Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Ds 14 hasbeen dropped a level in maths, am not happy

34 replies

FayeGovan · 07/06/2012 23:33

feel the school has made a mistake and will phone them tomorrow

ds is gutted and can;t believe the maths class he's been put into

he's 14, I feel this stage is crucial, if I let this go his confidence will be crushed and he'll be totally de motivated, he's hard enough to motivate as it is

any advice from mums who've been there would be appreciated

OP posts:
Bossybritches22 · 07/06/2012 23:41

I'm sure they did it for a reason, sometimes they just need that bit of extra support.
Talk to his maths teacher by all means but don't you thinkit's up to them?

Buntingbunny · 07/06/2012 23:46

Email rather than phone if you possibly can.
Teachers are generally much less defensive if not put on the spot. Generally they need to find the right years mark book and gather their scattered wits.

flow4 · 07/06/2012 23:48

This happened to my son at the same age, and I had the same reaction, and contacted the school all guns blazing promptly and assertively...

... Turned out it was their way of letting him and me know that he was messing around and they required him to make more effort. They told me that if he wanted to stay in the higher set, he'd need to pull his socks up. Of course I said he would... But he didn't... And dropped that set and another within a year. His attainment in maths actually dropped over 4 years of high school: he's bright, but he didn't want to work.

With any luck, since you say your son is 'gutted', this isn't the situation with him... But maybe approach the school more carefully than I did! Blush

Original poster
FayeGovan · 08/06/2012 08:17

thanks, I will approach with caution x

OP posts:
FallenCaryatid · 08/06/2012 08:30

I agree that it's a good idea to ask for the reasons for the move, see if they have very good reasons and evidence for the decision, and have a talk with your DS as to how much warning he was given.
Check through his books to see if there are any comments that might help you understand why he's slipping. Check he's been doing all the homework he was set.
IME these things may come out of the blue for parents of teens, but they are rarely so for the teenager in question.
As in, they are shocked that the consequence has been put in place, but they usually know that they've had warnings or suggestions as to what might happen.
Has he just done his end of KS3 assessments? How did they go?
Gather all the info you can before tackling the school assertively.

Original poster
FayeGovan · 08/06/2012 09:28

thats the thing, he has had no notes sent home, nothing in his school planner and parents night was positive eg. he's keeping up with the top set but could sometimes makes silly mistakes...for us thats positive, he does his homework on time but it a bit careless with silly errors but overall grasps all the concepts he's covered

OP posts:
Annunziata · 08/06/2012 09:50

Are you in Scotland? Love the name! Has he been dropped into a general class rather than credit? In my DC's school, this is done on end of uear test results, it shouldn't be a punishment. So I agree phone the school, ask for test results etc. Hope you get it sorted out.

Annunziata · 08/06/2012 09:51

*end of year

SecretSquirrels · 08/06/2012 12:39

Is he at the end of year 9?
Often they have tests in English Maths and Science and base the sets for the next year on the marks achieved. It's not unusual for 14 year olds to be a bit blasé and not bother to revise. The test result can be a bit of a shock and a wake up call.

BackforGood · 09/06/2012 00:30

It might not be him that's "dropped" so much as other pupils who were previously in the set below, who have had a 'spurt'. At the end of the day, it will be the top 30 or so pupils in the top set, he could be ruising along nicely, but others have now overtaken him. You can only find out though by asking at the school.

Jodidi · 09/06/2012 00:38

At our school we have to make difficult decisions like this every year. It is probably like Backforgood said and pupils in the set below have overtaken him. Or they may feel that while he is keeping up day to day he isn't managing to retain it in the way top set students are expected to. I have 3 pupils in my year 10 set 2 that moved down from set 1 at the end of last year and they are much more confident being near the top of set 2 than they were near the bottom of set 1. All 3 of them agree that it was a positive move for them although they were gutted when they were told they were moving down.

Speak to the school, but don't expect to get answers straight away, you may well get a return phone call or email as that gives the head of department more time to speak to the class teacher and find out exactly what the reason is for moving down.

