School don't seem to care

[king1001]

My son, aged 10 is just finishing year 5. He has just had to redo his maths paper. He did a lvl 6 paper and got 4 questions wrong 96%, which gave him a 6C, so I made him it sit a paper at home. The lvl 5 to 7. Which he scored a 90/120 without doing the mental maths section. He took it to school and showed his teacher who, asked him to sit a different lvl 5 - 7 paper at school. Which again he managed a 90/120 already giving him a 7C without the mental maths. He is gifted in other subject, too.

I am slightly concerned that without my having him do the higher level test at home, then he would have got the 6c with nothing more being done.

We have tried to contact the school and was waiting for a phone call or an email but nothing. They seem to not care about this.

I am not sure how we handle to situation we try with the school to get him on education trips with the year 6s but get told that its unfair to others in his class. We previously asked for him to go up a year which was denied. We are looking to move school but where to? Another primary school that takes the same approach? A private school that would offer better tutoring perhaps but with that comes a cost we can't really afford.

Where do we go from here?

A*-Level 9
A-Level 8
B-Level 7
C-Level 6
D-Level 5
E-Level 4
F-Level 3
G-Level 2
U-Level 1

So as he has approx 6 years in the state sector before he will sit GCSE and only 2 grades to go....(though this will all be levelled up with new grading systems not yet finalised) I suggest you either home ed or go private where they may (not common in my experience but may happen in exceptional circumstances) move from year group.

You do however hit a real issue at A-level of solitary young teen with older teens and potential social isolation.

Also at what age do you envision university?

IME children who are gifted maths can be motivated and challenged in the very traditional extension activities of playing chess or bridge competitively. You will need to look outside of school for these opportunities.

"Gifted in maths" should have read.

Hello OP

We had the same problem but not maths my dd can't add 2 and 2.
We H.ed to allow her to do what she likes at her own pace.
She would never have progressed any further in 3 years at school

It's the end of the academic year. Talk to the school about next year: how are they going to support and extend him? How will they differentiate his work?

Look at the options for secondary. Do you want to out him in for 11+? The exams are in the autumn term, so you may need to crack on with checking them out. Don't discount comprehensives, either. Some are excellent for higher achievers.

Don't try to shift him him up a year or more. It may make life very difficult for him socially once puberty hits. Instead look to broaden his knowledge and skills. Music, chess, foreign languages, coding are all very complementary to mathematical ability.

I cannot recommend an organisation called Potential Plus highly enough in this situation.

Thanks for the reply. We did look at chess and he did join a local chess club. It had a few child members but they didn't turn up every week. So he ended up playing experience adult players. After a few weeks of this and also the fact that sometimes the chess club was cancelled, he didn't bother with it. And the fact we are pretty rural limits our options.

In your 1st post you put the grades down, are you telling me that he has achieved a B in maths already?

this level is not uncommon in 11+ children - you need to get him into a secondary school that will push him

Look at A website called nrich fab for able mathematicians

To be fair to the school they can only do so much. You are asking for him to be given higher level work...they already do this hence his results at the end of Y5 which is a massively good result. As far as the school are concerned they have fulfilled their responsibilities surely. I am not saying extra stuff should not be given but it's where they go from here that needs addressing.
As for putting him up a year....no school I know would do that, it is massively disruptive for the child, take it from me....I was placed a year ahead back in the 70s when they did that kind of thing. I don't think I ever recovered and my academic work went downhill due to the loss of my classmates.
I think you Re going to need a tutor if you want more from your DS's Maths but take care, he needs a childhood too. I am amazed that having had that massively good result you were still not happy and made him sit another paper at home. Or was he so unhappy with his excellent result that he asked for another chance to do a paper at home?

What about all his other subjects? Is he as advanced in them?

I think children who are gifted in subjects get a raw deal in the state sector. It's the same for children with learning difficulties, the law says their education has to be "good enough", but it doesn't have to be the best possible.
I think your DS falls into Special Educational Needs too as he isn't standard when it comes to learning. Have you thought if asking to see the SEN coordinator for advice? She will most often deal with children who struggle but your DS may struggle if his special educational needs are not being met.

