Why would a teacher keep Pupil in a set they are struggling in?

[StarsAndSplodges]

I have typed this out twice and it has gotten lost! So will ask very briefly now for fear of losing it again!

DC has been struggling in top set for a while, can’t keep up with classwork, low test and assessment score etc. Teacher has decided to keep DC there.
Is there a cynical reason for this such as it affecting performance tables in some way?

The school decides sets based on pathways based on Yr 6 SATs for which DC was heavily trained by primary school so not really accurate in my opinion.

DC’s confidence is getting knocked in top set but teacher insists they stay there. Any ideas why?

thank you

Could the lower set be full? Will the school only move at the end of the year?
My son was similar but the other way around, he massively underperformed in the Y7 tests they used to allocate sets as the transition to high school was tough for him. He was initially placed in set 4/5, he has moved up each year but no in year or end of term movements

They’ll be too many in the lower set / others doing worse than them in top set who need moving down first / no one doing better in lower set to move up.

or the teacher genuinely believes they belong they and can keep up

With me it was as pp said, the lower set was full. I was also made to do the higher paper for GCSE as “It doesn’t look good if set 1 pupils are all doing the middle papers”. My surname was near the end of the alphabet so I got asked nearly last which papers I wanted to sit.

This was maths. I never scored more than 2/20 in our weekly tests. Thankfully somehow got a D and so was able to resit in the following November, did the middle papers and got a C.

What year is this @StarsAndSplodges? If year 7 then it is early days. I guess it's unusual to want your DC to move down (tho I hear you – it can be a real benefit, but a lot of parents are unhappy with the idea).

As a teacher (no longer in a classroom but I was) I would always be open to moving a student if it would benefit them, so I cannot see any reason relating to performance tables why they would want to keep them in the higher set. If a student does not do well that helps no one. But maybe it's as others say and it's an issue of space.

FWIW and just anecdotally – I recall once we set from year 7 for MFL (my subject) and I had a marvellous set 2 except for one student who was struggling and as a result acting up, sadly. When I looked into it i found that the student had had huge SATs support in year 6 (2 LSAs in room etc) and their result swere way beyond their actual ability, and that was why they were in set 2; it was all kinds of wrong for them tho and was helping no one, so we were able to move the student, which helped them and also the rest of the class.

Thanks for the replies.
I’m worried DC is trailing behind and not getting that extra support where they are currently.
I just found it unusual the school seems eager to keep them in the same set.

I will bring it up with the teacher about interventions.

@clary thanks
Oops, I should have said that DC is in year 9!

It might be that they want to keep certain students away from each other for behaviour reasons and this is the best way to do it. It also could just be that the other set is full and there’s no more space.

Often the set are determined not just for one subject but bands for maths and English and often science too. Moving in one subject may necessitate moves in those classes too which maybe isn't in their best interest. Also due to resourcing sometimes science topics are taught on rotation so moving mid year may not be possible due to having covered different content at different times within the school year.

That's possible but unusual for maths IME (tho I agree it’s often done for a tranche of unrelated subjects like science, MFLL and English).

Maths in all the schools I have worked in and known well has been set from year 7 and there have been a lot of sets to allow for small lower sets, so it hasn;t matched with other subjects anyway. It really needs to be possible to move between maths sets.

The school decides sets based on pathways based on Yr 6 SATs

This might be fine for initial setting in Y7 when the school doesn't have any other data, but certainly well before Y9 they should be setting based on how the kid is actually doing at school.

Is it a small school with only a few sets? Does only top set sit the higher paper and your child has a target of say, a 7 and if they move to set 2 the highest they can get is a 5 on Foundation which would affect school performance measures?

What did the teacher give as a reason? Do they think she is capable? Is she not the worst in the group? I think this needs a bit more of an explanation.

If you have talked to the teacher and aren't satisfied, you can escalate to the Head of Maths. If your child is being kept in the group where she is struggling and losing confidence I think it's reasonable to ask them how they are going to support her to improve.

The other option, if you have the money, is to hire a tutor.

Thanks for all the replies.

That’s what I felt is unusual @noblegiraffe . By now they have sat so may tests and assessments that it is clear DC is not on track to get the higher grade predicted from Yr 6 SATs. I don’t know if this is standard in all schools.

The teacher said they believe DC is capable (although test results suggest otherwise). I know they get well below the class average but I don’t know for sure if it’s the lowest in the class.

It may well be due to not having room in other classes as PPs have suggested. Also DC’s behaviour may get worse in other classes as they are already easily distracted.

Is that correct about the foundation paper? The highest you can get is a 5?

Yes a 5 is the top grade on F but that’s fine, it’s all you need. Well a very few unis ask for a 6 in maths GCSE but IIRC this is more likely to be for STEM courses.

The F paper is a lot more accessible for a candidate looking at a grade 4/5

Also, any recommendations about what to look for in a tutor? They have had an online one in the past but I wasn’t sure about progress. Thanks

Sometimes you have children (or adults even) who tend to sit in a similar position wherever they are.

Child 1: Likes to make sure they're doing enough to keep out of trouble, but with as little effort as possible. Better to be in a higher set, because if they're dropped they'll be a similar position in the second set, but do less work. They will achieve better in the higher set.
Child 2: Loses confidence really easily and doesn't like asking for help. If people are doing it quickly, they'll hide behind being a clown or copying rather than admit they need help. Better to be towards the top of the lower set than losing confidence at the bottom of the set above. They will achieve better in a lower set.

There's also other things that go into it - maybe set 2's full and no one ready to go up, so your dc is the best fit in the year. Maybe there's a child your dc plays up with and they think they're better separated. Maybe there's a reason we can't guess. etc.

My DS was initially in Set 1 and was struggling. He moved down to Set 2 and has felt much happier and more supported since then. The lessons are pitched more at his level rather than those kids for whom maths come easily. He is predicted a 7 still so I think it was the best move. It can be very demoralising if you are constantly at the bottom of a class. I would speak to the class teacher again and find out the reasons.