[Kwaku_96]

My Sociology revision class were talking about setting and streaming and my teacher said that those in lower sets for Maths would most likely fail the subject. Do you think being in a bottom set puts student at a disadvantage? When students are placed in bottom sets, do you think teachers give up on them? I'd really like to know what everyone's opinions are.

[CheesePuffff]

In my school, top set get the best teacher and bottom set get the worst (although second set have the second-worst teacher, almost everyone is failing). I don't really think it's the teacher who gives up on them, but the whole department. Surely they know who the best and worst teachers are, they don't just all put their hand in a hat and pull out the name of the class they'll be teaching this year. I think if they were serious about helping people who were worse at maths, they would give them the best teacher, but of course they want to push up the higher grades, which is understandable I guess. It's just a shame because I know in my school - maybe it's not the same for all - bottom set are more likely to fail because they have the worst teacher and so they don't have anyone to ask for help etc. The few people who are serious about passing usually get private tutors and pass that way. :/

[pshewitt1]

not true, upto A level I made myself go to bottom sets as we got the most attention and best teachers, i tried top set and I didn't like having to do so much, still got A* AAAABBBBC (A in maths) my teachers understood my reasoning, my other mate who did the same went to imperial do do aeronautical engineering, I should be going manchester to do mech eng..

[Dandaman9999]

In my school at least the head of department teaches the top set for maths... I don't know how the other sets are sorted out because they change every year (last year's set 2 had a different teacher to this year's set 2 who now teaches set 4 ). I don't think they give up o them though.

Agian, using our school as an example, the lower set doesn't get entered for the extra statistics GCSE which the other sets do in year 10 and focus on the maths syllabus for the whole two years so they get a lot more practice and improve. In fact, after this training some of the people in the bottom set are better at the subject than people in the set above them.

[burgerrr]

I think it depends on what sort of quality the student and teaching are. For example, bottom sets in a Grammar school are likely to alteast pass. Compare that to practically a Secondary Modern in that same area, less likely to pass you'd assume.

I suppose if the focus in bottom sets is a c, that also means people who could get a b are not taught the necessary sylabus to get one.

[theking1]

I'm in year 11, and it's coming towards the end, from an unbiased opinion I can tell you this statement is completely true. Being in the bottom set I've been put down for lower tier (grade C) - Because it's bottom set, we have all the people that DO NOT WANT TO WORK and constantly shout out. Now you may be wondering why it matters if only one or two people shout out?
To understand the concepts of maths you need 110% attention (In my opinion) whilst the teacher teaches. Whilst she is doing examples people in my class shouted out CONSTANTLY without disregard. It didn't help my teacher was **** as well, (in the sense she unable to express why a method works well)

I had a lesson over a study period with her because no one else showed up, and I learn so much. That, THAT is why top sets achieve the highest. They have a quiet concentrated class room, with a head of department teacher.

I'd appreciate it if someone replied to me stating why I might not be correct.

[AspiringGenius]

(Original post by theking1)
I'm in year 11, and it's coming towards the end, from an unbiased opinion I can tell you this statement is completely true. Being in the bottom set I've been put down for lower tier (grade C) - Because it's bottom set, we have all the people that DO NOT WANT TO WORK and constantly shout out. Now you may be wondering why it matters if only one or two people shout out?
To understand the concepts of maths you need 110% attention (In my opinion) whilst the teacher teaches. Whilst she is doing examples people in my class shouted out CONSTANTLY without disregard. It didn't help my teacher was **** as well, (in the sense she unable to express why a method works well)

I had a lesson over a study period with her because no one else showed up, and I learn so much. That, THAT is why top sets achieve the highest. They have a quiet concentrated class room, with a head of department teacher.

I'd appreciate it if someone replied to me stating why I might not be correct.

Oh our top set maths was NOT a quiet classroom.

[.snowflake.]

(Original post by AspiringGenius)
Oh our top set maths was NOT a quiet classroom.

Neither was ours, admittedly not top set, but we were EVIL.

[HuyTaa]

if you can't pass maths then you're a *******



people who negged me obviously suck at maths

[nash_4_lyf]

Not at all, you were set according to standard in my school, not ability. So people who who were struggling were in set 3 and people who were flying through were in set one. thats for maths.

i was in set 3, but i was learning the same stuff and techniques as 2 and 1.

