Advice needed - maths sets

[Marypoppins19]

Son is in Year 7. Passed sats with 105 in maths. The year 7 is made up of 6 classes in an A and B split. In his half of the year there are three forms and so they have decided to split them for maths into Top Middle Bottom in groups of 30.
This has meant that he is now in the bottom 30.
Previously before the split last week, he was enjoying the challenge, pace and pitch. He now says it’s very slow, lots of non English speakers and some kids who really struggle. I appreciate their must be a wide range within each class of 30 but there is no extra support in the class.
Obviously I want to help him move on quickly but I’m worried about how best to do this without putting him under massive pressure. One tutoring session of an hour a week has already started. What would you add in as well??
He wants to do well but he also needs and wants downtime.

Honestly I wouldn't be adding in anything extra. If he got 105 in Maths then he is doing well. Why would you have a private tutor? He is 11 Years old!!!! Maybe in year 11 but in Year 7? It will likely just make him dislike maths even more!

Maybe speak to the teachers / head of department. Find out how they do the sets, say he feels he is not being challenged and find out what they would expect for him to move up to the middle group.

I am a head of Maths and I get this all the time, sometimes it IS a mistake (for example for some students this year we didn't get their SATS results until after we did the sets, this meant they went into the wrong group), sometimes it is just that his teachers felt that was the best group for him right now. But you will only know that if you ask.

Thank you for your reply. They said it was a combination of sats baseline and cats. I really trust the school but I know that classes are big and no TA etc it’s more his confidence and self esteem.
Frustratingly he is one of those children that if he thinks he’s doing well - he will.
Bottom set has created a bottom set mind set for him which we’ve experienced before and he’s a pickle to pull out of that mindset.

The other thing that frustrates me is that the best staff are in the middle and top sets

So he's in the bottom set but of the A half? So the 3rd set out of 6? Or have I got that wrong? Because if so that seems reasonable for a child with 105 in SATS (ie above average but not loads above).

Did he do poorly on the CATs then?

Chase it up, reiterate his good SATs score, tell them he is finding the class slow and losing interest.

Mistakes do get made (I teach science), we sometimes have pupils moved after the start of the year because something got missed or someone clicked the wrong button, and yes, it often takes either the parent or their teacher to flag it up to the HoD.

I know all schools are different, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease in the one I'm in.

Similar happened to DD in science
I pushed for top set and she walked away with A*

Mistakes happen

It seems to mean he is in the bottom 30 out of 90. I think this must mean that he didn’t do well in cats - he was incredible nervous.

The HOD said his set is correct and that he needs to prove himself in December tests then he could move up. I can’t see how unless others move down though

The bottom 30 out of 90, yes, but what about the other 90? Are they parallel or below (ie your DS is in the A 90 and the other half are the B 90)? Sorry I'm just trying to understand. If it's the latter then he's placed in the positions 60-90 out of 180 which seems correct for his SATS score, but if it's the former then that seems wrong.

I'm reading that they are parallel bands.

105 would be unusual to be in the bottom set (we have 4 on parallel bands) but not unheard of if combined with other data. It depends on the catchment/intake.

If you have spoken to school and they have clarified he is in the correct set based on all the information they have at the moment then he is probably in the right place. Give it until December and hopefully his mark will be good and he will go up. Of course this means other students will go down.

I'm reading that they are parallel bands - but the OP does refer to an A and B split.

Sorry to clarify the whole of year 7 is split into two EQUAL halves. The other half also has 3 maths groups, 1,2,3. So I only know he is in the bottom 30/90 in his half of the year 7.

If it's anything like schools I've worked in, one band is higher than the other.
So band A would have sets 1-3 and then band b would have 4-6.

Either way, 105 though a good sats score wouldn't be stand out in my school. We could fill the top two sets easily with students on 110+. Anything from around 95-105 would be middle ability so set 3 on A band or set 4 at the top of B band would make sense.

If he's been weaker on theCATS too then that might also be a factor as we see lots of children who may do well on SATs but get to secondary and outside of the SATs format aren't as strong as their SATs suggest.

I think there has to be a shift in mindset with setting. It's often the source of much irritation. The number shouldn't matter. If they work hard, do what they need to do, revise and make progress then as and when sets are reviewed they'll move accordingly. For someone to move up, someone else has to move down.

So what’s my best plan of action at home? We have just started with a tutor once a week who can do an hour 1:1 or half an hour Skype each week

Exactly - that is what I was trying to say.

To return to your original query OP, I would not arrange extra tutoring at this stage. He's only 11 and he's probably knackered from starting a new school a few weeks ago. Give it some time and see how he progresses this year.

I'd let him settle personally.

He could have the same class make up but a number 2 on his timetable and you'd not be worrying.

