Sets

[sheknowsyouknow]

Hi there.
I'm posting here because I've recently been trying to sort out my dc's sets at school.

Feel really unhappy as I was misled by a teacher telling me that all English sets were mixed ability as I was a little concerned how my dc had suddenly gone from doing really well all through Primary to dropping to a low set in year 8.
I double checked again this week and turns out they are not mixed ability. Why I was told this I do not know but had I known we would've questioned more and found out more where we could help.

Dc has worked very hard over the last year and got some good marks, some as high as friends in top set and still in same low set again this year.

Dc is now lacking confidence as friends have moved up set and dc hasn't. Not for want of trying.

Anyone know why this might be the case?
I've looked in to extra lessons as dc wants to do a job at that involves a good English pass rate and to be honest we feel very let down by the school.

Dc is very quiet and I sometimes wonder if maybe just doesn't get noticed much.

Thanks

[RedskyLastNight]

A couple of things OP.
Your DC is now in Year 9. how they did at primary school is not necessarily a particularly good guide to how they are doing now.

My DS did well in KS2 SATS in English, but tbh I think this was partly due of a lot of activity aimed in making the DC do well in tests! If he gets a Grade 5 at GCSE (he's currently Year 11) he will be pleased. That doesn't mean he's underperformed at secondary school but more that he's not a natural English student and has found it progressively harder to maintain his (overinflated imo) standard as he's gone along.

on the flip side, my DD underperformed in maths at primary school scoring a mediocre score in SATS. At the start of Year 9, she's in the top maths set and, if she keeps up her current standard, on track to get a high maths GCSE grade.

Second point is that you need to understand the basis for school predictions. School is obliged to base progress on KS2 SATS so if their targets are solely based on these, they may be irrelevant to how your child is actually doing.

A school should put a student in a set that is appropriate to the level they are currently working at, and that is appropriate to their needs e.g. sets often overlap as some children do better as the top of a lower set rather than middle of a higher set.
If your DC is getting some high grades and some middle, I'm not sure what else you expect them to do? Sounds like they are doing very well.

I agree with PP that you do seem very focused on the set and not actually how your child is doing. We are only 1 week into term - I'm not even sure you can gauge this yet!

[sheknowsyouknow]

Hello, I'm not sure how you are forming your opinion that I'm just focused on the set. I said at the begging that I felt let down having been misled.
Of course I want my child to be fulfilled and do well and obviously the set does reflect it - certainly in this case as that's what I have told.

I don't feel DC is stimulated enough. Bored in class to be honest and says it's too slow. So, my child is doing well but is bored and therefore, naturally it feels, the wrong set. Especially when I see some atrocious spelling and DC has been able to spell anything since about age 4.

Mumsnet is a funny place - you ask a question for advice and then you get a few people starting to get a little overly personal on your parenting. I just wanted to know what I need to do to help.

Thanks to all who have given some ideas.

[sheknowsyouknow]

*beginning

[BertrandRussell]

I’m sorry you felt anyone was questioning your parenting. On the strength of what you have now said, I think you should make an appointment to see her head of year and say what you’ve said here and see what they say. You need to make sure you know what level she’s working at now (in all subjects) and what her predicted grades are. Once you have that information, you can decide what to do next.

[sheknowsyouknow]

That's okay. It has been a little stressful here with one thing and another.
I will do that. Thanks.

[summerflower2]

I can understand your concerns and angry. Your DC was high achieving in primary school, but now has slipped down a bit, and is placed into 2nd set. The trouble is you was not aware it, as you were mislead that the class was not setted, so only confirmed recently that it is set by ability. Your DC feels sad about the 2nd set as well.

I think on the school side, you should do as previous post said, contact head of year to get to know the true picture, and ask how DC can move up a set? Can DC move up a set next term if she get good result? Or she has to wait a whole year to move up? Or the set is fixed by now? But try to be calm, there is a possibility that they won't move your DC, every school has their own ways to organize this. It may be hard for them to adjust it according to parent's request.

On the other hand, you should encourage your DC to still work hard even with a lower set. Normally,there shouldn't be a big difference between set 2 and set 1 . Only set 2 is slow paced a bit. By the end , all the contents will be covered. If you can offer some extra help for DC that would be better.

And no matter how important you think about the set, please don't show it to DC. The most important thing is for DC to get good result. You should let her think the set is not that important, and encourage her to put effort in studying no matter which set is she in.