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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be a bit disappointed year 9 dd is in bottom set for maths?

149 replies

awaywiththecircus · 06/09/2020 12:39

Dd goes to a grammar school. She loves school, cried when it shut for lockdown and was excited to go back.
I know I’m being unreasonable as Dd is definitely no maths whizz. It’s not something that comes easily to her but she gets there in the end. I’m the same so don’t know why it’s bothered me. Her older brother (15) is brilliant at maths and going to do further maths GCSE and A level. Please talk some sense into me.

OP posts:

BluebellsGreenbells · 06/09/2020 19:51

I know what you mean about giving them a 'fail' grade as a target but in some cases a target that is too high would be demoralising

No, what demoralising, is sitting the foundation paper where D is the highest grade so they are sitting an exam they will defiantly fail.

What’s the point? Why bother? How are the exam boards allowed to even have an exam kids can’t pass?

Bobbybobbins · 06/09/2020 20:20

@BluebellsGreenbells

I don't think there is a foundation paper where the highest possible grade is a D anymore. Which is a good thing! It definitely existed when I did my exams. In maths you can get up to a 5 on foundation.

I teach English which has no tiering at all which has good and bad points.

FredaFlinstone · 06/09/2020 20:30

TBH I'd be helping her with extra maths. Everyone can be good at maths. My DS used to have to go to maths support. Now he's top end of the top set, invited to do advanced maths in addition to GCSE and already been told to do double maths A level by teacher. This isn't under pressure either. He's free to do whatever he wants and maths is now his favourite subject. We got him up to speed with a tutor and then he grew in confidence and learned to love the subject.

Shimy · 06/09/2020 21:23

@Bobbybobbins it’s so soul destroying and depressing for the students stuck in this who despite wanting to do better, just can’t. My DS was once one of these strugglers in Maths,

I still cannot understand though why anyone would be given a target of ‘F’, it’s pointless! Infact they’d be better off not sitting the exam at all and perhaps doing a different qualification. That target in itself must kill whatever self esteem they have left. I find it very odd.

Bobbybobbins · 06/09/2020 21:30

@Shimy

Totally agree about the qualification. We used to do functional skills and also sometimes only enter kids for Language not Literature to slim down their curriculum but government changes basically blackmail schools into entering everyone for both.

It's kids like one of my year 7s who has a reading age of 6 but no SEN - not able to go to a special school but really struggles with mainstream.

We have lots of discussions about target grades - lots of kids feel theirs are too high and get intimidated, some are too low and they lose motivation. Sometimes I wish we didn't have them at all!

Anyway sorry to go a bit off topic OP!

Gkeshs3under3 · 06/09/2020 21:37

I was in the bottom set for maths at grammar school. I achieved A* for gcse maths. I dont think sets matter much at grammar schools.

iolaus · 06/09/2020 22:11

Each child has different strengths - my son is the opposite way to your daughter - he's top set in Maths and Sciences and bottom (I think - he was definitely third set and I think there were only three) for English and Welsh (he goes to a Welsh medium school)

Still got Cs in English and Welsh language GCSEs

jewel1968 · 06/09/2020 22:21

The only problem with being in the bottom set is the impact on esteem.
My eldest was moved down a set in English. He was unhappy but he had a fantastic teacher and he got an A*. Fast forward and he is in uni doing really well but most interestingly he writes in his spare time. He gets a lot of pleasure from writing. That teacher gave him something special.

Focus on ensuring she doesn't feel low about the set she is in because if her esteem drops it will have an impact on her grades.

JayAlfredPrufrock · 06/09/2020 22:27

My dd came out of school with her GCSE results, got in the car and said “Mum, I got a B in Maths.” She was so thrilled.

The two A* and 8 A grades were not as important.

JalapenoDave · 06/09/2020 22:29

She would struggle in a higher set and the school have put her in that set for a reason. Just be supportive of her - I am rubbish at maths but it never affected me!

Sickoffamilydrama · 06/09/2020 22:49

I know it's hard especially if you are a high achiever or competitive yourself but honestly what do we all want for our children? I think most want them to live happy and fulfilled lives. Does being top truly make anyone happier I honestly don't think so.

I have felt the same my middle daughter who has high functioning autistim and dyslexia she will never be a great achiever academically she may not even be able to take exams (although she's in main stream school) which used to upset me but i realised it's because I think it's important and I take pride in academic achievement myself but that might not be important to my daughter and it's not her job to live her life to my parameters.

BluebellsGreenbells · 07/09/2020 00:04

Bobbybobbins

I’ll let my sons maths teacher know!

Utter rubbish.

seayork2020 · 07/09/2020 00:09

I want my son to do his best at school and yes getting good final years marks helps more then getting lower marks but the world will not end if a child does not to good in results there is life away from school. Also each child is an individual and not a reflection on the parent so having a child top a class (or not!) does reflect on ones parenting ability.

wafflyversatile · 07/09/2020 00:15

Someone has to be in the bottom set.

BluebellsGreenbells · 07/09/2020 00:18

Someone has to be in the bottom set

There’s ‘bottom set, half a chance of passing’
And there’s ‘bottom set, not a cat in hell’s chance of passing’

One is worth perusing, the other is pointless waste of time.

InTheShadowOfTheMushroomCloud · 07/09/2020 00:24

I was ina very low set for maths but every other subject I was in top set. No one questioned why. I did CSE maths and got a grade 1 which was an o level pass equivalent.
As an adult I have been diagnosed with discalculia and that has helped my maths anxiety. I have two degrees and I work in academia...but any numbers work I get some one to check ( or get them to do it) .

I can't hold numbers in my head...I can't see them. I managed my cse by drawing dots in the margins!

BluebellsGreenbells · 07/09/2020 00:29

InTheShadowOfTheMushroomCloud

But if you’d have dropped a few marks, then I doubt you would have been able to sit your degree!

Serendipper · 07/09/2020 00:36

Sounds so basic but get her to practise her times tables. The biggest barrier for some of my students is not being on the ball with the times tables and then loosing track of the calculation because they are still figuring out the times table step. Knowing how numbers link (factors/multiples) makes a huge difference to how well you can follow an explanation. We use TT Rockstars

FredaFlinstone · 07/09/2020 13:03

Not basic at all Serendipper. In fact I'd say my DS's maths took a turn once we had concentrated on times tables and just general arithmetic. He got up to lightening speed and accuracy and then his maths shot off.

BeyondMyWits · 07/09/2020 13:29

Would say the same as others on here, bottom set at a selective school is not bad, just runs at a slower pace.

BUT.... would keep an eye on things, do not allow being in a "lower" class to slip her target grades lower. And be ready to get in there and fight if the class is allocated the continually changing supply teacher when the main teacher goes off sick...

Check what she wants her future path to be and how she wants to get there. Dd could not choose to go to certain unis because she "only" gained a 5 in English (partly due to all the above). Knowing that in advance saves a certain amount of heartache.

Shimy · 07/09/2020 21:00

Serendipper My DS was in Bottom sets for Maths and struggled with it throughout up to this yr his GCSE yr. The one thing he was brilliant at in Maths was Times Tables.

Shimy · 07/09/2020 21:02

OP is also check what happens to bottom set when it comes to GCSEs. Are they all automatically entered for Foundation or is there a nice mix of foundation and higher. Do they do foundation at all?

Rhubardandcustard · 07/09/2020 21:11

What matters is that she's in the right group for her, working at her pace and that she is making steady progress. Who cares about sets apart from the parents who go around boasting about their kid being in top set.

BluebellsGreenbells · 07/09/2020 22:09

Depends on exam board

They have

Foundation
Intermediate
Higher
Further

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