True example here. I taught a middle ability set once at GCSE. They were set 3or4 I can't remember now. They had a mix of targets grade 5/6. They were middle ability students. I had a parent worrying sick that their child was in a low set so wouldn't do as well because it's a lower set. The set above also had 5/6 targets. My lower set got higher grades in the end. It made no difference at all to their performance, but they had to have a different number on their timetable and for some parents that was the be all and end all

Let him get settled, tell him he has to work regardless of what number is on his timetable (as not working hard because you don't like being in a lower set only proves to the teacher you're in the right place because you're not performing well enough to move). Then, if it's anything like maths in most places I've worked, they'll move termly and he can hopefully move up.

This is SO helpful so thank you.
Would you ask for the terms focus and just do more of that at home? This far no homework at all

I think you're going to have to have a wee bit of self reflection here. It sounds like the school have confirmed that he's correctly set based on the data they have (which sounds like he cocked up his cat) but in your mind this a bit of a disaster (evidenced by the q on Mumsnet).

He will know you feel this and it puts more pressure on him, as does the hiring of a tutor - it's a signal that "being in bottom set is a BIG ISSUE". It isn't and although I understand you're concerned, your behaviour in response is part of the problem.

There's some real potential positives in here - if the pace is slow he should be able to get full marks in December and move up a set. If the pace is actually right he'll do ok and likely stay where he is. Being high up a lower set should work well for increasing his confidence - he'll be doing better than his immediate peers - that confidence seems to have been lacking when sitting his cat.

If you're going to be all "mind-set" about it, you can encourage a growth mindset by highlighting the importance of effort over achievement. And if you're looking for "things to do" sit beside him when he's doing his homework, have a look to see how it's being marked, talk to him about where he's gone right/wrong, all him to explain stuff to you and praise him for his efforts (not his achievements).

{I threw a wobbly just like this when my DS got low streamed for English - this is where I've got to through self reflection: if he was better at English he'd be higher set and my egotistical need for him to be higher set is reflection of my shitness as a human. He will do better with the lower pace and I should be proud of him for working hard to overcome his difficulties in the subject}

Marypoppins19
There's no right and wrong on what to do at home, though as a teacher I would caution against doing so much that it leads a child into feeling they're being punished or not good enough. Sometimes really well-intentioned parents can do things with the best of intentions and then the children come to school and tell us they feel they're thick or they're no good or they disappoint their parents, but I know from talking to the parents that's the last message they'd want to send.

I'd have expected some homework by this stage in the year, but if they've done CATs and just regrouped then maybe give it another week.

You could call the teacher and just say you'd like to support your child more in maths at home, what would they suggest. That way you can have a joined up approach.
bcnamechanger
Your reflection is refreshingly honest. I've heard that before from parents who've said "we were really worried DC was in bottom group, but actually they've come on leaps and bounds and they've benefited from smaller classes and a slower pace. They'd never have done as well if they were 1 of 30 moving quickly as it would have been too much".

I just don’t want to regret dumping the tutor. He had one in year 6, liked her. He didn’t see it as a punishment

DS2s school splits itself into 2 populations and top set in one is equal to top set in the other. It's primarily a timetable management thing I think.

In DS2s school there was a bit of movement in sets throughout Yr7, they also did end of year assessments.

Perhaps focusing on exam technique/test conditions, if it was the nerves/pressure that threw him on the CATs.

My eldest has ASD and is in a set below where he tests due to his processing and the class pace and that works for him. Apparently his class is very loud etc but he still prefers it to not being able to keep up in the middle set.

I think the start of Year 7 can be a bit dull anyway- they tend to do a lot of recap to make sure everyone is up to the same level.

The HoD has already told you that if he does well in tests this term he will move up at Christmas. Yes, that will mean someone else moving down, but that will happen if someone else in middle set is doing less well than your son. If you're not seeing movement between sets, then that is an issue, and you can raise that with the HoD.

Presumably they test the lot of them and cut off top 30, next 30 and last 30. He did say they don’t like to keep moving them though.
God it’s a brain ache!

My main issue is that he isn’t disadvantaged by missing out on what the middle set are doing. That’s my biggest worry as he said the pace is sooo slow at the moment

I'd keep the tutor he's already used to having on and see what December brings.

If it brings no change I'd look at more support - possibly on line sites like conquermaths, hegartymaths , IXL,www.whizz.com/ or Mathsfactor winter school possibly more tutoring depending on his whole work load.

Though it does depend on the school - if the cohort he's in is high achieving - selective school where they all do well in GCSE I'd be less concerned even if he stay where he is. My children attend a comprehensive where only top third really do well in GCSE so I'd be more concerned than many others on here.