maths sets in year 9

I think that i might be in set 3 or 2 in maths this year but i really want to be in set 1. Does anyone have any advice for how i can improve in maths? And when is the earliest that you can change sets e.g mid year, the frist week. If i answer lots of questions will my teacher move me up a set? Do sets matter in year 9 and if i am in a lower set then what will i tell my parents because i dont want to disappoint them.

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by living_angle

I think that i might be in set 3 or 2 in maths this year but i really want to be in set 1. Does anyone have any advice for how i can improve in maths? And when is the earliest that you can change sets e.g mid year, the frist week. If i answer lots of questions will my teacher move me up a set? Do sets matter in year 9 and if i am in a lower set then what will i tell my parents because i dont want to disappoint them.

I don't think it's necessarily easy to change sets. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the teachers get this wrong when allocating people to sets (I had personal experience).

I think you would need to drastically improve your performance e.g. 80-95% of your answers being correct.

When it comes to improving on maths, you generally need to improve on your maths skills, and the only way to do that is to do a lot more maths questions privately. You can answer a lot of more questions, but that alone might not be enough - teaching isn't just about focusing on the one student or letting the one student hog all of the spotlight (that alone might not be enough to change their impression of you).

Sets don't particularly matter in the long term, but I suppose it's a bit of an ego boost if you're in the top set.

I know of someone who was in Set 2 for maths at GCSE for example, and he was clearly capable of being in the top set. When he did his A Levels for maths he got an A, whilst a large number of students who were in the top set for GCSE didn't get beyond a C at A Level (some of the top set students even dropped out of the subject).

Private study that I recommend for 13-14 year olds for maths include:

•

Study KS3 material ahead of time

•

If you're really capable, start exercises for GCSE early

•

By the off chance (no matter how ridiculously unlikely) you are exceptionally good, you can even start looking at A Level maths after you are done with the GCSE material (I generally recommend people to start reading A Level Maths around 14 if they're serious about taking the subject further).

•

Get a tutor for maths, if this is necessary.

If you made any mistakes, look through your mistakes and learn where you went wrong. Top set students do this regularly as far as I know (if they don't, they should). Then redo the question after learning your mistakes, and see if you make any further mistakes.
If you feel like you can't do the question at all, then look through the material again (be it from your textbooks, notes, or revision guides), do more exercises from the books, then attempt the question again.
If the above seem overwhelming, do note that maths is one of those subjects where it doesn't matter what age you are at, how much experience you have, how much expertise you have, or what size your ego is. The rules in maths are consistent; if you're wrong, you're wrong irrespective of whether you're a maths professor or in nursery; if you're right, you're right irrespective of whether you have limited schooling or a polymath. It's one of the subjects where a schoolkid can outclass an established mathematician (similarly with computer science, physics, engineering), even though it's very unlikely.

People you can look up to include Elon Musk, who was pretty much a mediocre student (and that applies to his maths skills as well) until he was about 14 when he took things seriously because he dreamt of launching his own rockets and traveling to Mars. He stopped his education once he reached his first year in his PhD in Engineering at Stanford. You would be surprised by what you can do with the right motivation.

Word of caution is that you shouldn't neglect your other subjects for the sake of one. If that subject is something you seriously want to take further post GCSE, great. In the meantime, make sure you balance out your attention and time across all subjects that you're doing.

Reply 2

oldman50

8

Original post by living_angle

I think that i might be in set 3 or 2 in maths this year but i really want to be in set 1. Does anyone have any advice for how i can improve in maths? And when is the earliest that you can change sets e.g mid year, the frist week. If i answer lots of questions will my teacher move me up a set? Do sets matter in year 9 and if i am in a lower set then what will i tell my parents because i dont want to disappoint them.

Practice, practice, practice. Maths is one of those subjects where you learn by doing (at all levels). As to when you can move sets or if sets matter, that will be dependant on your school, so I don;t think anyone on here wuld be able to help with that. If you are worried about your parents, tell them what steps you are putting in place to help you improve your maths skills and hence set. Is there a specifc reson you want to be in set 1?

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 3

flowersinmyhair

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Study Forum Helper

18

Original post by living_angle

I think that i might be in set 3 or 2 in maths this year but i really want to be in set 1. Does anyone have any advice for how i can improve in maths? And when is the earliest that you can change sets e.g mid year, the frist week. If i answer lots of questions will my teacher move me up a set? Do sets matter in year 9 and if i am in a lower set then what will i tell my parents because i dont want to disappoint them.

Do you actually know what set you are going to be in? From this it looks like you are making assumptions as to which set you are likely to be in, it hasn't actually been confirmed yet. As to when you could be moved maths sets, it depends on the school, some will only move you towards the end of the year based on exam results. Do you know if you start studying GCSE maths this year or when you go into year 10?

Reply 4

Maths_Duck

7

Original post by living_angle

I think that i might be in set 3 or 2 in maths this year but i really want to be in set 1. Does anyone have any advice for how i can improve in maths? And when is the earliest that you can change sets e.g mid year, the frist week. If i answer lots of questions will my teacher move me up a set? Do sets matter in year 9 and if i am in a lower set then what will i tell my parents because i dont want to disappoint them.

Being in a lower set isnt the end of the world, (speaking as someone who went from set 4 in year 9 to set 1 in year 10/11), but make sure to practice and ask for help on the topics you struggle on. If possible find questions on these topics to practice aswell, as the areas you struggle in will need a little more attention than those you dont, but still make sure to practice them too. And also memorise things like formulas or equations you might need, make flashcards that night after getting the formula and re-read notes when you get home, understanding the examples will help you alot, you could also find videos of certain topics on things like youtube. But if you ever need help dont hesitate to ask teachers or to reach out on here as they'd be happy to help you!

maths sets in year 9

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