I got an A* for gcse maths so it does not make the slightest diffreence. It depends on the students willingness to learn.

[KCosmo]

Being in the bottom set is a significant disadvantage,the same as being in the top set is an advantage. It's likely that a lot of students in the bottom set are there because they dislike the subject, and so are more likely to get bored and get into trouble from the teacher, taking away teaching time. Also, for the top set there seems to be a competitive culture, where each student tries to compete with one another, leading to better test scores. Having said that, bottom set students can get an A and top set can fail.

[Beebumble]

(Original post by CheesePuffff)
In my school, top set get the best teacher and bottom set get the worst (although second set have the second-worst teacher, almost everyone is failing). I don't really think it's the teacher who gives up on them, but the whole department. Surely they know who the best and worst teachers are, they don't just all put their hand in a hat and pull out the name of the class they'll be teaching this year. I think if they were serious about helping people who were worse at maths, they would give them the best teacher, but of course they want to push up the higher grades, which is understandable I guess. It's just a shame because I know in my school - maybe it's not the same for all - bottom set are more likely to fail because they have the worst teacher and so they don't have anyone to ask for help etc. The few people who are serious about passing usually get private tutors and pass that way. :/

This is what happened at my school too and when the top set teacher left instead of letting the cope with supply teachers they just gave them ours and we had to struggle on with no teacher for the most part of year 10. When we finally did get a teacher they gave us a teacher who was just out of school himself and was completely inexperienced.

They also bunged all the unruly kids who weren't particularly bad at maths along with those who were just struggling. So of course they completely disrupted the class. I think over an hour lesson only 5 minuets were spent actually teaching.

I ended up with an E.

[orange'94]

No there were 8 sets in my school and i was in set 6, however I got an B so did most of the class and our results beat the average grades of sets 4&5, if anything its more of reason to work hard and get the grade to prove them all wrong.

[Safiya122]

I was in set six, the school had predicted that all the students in set six were to leave with a D, however me and two other people got Cs so my answer is yes, do the work and you have a good chance

[SweetChilliSauce]

Well, I was in the bottom set for Maths in GCSE, but we did better than Sets 2 and 3. (we all got A*'s, A's and B's.) So it's not impossible.

[et cetera]

Some of your experiences sound awful.

At my school there are 6 sets per half of the year (so 12 in total). Set 1 being the most advanced, working downwards towards 6.

Arguably, some of the most friendly and approachable teachers teach the bottom sets - which I think greatly benefits the students how find mathematics incredibly boring or are unable to motivate themselves. Then your more traditional teachers teaching the top-sets.

In the case of my school - there are no patchy rubbish or outstanding levels of teaching - regardless of set, the same topics are taught; with the bottom sets they generally go at a slower space; to compensate for lack of ability and there are also fewer students which allows for more 1:1 time with the teacher.

Concluding, a candidate in set 3 or 4 can achieve exactly the same grade as a top-grade student. By sorting classes by ability, teachers can get the most of their students; thus no limitations are placed upon the student.


I hope this gives a full and comprehensive picture of education at my school.

[Flyteryder]

None of my A-level teachers like teaching bottom sets further down the school; they always say to us 'I've got set 3 science next, time to get some marking out of the way.'

[Pabblethefish]

I don't think this is fair. It depends on the attitude of the students. I go to a grammar school so everyone (even the lower sets) are entered into the higher tier, but in regular comprehensive I would imagine the lowest sets are entered into the lower tiers if their teacher doesn't believe they'll do well.

But I'd imagine if the general attitude of the set is 'I hate this and I don't want to do it - who needs maths anyway?' then they will most likely fail.

[kaypc]

i think being given sets demotivates the bottom set students and they think they can only achieve lower grades. i was in set 6 for a few months until i was moved up to set 2 thanks to my geography teacher sending a photocopy of my book to the headteacher. set 6 was really badly behaved at my school and it was like they didn't want to do anything worthwhile with their lives.

[theking1]

(Original post by kaypc)
i think being given sets demotivates the bottom set students and they think they can only achieve lower grades. i was in set 6 for a few months until i was moved up to set 2 thanks to my geography teacher sending a photocopy of my book to the headteacher. set 6 was really badly behaved at my school and it was like they didn't want to do anything worthwhile with their lives.

What grade did you end up getting?