Maths Sets

[JustHope]

Need advice from teachers or parents about maths sets. DS Y9 has been moved down a set for Maths this year. He is finding the work easy and says the ability range in the class means they are doing work he covered in Y7.

He didn't really struggle last year and did ok in assments. I would say he's of average ability and was comfortable in his Y8 set.

I have spoken with his teacher and explaining DS is finding the work so far easy. The teacher said that if DS 'proves himself' that he might be moved back up. I believe this is highly unlikely as it has rarely happened in the past. I am concerned that DS will not make progress this year if he remains in a situation where the work is too easy. He has already lost confidence in his ability as a result of this now believes he is dumb and rubbish at maths.

What can I do in this situation? I am normally one of those parents but I feel this is just too important to just wait and see. Do I just accept teacher knows best?

TIA

Bottom sets are usually smaller and setting means that they can focus on what the group are weak at. No point in doing trigonometry if you can’t do fractions.
Can’t think of anything worse than being in a set with much smarter people who whizzed through the work while others struggled on much simpler material.

I don't see why all classes just aren't mixed ability. Setting is unfair on the less academic children who are just shunted off to the bottom set where no one could care less about them.

My DD prefers to be taught in smaller classes at her ability level than feel useless with all the brighter kids calling out they've finished before she has finished question 2.

She enjoys maths much more at secondary because she is set, and her confidence has come on no end.

Maths classes aren't mixed ability because by the time you get to secondary there can be 7 years difference in the work being done by the most and the least able. It is impossible to effectively teach this spectrum of ability in a single class.

I don't see why all classes just aren't mixed ability. Setting is unfair on the less academic children who are just shunted off to the bottom set where no one could care less about them.

Its not true that students in the lower sets are uncared for. It is just as important to the school (and schools results) that these students get their target grades. They are just put in sets that can teach to their ability. There is no point teaching algebraic fractions or solving quatratic equations by completing the square to students who still don't understand basic fractions and can't solve one step linear equations.
In fact students with SEN or PPI, whatever ability, results matter to the school even more than other students as they are judged on those results in particular by ofsted.

Most of the pupils are aiming for the same exam. The school want everyone to do as well as possible. It is up to your son to work hard... there is very often an advantage to being top of the lower set rather than bottom of the higher set.encourage your son to understand that the teachers are experienced and know what they are doing

Don't bottom sets tend to be smaller? So they'd be getting more attention not less.