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Secondary education

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Original poster

Y10 timetable

32 replies

kpp11 · 02/07/2021 21:10

Was having a look at my dc timetable (about to start year10) and I am a little confused. The subjects dc picked as options for gcse have a number after it. All of them have a one after it, but one subject has a two, I'm wondering what it could mean? I'm thinking it could be sets 1/2/3 etc, as the school has always set kids by ability, but the subject that dc has a 2 is a subject that he has always done really well and dc is one of the best (in the top group) if not the best in the year group. So that would mean dc would be on set 2, which would make no sense?? Any ideas what the numbers could mean? Or do high schools don't set by ability in certain GCSE subjects? I know all schools are different and I plan on asking the school what it means, if we can't figure it out, but just wondering if anyone has any idea about the meaning of the numbers. Thanks

OP posts:
greenlynx · 02/07/2021 21:14

Could be the number of the group?

Hercisback · 02/07/2021 21:31

Could just be to differentiate between two or more groups of the same subject.

BashandWhizz · 02/07/2021 21:33

Probably just a group code

tessiegirl · 02/07/2021 21:37

In my school the top set is split into two groups but they are parallel. Known as T1 and T2

iklboo · 02/07/2021 21:39

At DS's school some options have two separate groups because they're popular, and they're on different days. Homework is set Group 1 due Wednesday, Group 2 due Friday etc.

Original poster
kpp11 · 02/07/2021 21:40

Thank you for your replies. Does that mean that group 1 is higher ability compared to the other groups? Or does it mean students are not set by ability?

OP posts:
Bobbiepin · 02/07/2021 21:41

Likely to be a group code, especially for something like history or English with more than one group.

Also as a teacher, what school has made next year's timetable AND sent it out to parents?!

tessiegirl · 02/07/2021 21:42

Yes in my school, 1 is top set

mnahmnah · 02/07/2021 21:44

At my school, the science sets are names confusingly. So ‘10AS3’ is actually those that have opted for triple science, rather than set 3. The top set for those who didn’t opt for triple science is know as either ‘10A2’ or ‘10B2’, depending which band they are in. But it isn’t set 2. But set 3 and 4 in each band are called ‘10A3/4’.
In English, they are split into bands, then top set is split into boys and girls. So the coding makes sense to us, but probably not to parents!
Maths and languages are more obvious.

The point is, the codes are compliant with the software system used to do timetabling, rather than being obvious Grin

Grainjar · 02/07/2021 21:44

No. They don't set for anything but maths, English and science at our school. Everything else is just which class you're in.

UserAtLarge · 02/07/2021 21:51

Why does it matter? There could be any number of things that it could mean. And the timetable will probably be adjusted a load of times between now and September anyway. Even if it's sets and he's in the "wrong" set, you may find that if there is only 2 sets it's only very able children taking the subject anyway so really it makes no difference.

I suspect you'll find it's 2 groups of mixed ability or 2 groups that are timetabled at different times. Or the numbers relate to teachers.

My DD's school doesn't set for most GCSE subjects (only maths/science). DD is in science group 4. That's the top combined science set. The numbers are pretty random.

AttaGirrrrl · 02/07/2021 21:53

We don’t set for anything other than maths at out school, so the code will say 1/2/3/4 (simply because each class needs a different code for the timetable to work) but it doesn’t mean set 1/2/3/4 if that makes sense?

This thread shows how differently all schools do it though. Does your child not know?

Original poster
kpp11 · 02/07/2021 21:59

UserAtLarge of course it matters, if my dc is getting results well above the group average (most of the time the best result in the group), which is the top group, since year 7 and achieves nearly 100% in every single test, of course I will question if suddenly dc is put into set 2.

OP posts:
Hercisback · 02/07/2021 22:01

You need to ask your child. It could be any one of the scenarios listed above. It will be to differentiate between groups, you just want to know if the groups are set. Ask your child to ask the teacher. None of us can guess.

Original poster
kpp11 · 02/07/2021 22:02

AttaGirrrrl Thanks for your reply, that makes sense. No, dc was just given the timetable but nothing was explained.

OP posts:
UserAtLarge · 02/07/2021 22:03

That's kind of my point. You're not actually interested in the school naming convention, you're concerned that your very bright child might be in Set 2. Because actually no one here can tell you what the 2 means anyway. You would be better asking your DS to find out who's in his class. And being in Set 2 might be perfectly fine anyway.

UserAtLarge · 02/07/2021 22:09

Is it a subject that has options/specialisms? They might be split into groups that way.

Honkingallthewaytothebank · 02/07/2021 22:15

Does the school work on a two week timetable?

Maryann1975 · 02/07/2021 22:26

What are the subjects and what are the numbers? Could it be the pools that the subjects are in? So History pool 1, french pool 2, music pool 3, art pool 4?

Or are the numbers after all subjects including Compulsory subjects that would traditionally be set, Eg, maths, English and science?

Original poster
kpp11 · 02/07/2021 22:30

UserAtLarge no.

Honkingallthewaytothebank no.

Thank you all for your replies, I really appreciate it.

OP posts:
Original poster
kpp11 · 03/07/2021 00:25

Maryann1975 compulsory subjects are definitely set by ability, as timetable clearly indicates the set like all the previous years. All the other subjects will just say, for example 10spanish1, so year, subject, followed by a number.

OP posts:
Muscaria · 03/07/2021 01:29

If the set is clearly indicated for the subjects that set it probably isn't set number. Just a way of distinguishing parallel sets

TeenMinusTests · 03/07/2021 06:58

It could be he is in set 2 because others have overtaken him.

It could be that the classes aren't split by ability.

It could also be that if your school has up to now been running parallel halves of the year that up to now there have been 2 top sets for everything but now merged for GCSE years there are actually others who are better than him.

Or it could be if they don't have option blocks in the naming code that there are 2 classes but running at different times and his happens to be the '2' class. (Ours would call that 10ADr1 and 10CDr1 for blocks A and C drama classes)

He just needs to ask.

If you must you could enquire gently if it turns out he is in set 2 as in 'has there been a drop off in performance' not a 'my DS is in the wrong set' way.

Cattitudes · 03/07/2021 07:34

It is probably due to the option block so he is doing History in option block 2 because he is doing Latin in option block 1 and there is only one Latin class so he has to be in History2. Suzy is doing History in option block 1 because she is doing music and there is only one music class which is in option block 2.

The only time you really need to worry about sets is if the set means they can't do the higher GCSE paper. My dc school gets around this problem by having totally unfathomable set names such as xzy473 and yxz538 and not setting for most subjects.

AttaGirrrrl · 03/07/2021 08:50

@kpp11

Maryann1975 compulsory subjects are definitely set by ability, as timetable clearly indicates the set like all the previous years. All the other subjects will just say, for example 10spanish1, so year, subject, followed by a number.
Why exactly did you ask the question? Your OP asks what the codes could mean, but your later points make it perfectly clear that you know what they’re for and are actually cross that your dc has been moved into a lower set. If you’d asked “should I approach the school?” Or “why might this be?” You might have got more useful answers.

FWIW, I think setting is outdated and ineffective and mixed ability teaching works better for almost everyone, but if you’re a fan of it, then you need to be asking how the setting decisions have been made, or how your dc will be challenged in set 2.