"I am amazed that having had that massively good result you were still not happy and made him sit another paper at home."

Why did you make him sit another paper?

I don't tinker the test or level is important. The work that they provide for your son is the important issue. If they provide him with challenging work then I wouldn't be worried. If they don't provide challenging work then you should ask for a meeting.

.* I don't think (not tinker )

You obviously have a child who is gifted at maths so don't get bogged down with NC levels and trying to prove his ability. Let the school show his level how they want while you get on with the real task of nurturing his love of maths. Talk to the school about maybe next year asking the secondary school for resources and a scheme of work. You could employ a private tutor that could set work to do in the classroom. In either of these options your son could work independently at his own pace in lessons. Think about a scholarship to a school that would fit his temperament and ability.

I flew through any maths given to me at that age but I think moving out of year wouldnt have helped (I pick things up v quick so would have been above the next year too!)

I'd think, excellent, that's maths we don't need to worry about. Buy logic problem puzzle books, do maths challenge etc and concentrate on other areas. Learn an instrument? Any weaker subjects.

If you pick up maths easily it just kind of "is" when you read it. You could always get additional text books if you wished but I'd look at the fun logic solving or music/other activity first.

Why is his level in this test so important to you? Why did you make him sit another paper at home? That's just odd.
He took a test at school and got a 6c, that should have been his mark. Why on earth the school indulged you by getting him to retake it the next day I do not know.

You sound very odd. I get that he is G&T but why the pressure to perform like this in yr 5?

School can't retest every child whose pushy parent requests it, it's impractical.

cab I just make the point that a grade c is equivalent to level 7 not 6 and so on upwards. I don't think it applies to lower grades though.

Education is more than just mathematical ability. I've seen plenty of students who excel in one aspect of the curriculum, but really struggle in others.

A result on one paper does not mean he is consistently working at that level.

But rather than being hung up on a level, I'd be more interested in the work he is doing - is he finding it challenging and interesting? There are plenty of logic/problem solving type questions you can give to a child who is able at maths. (see e.g. nRich maths)
My DS is also in Y5 and often has this sort of thing for homework (with the intent that the teacher is looking for how they tackle them, rather than necessarily a solution). I have a PhD in maths and I still find these questions far from easy and mentally stimulating to work out (DS is bemused that I am wrestling his maths homework off him!) - personally I'd be asking the school to consider giving him work like this rather than being so mega focussed on pushing him up through levels.

Why did we make him take another test?

My DS came home with his maths result and told us he got 4 wrong and said it was easy. He and we were very pleased. Dont get me wrong its a great result but when you are nearly acing a test that you should be sitting in 1 years time something is wrong. With my DS you strike whilst the iron is hot and on that day you could tell he wanted more. So we sat down and he did the next paper up. More to give him something to actually make the brain work. I didnt think he would do as well as he did in the next paper up, but when he scores 90/120 he obviously should have done the higher paper.

Doing the paper at home and then showing his teacher, made the school reexamine the issue. A 6c would not have been true reflection of his talent.

As for his other subjects, reading and writing he excels in them, both are 5cs.

As for being pushy parents. We have never pressured him at home, we are not pushy parents making him do extra work at home, he does it when he wants to. He comes home watches TV plays, computer games, goes out with friends. What normal kids his age do.

Bold:School can't retest every child whose pushy parent requests it, it's impractical.

We never requested the school to retest him, we have minimal contact with school. He walks to school on his own and only contact is via newsletters. He took the test in to show his teacher and to make sure my marking was not biased.

For the school to give him challenging work they MUST need to know his ability 1st. Giving him a 6c when he is actually a 7c is a huge difference.

But you had the next level up paper all ready and waiting at home!

Ok didn't have the next lvl waiting and ready for him. Bit thanks for the comment.

So when they gave him the lower paper and he aced it, why didn't they, on their own accord give him the next paper up? Why do I have to be the one to instigate the school to do this. People say the school need to challenge him so challenge him.

You obviously did have the paper ready- otherwise how could he have done it when he got home?

Are you saying that the school is not giving him properly differentiated work? If so, that is a problem, which you need to address. But I don't quite understand why the test is such an issue.