Old Hands at Y7 & setting in secondary schools

[PastSellByDate]

Hello:

My DD1 and 6 friends are going up to the same senior school next year. They've had their 'induction day' and learned what forms they are in.

At the parent meeting that same day the school made a big point of saying that children aren't set on ability except in French (because some schools have been teaching French) - but at first it's all mixed ability. They seemed to be suggesting that setting would happen from Year 9.

I've taken this on face value and was quite content - let DD1 settle, and we'll see how she does.

But parents of the other children are now saying that the school is setting - the form groups are set by ability, etc....

For those of you who've been through this before - am I being naive to think the school isn't setting at first and that it is a gradual thing which is decided over the course of the next two years?

many thanks

I think it depends on the school. In DD's school they are set from day 1 depending in their result in the admissions (banding) test. If you are band 1 you are in band 1 for all subjects. Quite a few kids get moved at the end of the first term and later on as well. They are in vertical tutor groups (ie 4 or so kids from each year).

The school did not tell people in advance.

Ring the school and ask them if you are curious.

Sorry just reread your post. I cannot believe the school would lie so I would accept it.

All schools have their own way of dong it, so I would ring the school and ask.

At DD's school, they were taught as a mixed ability form until October half term, then were setted in maths according to results of a maths test. Think English followed after Christmas, and science in Y8.

I don't think they would lie to you. There are pros and cons to both systems but there is absolutely no reason to lie and lose the trust of the parents from the get-go. Rumours are plentiful when it comes to school stuff, particularly when it's a change of school.

Thanks for replies all.

I am glad I'm not being totally naive in thinking they're not setting at first - but suspecting they'll be gathering data over Y7 and gradually streaming into performance sets.

I kind of hope it is a 'loose' system and not rigidly set from the get go.

I'd like to feel that a late bloomer could be given the space to 'get it together' as it were.

Hopefully this whole 'sets' thing won't be too hard and fast.

Whole form groups would not be set by ability. I suspect these parents have got the wrong end of the stick - perhaps from some statement from the school that each form group will contain a representative range of abilities / current levels?

If the school say one thing, and parents say another, then honestly I would trust the school. They could not hope to 'set' the form groups and have nobody notice!

FWIW when I started school , we started the first year in mixed groups for all subjects, then Maths was reorganised into sets in October, once they had a chance to see what level everyone was at. Then MFL and English followed, then later sciences IIRC. Some subjects stayed completely mixed until we reached the point of picking O Grade subjects.

There was always some flexibility, although less so in maths as the higher sets went through the syllabus faster so it would have been increasingly difficult for someone to 'catch up'.

Thanks all. Am having a parent/ teacher meeting with Form tutor shortly - so will also raise it there.

My feeling is the school is doing something similar to what AMuminScotland is describing (although this is England) - but it also makes sense with what happened for me at US middle/ high school.

I think we'll find out about this 'set' thing gradually. No idea if they're numbered or named? But I suspect, much like by Y6 kids twig which name = top table - they'll work out relatively swiftly who is top set.

Maths will be interesting - they're all 'new agey' about it - sort of suggesting that work is open to all students but some will stop at the easily accessible problems and others are invited to carrying working through more difficult & tricky problems involving the same concept. My impression is that if you demonstrate you are continuously accessing & succeeding at more difficult/ tricky work - you ultimately will be put into top set. But I'll let you know how things play out - as both DD1 and I are total newbies at this senior school thing.

DSs school said they didn't set until year 8 or 9 (depending on subject) except history and geography in year 7 - seemed a bit random! However about a term in they setted for Maths as well. I don't know if they are a very varied year or something because it doesn't usually happen.

At my school the sets were never labelled in any way (not that the students were ever told anyway), though a quick bit of comparison of where you were at in the textbook, or what your homework was, made it pretty clear that some classes were going faster than others.

It was just that from after the October break, you got a new timetable and were in Mr X's or Mrs Y's maths class or whatever. But since it was a big school, each teacher had more than one class for that year group, so they all taught higher and lower sets and you couldn't read anything particular into which teacher you had.