VoldemortsNipple · 09/06/2012 00:54

DD was moved down a set in maths in year 11 with only two terms left. She was moved from top set to the set below. It has actually been a really positive move.

When she was in top set, she and her class mates didn't always try very hard as they were expected to achieve good marks IUSWIM. DD who doesn't enjoy maths was moved down for lack of trying and not reaching her target grade.

She has found that in her new class, the girls try much harder as they know if they don't, it could mean the difference between a C or a D, rather than an A or B. She is now hoping for a B, whereas if she had stayed in top set she realistically cound have ended up with a D.

Original poster
FayeGovan · 09/06/2012 16:40

thanks all (yes am in scotland Grin)

spoke to head of dept, he was moved down as others below him have done better and moved up, simple as that

am trying to just encourage him and keep him focused, sure all will be fine as long as I can keep on top of him

OP posts:
Annunziata · 09/06/2012 21:19

I don't mean to worry you but (well, in my DC's school) the general class only sits the foundation and general papers and so can't take the higher in fifth year. Maybe something to double check?

Mrsjay · 10/06/2012 17:29

IS he doing standard grade or C O E standard grade classes can be moved up and down all the time please don't worry glad you are pleased with the explanation though , it depends if they are doing foundation general orgeneral credit. if they are moved up or down its usually to do with support needed iyswim they usually sit the same exams at the end of it, DD1 has left and she was moved about a lot but still sat the exam she was supposed to, dd2 has been moved up english class for next term

Roseformeplease · 10/06/2012 17:36

Am in Scotland and would never move a pupil without discussion with guidance, parents and the pupil. What other pupils do or don't do shouldn't have any bearing on your child. Make sure he can still sit Credit, otherwise he might need S6 to get Higher if that is what he needs.

Original poster
FayeGovan · 10/06/2012 18:58

what is the foundation/ credit?

he will be doing Int 2

OP posts:
Mrsjay · 10/06/2012 19:13

is he in 3rd year or 4th year ?

Annunziata · 10/06/2012 20:51

Standard Grades have three tiers: credit, general and foundation. I don't know how Int 2s work though.

Mrsjay · 10/06/2012 21:43

im not sure how the INt 1 and 2s work you can do an Int 2 in place of a Higher but DD2 is doing 2 Int2s 1 in art and Hospitality because those subjects are not run as standard grade , n 5th and 6th year they are marked between a standard grade and a higher, TBH i don't really understand them either Confused

nothruroad · 10/06/2012 22:43

Int 2 is just one exam, not like Standard Grade where you sit 2 different levels so a change of a class won't affect the level he is presented at. Int 2 is roughly the equivalent of Credit SG, Int 1 is roughly the equivalent of General SG. Some schools do these as alternatives to SG in S3 and S4, others do them in S5 / 6 so someone achieving General maths in S4 could do Int 2 in S5 and then Higher in S6.

Annunziata · 10/06/2012 22:44

I think there are NABs and things like in Highers? But I don't think it's split up like SGs so OP's son probably doesn't need to worry about getting into highers just yet!

Annunziata · 10/06/2012 22:45

Oops, cross posted! Thanks northruroad.

BackforGood · 10/06/2012 23:03

Really Rose ? Confused If there is a limit of 30 places in any particular 'set', then surely you should have the 30 most able in the top set, the next 30 most able in the 2nd set, etc., for however many sets you have. Where is the incentive to put any effort in if there is no / little possibility of movement once they are first 'set' at 11 ?

Roseformeplease · 10/06/2012 23:30

Yes, but this should be discussed, not just happen. And what level a child sits should not be dictated to by what other pupils are doing. You can't seriously suggest only the top 30 should sit a particular level - each pupil should be educated according to his / her ability and needs. Of course there should be movement - in both directions - but parents should be involved, as should pupils and I would very much hope it was not based on a single test / measure of ability.

OP Int 2 is slightly harder than Standard Grade which only has a year to run anyway. If not Int 2 then he would sit Int 1 and the two levels are likely to be in different classes but there may well be more than one Int 2 class depending on the numbers.

Swipe left for the next trending thread