Hi. Is it as negative as you think? Is this just an invitations to the interview everyone has, and everyone is asked to bring something along these lines, or is it an extra interview or an unusual request.
If in doubt about these things, you could ring to clarify, which will help you decide.
Anyway, it isn't a definite 'no' and could become a 'yes'.
If I was presenting this to a child, I wouldn't be mentioning it was an indication of iffy exam performance or anything to worry about.....just it was an interview that would involve some maths......in the same way any intreview could involve some academic work. Be really positive about it all.
If it results in an offer, great, if not.....well there's still no need to focus on the maths issue.
In all of this stuff I am firmly of the belief that our job as parents is to encourage and build up our kids and leave them at the end of the process feeling proud of their efforts and positive about their own abilities wherever they end up at secondary school. They are young and need protecting from the idea that they have failed or that they are going to the second or third choice or second rate school. They need to know that it doesn't all lie in their hands (too much responsibility) and that we as parents have a grip on it and that they can rest assured we will be sorting out the right school for them. Celebrations and treats after the exams or interviews and after the results regardless of the outcome are very important in my mind, as is the idea that you are very proud of them.
So when things haven't gone quite as we would have liked, I think it's fine to protect them from the exact details (if we know them).....they do t have to know every little detail of the process or what some of the nuances mean. I was reading on another thread about parents debating whether a Saturday or mid week interview meant different things (offer with scholarship, certain offer without scholarship, uncertain position etc)....how awful if the kids got wind of these ideas before their interview, rather than just going into it hoping to do their best. Not great to feel under pressure to achieve a scholarship (even if it is necessary for the family).
As parents I know we all feel terrible angst during this process. It's hard to keep that stress to ourselves, but we must because if it leaks out to the kids, it can only have bad effects I think. I want my DS to finish this process feeling he's done his best, that we are his school are pleased with and proud of him and that there's a bright future at whatever school he's going to.