How to approach school about setting of dd for English?

[mids2019]

For context my daughter has always been academically capable and has very good SATs results from primary level (greater depth) and at secondary school is currently projected to be gaining GCSE results in the 7-9 range for the majority of her subjects including maths where she is 8th in her year group and expected to gain a 9.

We have been informed through a very brief conversation with her school that she is going to be in mixed ability class for English (not top set where she has been for years 7-9). The reasons given for this resetting were opaque and were presented as a fait accompli to us without discussion.

Since year 7 my dd has had a reference goal grade of 8 based on SATs and initial testing. We have not been notified of any concerns about her ability in English prior to the 3-4 minute conversation with an English teacher so we are really quite upset by this decision.

We were told that there was no reason she couldn't get a 7 by the teacher who possibly was just wanting to placate us but it makes no sense to have her in a lower mixed ability sets of they there is no change in opinion on her being able to achieve a 7 (or 8) has changed.

My daughter who is taking further maths at the suggestion of her maths teacher is now wanting to drop it to concentrate on English as her career ambition has always been to be a lawyer (at Oxford though that prospect is obviously now remote). She feels quite humiliated not being in class with her friends and is one of 6 girls in a class of 30 and has been subject to misogynist comments when attempting to answer questions.

I have sent a n email to the school to discuss this including whether they advise tutoring or focus on revision guides and they have not replied. We are wishing at least to talk to her English teachers but I am starting to fear they just wish to avoid the subject.

The question is how should you escalate this respectfully and what arguments would teachers be receptive to in terms of ensuring support of my daughter. I was thinking about approaching head of department then head master?

So is it top set, then MA?
You can ask how she can improve buy it could simply be there's 30 better than her. Thats the case for my child's year (theres 40 of them that could easily be top set)

Is the whole of English in mixed ability, or is there a top set, then mixed?

Top set them mixed I believe though the teachers have been a little ambiguous about how they describe sets. There are two top sets with all her friends in.

Nothing is stopping her getting a 9 if she's capable of it.

There may be 60 children above capable of ageing 8s or 9s but I don't think this is the case simply based on the fact it is a comprehensive and it's GCSEs are readily available. She is already comparing about the fact she finds it difficult to learn in her current class.

We are trying to be optimistic and I agree with her aiming to achieve a 9 with correct support. We believe she is academically capable and would like the school's support in this obviously quite ambitious goals (perhaps by tutoring). As I said she is willing to drop further maths if they feel the English GCSE is a concern but the school don't want to engage in a conversation currently.

Could it be a timetabling issue?

I'd suggest you stop badgering them and get her a tutor if you're that bothered.

They are not going to move someone out to move your daughter in now, are they?

It's not time tabling but an opaque reference to a 'a lot of material'. Given academic performance in other areas such as history and geography as well as science I just don't really but this. Her goal GCSE grade is still an 8 on her reports so we presume they are still teaching to this level but I am really not sure. At home we are discussing themes about an inspector calls such as social division, gender roles, capitalism and socialism, personal c collective repoanisbility , Edwardian society etc. but having had engaging talks with my dd she tells us these themes are quite 'advanced ' in her set.

We want to get a tutor but it would be good to have some advice from the school on which areas to focus on in order to achieve the grades she needs. A conversation would really be helpful.

We don't know what tornadoes about future careers really. A lot of professions demand a good grades in English.

Yes ask how she can improve. Don’t ask them to move her - there will be a reason she went into the mixed set. Believe it or not, most teachers do have good reasons for doing things.

I think if you get a tutor then the tutor will be able to work out what needs done to help her. I had tutors when I was at school and there was never any communication with the school. My Mum just saw in my report card that my grades weren't up to scratch, and got me tutors. Then my grades improved.

I think if you do that and she starts getting better grades, she might be moved up again.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with questioning the set and asking for more details. Mistakes do happen. Did she miss any end of year assessments last year? This often is the reason behind students being overlooked. Ask for specifics. What mark did she get in the last main assessments and how did that compare to the average for students in the top set?

However, you mention greater
depth and reference grade as your reasons for questioning it. You need to be aware that these are indicators of future performance expectations, not how she has been doing. Have her reports mentioned her being on target? She may have not been performing at the expected level last year.

That said, I also don’t think you would be wrong to question the boy/girl balance in her class, especially if this is making her feel uncomfortable. If there is no mistake with her setting, then consider asking for her to be put in a mixed ability class with a better balance.

I would email the head of English. The class teacher won’t know the answers or be able to change the set. If you don’t get a reply, politely escalate to the head. Don’t be angry, just worried and wanting a response.

This.
DS was outstanding in every subject but English. I got him a tutor who was familiar with the exam board and his grades improved. Didn't discuss with the school other than a normal conversation about progress at parents evening.

I’d be concerned that they put some higher ability students in the mixed ability class to try and bring lower ability students up to your DD’s standards. Ask them if this is the case

Thank you for this

Could it be that they have decided your daughter is the most likely to either prevail regardless or have her parents pay for a private tutor, whereas if the others are to get 9s they will need to be dragged through it by the school alone?

If there are two class worth of children currently performing better then hjey have been placed avove her. No reason she still cannot do well though, hard work, maybe get a tutor.

Some questions which might help understand the situation:

what year is she in?

usually sets are determined by end of year exams much more than by target grades although there is often a limit on how low a student with high target grades will be placed

oblique references to a lot of material usually mean your child did not do well in end of year exams and while they look like they are learning stuff it really isn’t sticking.

On the flip side, I have a DS who has been put in the top set for English, and desperately wants to move down - ideally to a class where the teacher doesn't put on muzak everytime they are supposed to writing independently....

No harm in asking. There may well be someone who wants out of that set too! I've told DS that if he wants out, he needs to advocate for himself - that's not one I'll get involved with. But it's a similar set up - those they think stand a chance of a 9 in one class, then most of the rest in mixed ability sets, with a nurture set or 2 for those where functional skills could be more appropriate.

(at Oxford though that prospect is obviously now remote)

that's quite pessimistic to say if your daughter is on track for an 8!

I think the tutoring idea is gaining in appeal and thanks for all the advice on this thread. There is work to be done but I think with support she can be successful. It appears that there is a general lack of aspiration in this set which will seek to counter at home and hopefully with constructive tutoring.

My daughter would love to be in a chance of getting into a good university and academically I think she is there in a lot of areas. I don't want to the think school would think we are being entitled by advocating for our daughter as I feel English is just so important for so many things and therefore has to be prioritised.

My DD has gained awards in Bebras challenges so from an objective point of view is quite bright. The setting in English has impacted her confidence a great deal and currently she is set next to someone who openly says she doesn't like reading and doesn't see the point of English so I worry about peer engagement and just having a culture in the class where learning is valued.

Not all kids sre great at all subjects. Some have more maths and science brains. Some more English and humanities.
Its not therefore a forgone conclusion that dd is top set in everything
As such I’m guessing the school feel she is not in the top set for English and will do better in another set

Why not just ask them why she isn’t.

Some Unis need a 6 for entry ( depending on subject ). If she’s thinking that far ahead