To think this teacher is chatting bollocks?

[beahunnywashyourtummy]

DNiece (sensible girl, not a bullshitter), came home today a bit upset because her Art teacher? Has threatened to move her down to a low set which would therefore lower her English and Maths set.

In short, the Art teacher said if she didn't improve or start paying more attention, she'd move her down to set 4. DNiece is currently a Set 1 pupil which is top set and set via your standard of Maths and English.

DNiece asked how she could do that since Art was an option subject overall and Maths and English were not. Apparently the Art teacher said she didn't care and she'd move her down if she felt she was poor enough Art wise.

Surely this can't be a thing?

She's always been brilliant at Maths/English and has great reports, genuine interest in
Those subjects and clearly does well marks wise. I just don't see how an Art teacher could move her for art and directly impact two core subjects.

You are focusing on the wrong thing. Your niece needs to improve her behaviour and be more respectful to her teacher.

A child in set 1 and capable of the highest grades returning a mediocre one because they have buggered about in class is far more upsetting than a child in set 4 who has worked their socks off for two years and doesn't quite achieve a pass.

Not to the set 4 child.

Well if a set 4 child can be moved permanently to set 1 and cope with the work then they were in the wrong set in the first place.

Sounds like the problem is the niece and not the teacher.

As an aside, could I also stress that not all bottom sets are badly behaved and disruptive. And it is a myth that teachers prefer top sets. Personally, I love teaching lower sets. You can get badly behaved too sets as well - only takes a small handful to spoil a class.

@BertrandRussell they often can’t do the same work, but teachers are able to differentiate.

She sounds a delight to teach.

@MarinaPunta I read an interview with the playwright Willy Russell, who used to be a teacher, where he said he liked teaching bottom sets because the kids really needed and appreciated him. And yes, I was in top sets and can confirm that there were badly behaved kids there too (not me though!) and I often heard the line 'this is not the kind of behaviour I expect from a top set'.

“@BertrandRussell they often can’t do the same work, but teachers are able to differentiate.”

So you’ve got someone permanently in Set 1 doing Set 4 work? Different books in English- Maths only up to Level 5 when the rest are doing up to level 9? How bizarre.

Even when the teacher is talking arrant bollocks?

What’s “arrant” bollocks?

@messolini9 granted but that wasn't the point I was making here. The OP's neice is clearly very capable or she wouldn't be in that set. It's very frustrating for teachers to watch students throw away their potential for the sake of a chat or messing about when other students work incredibly hard to achieve what they do, whatever the grades. I can understand the situation from the teacher in the OP, is what I'm saying.

Anyway, OP, it needs to be sorted out. If your niece is moved down to set (stream) 4 it will probably have a significant impact on her GCSE choices. In many schools it would mean,for example,
no MFL and a cap on her maths grade. So someone needs to find out what’s happening. In my opinion it is incredibly unlikely that her English and Maths will be driven by Art.

(That does not mean she should get away with being an arse in Art!)

There are 4 Art groups in my DD's year - they are not set though. I agree with others that it's clearly a not very well worded complaint about the niece talking. Although I don't see why set 4 should suffer her.

I don't see why it should affect her English and maths sets - they may all be timetabled the same for convenience, but if Art set 4 has lessons at the same time as Art set 1, then she can easily enough just be moved to the other room.

There'll be a massive back story here of poor behaviour from niece, low-level disruption, chatting in class, rudeness, and the teacher has finally had enough.

I imagine.

But either way, OP, it's none of your beeswax. Let your sister sort it out.

@FamilyOfAliens - 'arrant' means 'complete' kabsolute' or 'utter' - usually used as part of the phrase 'arrant nonsense', but works with 'bollocks' too.

‘Chatting bollocks’. How old are you?!

Sounds like an empty threat to me, made to upset her as she'd annoyed him/her with not paying enough attention.

Art doesn't matter if she's not interested in doing it at college/uni. I think I dropped Art and German (I mean?!) when I was at High school to concentrate more on English and Maths.

A week or so into the new academic year and already there are quite a few threads intimating that teachers have overstepped the mark/ been harsh or unfair/ plain wrong.

This has just happened. The OP has the niece’s side of the story. No background, no other point of view. I agree with what most people have surmised. Niece is being a pain and it’s a comment borne out of frustration because of it.

Leave it to her parents to deal with if they feel they should.

It was probably just an empty threat to try to improve your niece's behaviour. You're making a fuss over nothing. I'm a former teacher.

Argh this attitude towards bottom sets drives me crazy. A child we know was chatting about his school and said the bottom sets were for the ignorant kids. My son was listening to this conversation and will be in the bottom sets when he goes to secondary. I can now see that this attitude is perpetuated by lots of parents and teachers. Being in the bottom set shouldn’t be an embarrassing or shameful punishment.

Whatever she did really upset the teacher who probably regretted their actions afterwards, but come on, how difficult must it be trying to get the attention of these kids, teach them a subject they (the teacher) are so passionate about.... and they must take the P constantly.

She either needs to drop Art (ask if it's possible) or try her best in it.

As all she has to do is pay an adequate amount of attention in lessons for this threat to be redundant, i's be telling her quite bracingly that she is to stop being an arse and apply herself properly in all lessons.

Teachers have enough crap to deal with, without having to pussyfoot round someone who isn't even trying in lessons.

At this stage in the year, there will be subject and year meetings where the names of students who have 'raised their heads' at the start of the new academic year will be requested. Best for any child to avoid getting a mention as they are setting themselves up for a year of 'being monitored'. So, whilst it may look cool to challenge the teacher, it definitely isn't cool having to give up breaks and time at the end of the day to get monitoring reports signed.

“Teachers have enough crap to deal with, without having to pussyfoot round someone who isn't even trying in lessons.”
Of course. But the moving to Set 4 thing has to be sorted out.

I think the OP is also 'chatting bollocks'.