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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

Advice please about dd and Maths

38 replies

Dancergirl · 12/03/2018 19:18

Dd is in Year 10 at a girls' grammar. She's not bad at Maths but in a high achieving school like this she thinks she is near the bottom.

They were supposed to be set for Maths this year but the school have decided not to this year, much to dd's disappointment. She was hoping for the bottom set which would entail a smaller group and hopefully a good teacher.

Dd has had poor mental health for a while, we are just waiting for an appointment to see a therapist. In the meantime, she is really stressed out about her work among other things, especially Maths.

In class, dd sits near the teacher's desk and apparently the teacher is on dd's back the whole time. Asking her if she's understood multiple times, has she done the homework and so on. Dd is made to feel as she's at the bottom of the class. This teacher also talks a lot about GCSE grades, she wants them all to get 9s. Dd would be very happy with a 7 or 8 but the teacher tells her to aim for a 9 even if dd thinks that is unrealistic.

Dd is really trying with her Maths and always does the homework. But sometimes she leaves questions out if she genuinely can't do it and the teacher tells her off about this. Dd says she is doing her best, she asks friends for help, she looks at online resources etc, she's certainly not resting on her laurels.

Last week dd missed a Maths lesson as she had her GCSE Drama devising performance for most of the day. She obviously missed work and now is struggling with the homework. She's dreading Maths tomorrow as she thinks she will get another telling off.

Dd doesn't want me to get involved but I'm finding it very hard to stand by and see dd's health and self-esteem go downhill.

OP posts:

user380968 · 14/03/2018 18:00

It seems like there is a lot of pressure and she is not coping with it. I feel sorry for her. Do you think this is the right School for her.? Can you speak to the teacher about it?

BertrandRussell · 14/03/2018 18:05

It is completely unrealistic to expect the entire class to get 9s! What is your ds's predicted grade?

Original poster

Dancergirl · 14/03/2018 19:39

user it is just in Maths she is struggling. She's doing very well in all other subjects, gets good grades, contributes well in class and we've had very positive comments from her teachers at parents' evenings.

I will try and find out her predicted grade for Maths.

OP posts:

BertrandRussell · 14/03/2018 19:47

Dancer, if she’s in Y10 she should have had predicted grades for all her subjects.

And the key thing for schools and teachers in terms of performance indicators is that kids make expected or better progress from baseline assessments. Nothing about numbers of 9s.

ForgetMeNotCat · 15/03/2018 09:00

This teacher also talks a lot about GCSE grades, she wants them all to get 9s. Dd would be very happy with a 7 or 8 but the teacher tells her to aim for a 9 even if dd thinks that is unrealistic
Is it possible her target is a 9 based on ks2 SATs and that's why he's required to get her to a 9? A 7 may look like not enough progress in terms of the school's teaching. I suppose a lot of kids in grammars will have had a lot of input to get them through the 11+ so will achieve highly in ks2 sats and end up with very high targets

BertrandRussell · 15/03/2018 09:06

I don’t think any predictions based on KS2 results would be 9s. Only 3% of the cohort are supposed to get 9s- it would be absurd to expect an entire class to get them- even in a selective school.

montenotte · 15/03/2018 09:37

not helpful but that is kind of the problem with grammars - the expectation is so high, based on one day age 11. The teacher is clearly under a lot of pressure.

in this situation i'd mention to the teacher that your dd spends an enormous amount of time on her maths homework and is getting increasingly anxious. That you're disappointed streaming has ended as this would have benefitted your dd.

and yes, if you can, get her a tutor. annoying and expensive but it will be money well spent to boost her confidence, reduce her anxiety and help her through.

BertrandRussell · 15/03/2018 12:26

Sorry to be a pedant- but it’s setting they’ve stopped, not streaming.

Toomanytealights · 15/03/2018 13:05

I have dc in 2 grammar schools. 2 are in top set for maths. They have never been told they have to get a 9 for anything even in the subjects they're getting 8/9s/A* and they got 6s in Sats. All their teachers are very human, supportive and aware they're just kids. No hideous pressure at all.

ForgetMeNotCat · 15/03/2018 13:49

It does sound like the teacher is putting too much pressure on and making your dd feel a bit singled out op, although he may perceive it differently and not realise it's making her stressed. He might just feel he is showing concern for her. I would speak to him about how stressed she is getting about it.

ForgetMeNotCat · 15/03/2018 13:51

And i agree with the pp who said it sounds like he's under a bit of pressure himself

noblegiraffe · 15/03/2018 17:48

I don’t think any predictions based on KS2 results would be 9s.

FFT certainly generate 9 targets for kids, loads of my students have them all the way down to Y7.

Leeds2 · 15/03/2018 17:59

Sounds like your DD is finding this difficult. Huge sympathies to you both; it is horrible to watch your child struggle.
I have nothing to add to what other posters have said, other than that if DD is leaving some answers to her homework completely blank, would it be possible for her to write something relevant down, even if she can't get beyond the initial step. Just thinking that it would show the teacher she has tried, and you certainly used to get some marks for showing relevant working out.
Would it be possible for our DD to swap classes, so that she has a different teacher? Might be worth asking.

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