Maths Sets

[Itsallkickingoff]

How should maths sets be decided? My ds has problems with his concentration, he is inattentive, and with his coordination, but his maths ability is actually good. He saw an educational psychologist last year for his concentration issues who tested his verbal, non verbal, numeracy etc. He scored 96th percentile for non verbal skills and 99th percentile for his numeracy. Also he performs well in maths tests at school, it is quiet and there are less distractions. However year on year he is kept in the bottom set. When we enquire why, we are told its because he isn't concentrating, and he has problems using a ruler and drawing and doesn't sit up straight.

I think this is preventing him reaching his full potential in maths as in the bottom set they spend longer on each topic, and don't go as far in their learning. I feel so frustrated but as long as ds is like this and this doesn't look likely to change considerably in the near future he is stuck there. Am I being unreasonable to think they should find a way to support him at a higher set so that he can cover the maths he is capable of.

Indigo, No never tested. He just likes to work quietly on his own. He loves socialising with others, even kids his own age,although needs to work at his level in peace, he enjoys sports and loves rock music

Your poor son, I can't imagine how dreadful it would be to be in such pain. Noise is almost impossible to avoid.

It seems very odd that school seem so willing to write him off as needing to be in that group while entering him for a level 3 paper. I'm not sure if this is correct but i think to get a level 3 he would have had to sit the paper with the more able children and not all pupils sit the extended paper, this might be different in different schools. So they must recognise his ability to a certain extent. I think if he were my ds i would ask to see the work that the more able groups are doing and compare it to his work. It is possible that there isn't much difference (that is the case in my ds's class, they are an unusually able group). I suppose what i am trying to say is that he may be getting more benefit from having extra adult support in the lower group than he would in a higher group with little adult support.

They sat him for lower paper and as he got almost 100% they let him sit the higher paper.

This school is doing a horrible disservice to this child. I am and .

I would ask them if puttin ghim in a lower math set has cured the attention problem? And if it has I would ask them to explain why they feel he should stay there. If something bores my 7 year old DD she begins to figit and lose interest. And it gets worse the bored she is. To be quite honest, I have the same trait at 41. I don't have any learning disabilities. I just don't fancy being bored.

I would be furious with the school if they were holding DD back in math for some purpose other than a lack of MATH performance.

Excuse my horrible typing.

I wonder if now would be a very good time to approach this with the 'surprising' sats result fresh. They definitely need to be setting him more appropriate work. It is not acceptable to have him read because he has finished quickly. From my experience in a working and personal capacity the group he is sitting with doesn't matter as long as the work in front of him is aimed at the correct level. Its possible that his attention difficulties mean that the class group teaching doesn't get through every time so he benefits from being in a group where info is explained a second time. However, for this to work they must be prepared with extension work for him when he has rattled through the task, eg a further more challenging work sheet to work on while the others in the group finish the first.