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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Sets in year 9

5 replies

goshhhhhh · 12/10/2015 15:39

So... I'll try and make this succinct and I suppose I am looking for reassurance that I am not being a completely pushy mum.... ( I might be).
My DD is very bright (not boasting it is a fact), not a genius but very clever. She goes to a semi selective school (state school) which is very hard to get into. She got an academic place. (It is complicated and I won't go into the boring bits but she came in the top 12 of about 300 applicants).
Anyway....she is now in year 9 and in the top set for all set subjects except science. She is in set 3 of 5 for this. I have for the first time (ever) in the whole of her school life emailed school with a query. This is related to her set but I'm not querying the set. The reason I'm not querying it is because we were told in the parents at the end of last term (July) that her science teacher was disappointed with her progress. I was surprised and so was my daughter as up until then we thought she was doing ok. (Her March report was glowing and she was identified as gifted and talented in science in year 7). There was a lot going on a the end of last year (she was bullied) and she has admitted she didn't like the teacher and probably didn't work very hard. Therefore she probably got given the set that is the refelection of her work.
However, I am disappointed to have not been told she wasn't doing that well until it was too late in the year to make any difference. Am I being pushy to have emailed school about this? I am slightly worried as the set will determine her options in relation to GCSE (and of course now whe wants to be a doctor.....)

OP posts:
BackforGood · 12/10/2015 15:43

I would certainly have queried it, but I would have queried it when it was first mentioned, in July, rather than 3 months later.

goshhhhhh · 12/10/2015 15:50

Thanks for that. The problem was, parents evening was right at the end of term and she was being bullied and that we the first priority. (It was hard getting her to school most days - nasty girl behaviour).

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 12/10/2015 15:53

Why have you left it til now?

BertrandRussell · 12/10/2015 15:56

Sorry-cross post.

Yes, of course you should query it. And ask what the implications are- will she still be able to select 3 science GCSEs, for example. Also ask what she has to do to move up.

Does she feel she's in the right set at the moment?

goshhhhhh · 12/10/2015 16:20

No she doesn't as lots of messing around.
However just had reassuring email back from head of science saying essentially they wiped the slate clean & they can move if they work hard etc. Decisions 're 2 or 3 sciences not taken until beginning of year 10 apparently.

He did apologise that we were not informed.
It's a lesson learned for her (she was overly concerned about fitting in & then the group turned on her (they are the self proclaimed popular group) but they mixed all the forms around and it is better), and she realises now she has to work as well.
Glad that they know we are concerned.

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