Reasonable / Unreasonable - Setting issue in Y8

[teacherwith2kids]

DS attends a good state comp where setting (except for Maths) begins in Y8. From his timetable, and discussion with his friends, he looks to have been put in a lower set for English than those he thinks of as 'his peers'.

Now, I am quite prepared to accept that these are NOT his peers, an that he did less well than them in Y7. However, his end KS3 target (not Year 7 target, to be clear) is an 8C, and throughout Y7 he was reported as on or above target to achieve this, with the highest possible marks for effort. My understanding is that this is quite high, and in other subjects he is in top sets for e.g. history / geography etc he has targets of 7As at the end of Y9.

Would I be completely unreasonable to query this with the school (note 'query, not dispute - a 'can you clarify the criteria for setting, is there anything we should be working on, is this the usual target for those in the second set [of 3 I think, possibly 3 + an SEN group] and do those in set 2 typically achieve Level 8s at the end of Y9' kind of e-mail?

I know that it can be quite hard to move sets once established, so am keen, if I'm going to, to clarify this at the beginning of the year. Setting at this point is less fluid than it is in Y7 in schools that set from the beginning, because the school reckons that they know the children well enough to be accurate in their assignment to groups

It can't hurt to ask, can it?

My DD was put in the wrong set for French. We did, politely, query it and they had made a typo! DD much relieved. Her year tutor thought it was odd as he told us she was top in the exams at the end of the previous year but no-one had noticed when the sets were typed up.

Thanks all. I have sent a polite e-mail to the school (my DH has approved it for tone and content!) enquiring about it, mentioning all possibilities (equal top sets, change in his attainment, DS misunderstanding the situation, possible mistake)

Trying to avoid being PFB!!

teacher - I think you've behaved perfectly reasonably. My ds3 (year 10) has come home this evening and told me he's surprised to find he's in the middle set for science. He's always been top set maths, english and science and is undoubtedly more able than his older brothers (so I have benchmarks). His report at the end of year 9 predicted him an A* in sciences (prediction, not target).

Fortunately, as he's 2 years older than your ds, he feels comfortable about talking to his form tutor (who is also a science teacher) tomorrow. But if he doesn't get a satisfactory explanation, like you, I will be emailing the school.

I hope you get a reasonable response.

It does sound like he's in the 'wrong set' if he is in a middle set of just three (does the school have two half 'populations'?)

Ds is on target for a level 8 and is in the top English set of 3 at his non-selective school. I work in a grammar where by the end of KS3 probably less than a quarter are genuine level 8s in English (so that would equate to 6-7% of a fully comprehensive intake).

But I have heard from ds's school and other people that this year's year 8 are a particularly 'bright' year. I still don't think that equates to a middle set for your ds.

I was put in a middle set for one subject in yr 8 equivalent which I knew to be incorrect as I knew I was the only pupil to get 100% in the end of year 7 exam. I queried it directly with the assistant Head who refused to admit to an error and said I just had to work to prove it next year. It took half a term to get moved up and I hated that half term. Do persevere if you feel fobbed off (you can tell it still upsets me now!)

Hmm,

Yes, the school has two half populations. He is in the smaller part - 7 form intake - so his 'side' has 3 sets, typically (or did for Maths, which was the only subject he was set for last year), whereas the other side has 4.

The school has 'form' for minor errors relating to DS (and only to DS) -2 of his Y7 reports had to be reprinted due to an incorrect effort grade for 1 subject, the only one in his year group, so it may be that. Or a double top set. We will find out......

The more you think about it, the more it sounds wrong (unless the answer is he's mistaken and is in a top set - possible - or that his attainment has slipped dramatically - very unlikely)...

...Unless it really isn't a typical comprehensive and has an ability range massively skewed to the top end; because that would be the only way you can imagine 3 or 4 sets out of 7 all on target for a level 8!

Anyway, you will hopefully hear soon.

I'd definitely check it out if I were you. DD1's school is running two top sets in a very brainy Yr8 (one is called the 'super set') but have informed parents involved about the change in writing. It may be that, it may not. It sounds as if your DS should definitely be in the top set and given that the school has form for errors I'd chase this up.