 11:05

I’m wondering if anyone works in a secondary school or has been in this situation.

Ds started year 7 in September. He was initially placed in top set. I was told that this was based on SATS results. He scored 106 in all subjects so a strong pass.

He’s just had his first lot of assessments back from school and had parents evening. He’s securing in most subjects but there are a few where he is working towards, however at parents evening his teachers said that this is completely normal at this stage in the year and that he’s doing really well.

However, from next half term he’s being moved down to what I think must be middle set.
This info is wasn’t given at parents evening but there are new timetables given out. So there was no opportunity to discuss it with his teachers. All his teachers said he’s golden and is doing great.

I’m really worried because he’s very happy in the class he’s in. The new class he’s going into has got a reputation for being a bit noisy and boisterous.

The way the school does it is that there is one set for all subjects. So they don’t group them separately for Maths and English. So for example ds is much better at one than the other but there is no difference in the sets.

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Original poster
Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 12:12

It makes me wonder why they put him in the top set in the first place given his SATs scores.

All I was told is that they set the children initially based on SATs and that now they are going in a mix of SATs and assessment results.

A lot of these replies are reassuring, hopefully it’s the right thing for him.

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Closetothehospital · Yesterday 12:02

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Givemeausernamepls · Yesterday 12:02

My kids school only set for set one English and two lower sets and the rest is mixed. My DD is top set English for the first time (year 10) and she got 115 in her sats.

At secondaries in my area they are so strict that disruptive kids end up in a kind of detention room.

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Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 12:01

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I haven’t got my ‘pants in a twist’, you are very rude indeed and I’m not sure why you have come on here just to have a row when I’ve posted a perfectly reasonable thread.

I’m friends/related to a few staff at the school. If you e got nothing helpful to say then go away.

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Closetothehospital · Yesterday 12:00

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Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 11:58

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It’s quite simple.

I know staff who work at the school quite well, I know parents whose children are in the class and I know a lot of the children too.

I have been told that it’s a disruptive class and I believe that to probably be true.

It’s not really a shocking or unheard of thing to happen.

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Closetothehospital · Yesterday 11:55

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aintnospringchicken · Yesterday 11:54

My DC started off in set 1 (top) for English and over the next 3 years ended up in set 4.We’re in Scotland so not sure how setting compares to English schools as kids here don’t sit SATs. Anyway, they ended up achieving the top band in their higher English exam. Being in a lower set doesn’t always mean a kid is expected to get a lower grade. There were a lot of extremely bright kids at DC’s school.

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Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 11:53

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What is your point?

Yes I know staff who work at the school and I know a lot of the other parents and children.

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Owlbookend · Yesterday 11:53

Some classes do have a reputation for being more noisy than others & kids rightly or wrongly do speak about it. Behaviour does differ in different groups. It isnt always that lower sets are more noisy/disruptive. DD's Y7 mixed ability form was 'lively' and moves were made in Y8 to try to resolve some of the personality clashes. With ability groupings that flexibility can be more limited.

OrchardDoor · Yesterday 11:52

TeenToTwenties · Yesterday 11:28

Can you expand, that isn't clear.

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3 levels. Eg 3 top set classes, 3 middle, 1 lower

Closetothehospital · Yesterday 11:51

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Closetothehospital · Yesterday 11:50

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Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 11:49

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No, he didn’t tell me that. I’ve heard it from a few people including other parents and people who work at the school.

But even if it was ds, I wouldn’t dismiss the feelings of a child. They are capable of noticing badly behaved/disruptive children and not wanting to be with some of them.

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Closetothehospital · Yesterday 11:44

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Original poster
Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 11:40

I didn’t know it was called streaming.

The school do it this way until year 9 I believe, and then they put them into sets.

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mondaytosunday · Yesterday 11:39

Our school had (what I thought) odd pairings for some sets. But most were set individually. My DD for example was top set sciences and English but third set for Maths - her Achilles heel (she got 8 in GCSE physics but 6 in Maths). My son worked hard to get in to top set of Latin but couldn’t sustain the work required and moved down. There was a bit of movement and some parents were quite vocal in objecting if their child was moved down. This didn’t help the child. Better to be towards the top of a lower set than the bottom of a higher one.
But having all subjects the same set seems counterproductive!

cadburyegg · Yesterday 11:36

Tbf it sounds like a reasonable move. I would expect children in top sets to have scored closer to 110+ in their SATs.

My ds11 is also in y7, he got lower scores on SATs, 100/103/103. His secondary doesn’t stream by ability until y9 but if they did I would expect ds to be put in the middle/maybe slightly lower set.

Owlbookend · Yesterday 11:35

Agree with @clary though - streams where it is the same group for multiple subject arent great for lots of reasons.

Owlbookend · Yesterday 11:30

We were also told that SATs are only one factor in setting. Being greater depth doesnt guarantee 'top set' nor does expected standard preclude it. They do consider SATs but also look at tbe secondary school assessments & exams. Different subjects handle things differently, but there is definite flexibility & movement. It is normal for kids to be unsettled/upset by moves but you have to be pragmatic & positive. Secondary is a long road.

roses2 · Yesterday 11:28

Our school shifts kids around twice per year based on the 2x set of exams they perform so your child might get moved back up again in a few months time.

Also 106 is only just above average. My child got 120 in their math SATS and is currently performing in the middle of the top set in their current class.

clary · Yesterday 11:28

Ugh this is streaming not setting and I am not a fan @Spookyseason1313

Setting for maths is standard even from year 7 IME but for sure a DC could be excellent at maths and not great at English (or vice versa) which is why streaming is not a good plan IMHO. Not much you can do about it tho obvs.

Don't worry though at this stage. encourage him to get his head down and work hard at any weak areas (maybe ask teachers what they would be). As others say, some adjustment is fairly usual.

Tell him not to worry about the noisy group – if there are changes throughout it may be different and anyway he needs to do the right thing and not listen to others. That's more than possible. I also agree with others that those marks are not super high anyway, so would be surprised if they were among the best 30. Higher in the lower set is often better than struggling in the higher set.

TeenToTwenties · Yesterday 11:28

Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 11:21

There are 7 sets classes and I think within that there are 3 sets. And then one for children with additional needs.

Can you expand, that isn't clear.

Owlbookend · Yesterday 11:25

Please dont worry. On MN it can seem like everone's child is in 'top set'. My DD has had the experience of being moved down & isnt always in top set for everything. She wasnt happy about being moved down for 1 subject in Year 9 (similar issues to you mention - moving away from friends & potentially more disruption). There was more disruption, but she did have/make friends in that set. My line was if you're unhappy being placed there you need to work hard, get better results & you might be moved up. She did and was moved. She wasnt happy at the time, but it wasn't a disaster.

You can work hard & be doing okay/well but still not be top set. Sets should be flexible & if they are kids will move down as well as up.

Original poster
Spookyseason1313 · Yesterday 11:21

There are 7 sets classes and I think within that there are 3 sets. And then one for children with additional needs.

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