To remind myself how far I've come - my debt diary. - SOA added

hypno06

As a parent of one in year 7 and another in year 9, I would ask exactly the same questions. so if that makes us nightmare parents, then so be it!!

Hope yesterday went ok for OH.

Is today scan day? I hope it is fab!!

chocaholic110

Lol, well, thank you from one nightmare parent to another.

I think yesterday went as well as can be expected really. OH only stayed for the actual service but he said the chapel was packed. he nearly didn't get there as his car broke down on the way home from work and I had to go and rescue him. Really hoping it's not going to be expensive to put right.

Really looking forward to today - I've hardly slept, like a kid at christmas (or just me at Christmas, I'm more excited than they are!) and when I did sleep I dreamed I ended up at war in the Falklands in the early 80's!

chocaholic110

Went for 4D scan today and baby was either very naughty or very shy and didn't want to show his face. We got some photos but mainly in profile. We do get to go back in 5 weeks at no extra cost though (very MSE!)

Had a load of surveys to do today including one that bizarrely wanted my eight year old to answer if she was aware that financial companies have corporate resonsibilty policies among other things!! Paid £4 though and took me over the £25 redemption limit so not going to complain - just hoping they don't decide the survey is a load of rubish and take the money back off!

pandapaws

That's good that you'll get another 4d scan free - should be a nice picture as baby will be pretty-much fully developed by then, won't he? Shame you couldn't see too much, but at least it's another little reassurance that everything is normal.

Off to update my signature (again! another month knocked off!) and then have a look for some of these bizarre surveys!

lunar

The 4d scans are amazing, Its hard to belive that you can see so much before they are born. Im glad you are getting a nother for free, hopefully he will be more cooperative that time for you.

Hope you are having a good weekend

chocaholic110

Just taken OH to work as his car is in garage. Second Sunday in a row which is great financially but not so good for family time.

Signed OH up for Gala Bingo through Quidco. His £30 tracked and won £20 playing bingo! Still got £3 or so of his initial deposit to play through to meet Quidco requirements. It is stupendously boring though - not sure how anyone gets addicted - in fact have started buying the tickets and leaving it to play itself, how lazy is that!! How long do you think should leave winnings before withdrawal to make sure cashback doesn't disappear?

Anyone got any recommendations for other bingo / cashback sites (I dared do Gala because I've heard of it but scared of the rest!!) PM me if you have!

Lunar's thread making me feel in the Christmas spirit. Been holding off doing anything too Christmassy just yet (apart from buying presents) as firstly I want to the house completely de-cluttered first and secondly I like Christmas to start in December but going to help DD make a "Christmas timetable" this afternoon so we can do one (or more) Christmas thing a day. Can already mark on plays and days out and she has a list of recipes, crafts and activities. We just need a TV guide now to see if all the films she wants to see are on in December,

lunar

Im stupidly obsessed with christmas, i will have to learn to control it when i have children ar they will prob grow up to hate is as they would be sick of it. The christmas timetable sounds like loads of fun, hope you enjoy doing it.

I did the bingo sites on pigsback as i got vouchers as well as the signup bonuses. Got 5000 points for the riverbell one, plus won a bit from my initial deposit.

chocaholic110

Lol, I love Christmas too which is why I have to restrain myself to December or I would be one of those people who changes their name to Mrs Christmas and has Christmas dinner every day of the year!

OH hated Christmas when we met and had to be trained via gentle nagging. This year (only 11 years after we started going out) he has taken some of his holidays over Christmas (usually he has to work) and said yesterday "I'm really looking forward to christmas. It's a lovely time of year." The nagging does pay off in the end!

hypno06

Glad that the scan was ok, and that you get another freebie :j

I think I have done most of the bingo things on quidco - never had a problem with any of them. Try topcashback too - some extra ones are on there.

Sea78

chocaholic110 wrote: »

I was just wondering about DS's targets and current levels - not sure how much emphasis is put on them in secondary school but I know we have targets that we have to meet in primary.

Some of the questions I was wondering were:

Does the school have a national expectation for levels that should be achieved in Year 9? (The teacher told me it was Level 4. When I pointed out that was the expectation for Eng / Maths / Science in Y6 she said "Oh, it's probably Level 5 then")

Yes - we are given the targets based on the SATS results for KS2. However, because the KS2 targets are sometimes artificially high, these targets are often challenging. The teacher should know these (but likely to be specific teachers - so the English teacher will know the English target etc. This should be available to you and I would ask for this. Often in yr 7 (generally speaking on a national level) students don't progress much as the expectations for certain levels are actually higher that they were for primary if that makes any sense whatsoever??!


How many levels or sub-levels would you expect them to progress in a year? (She said probably a full level, then backtracked and said she didn't really know)

We aim for at least half a level - for really aspirational students/teachers then sometimes it could be a level, but unlikely.

Should I be concerned that he got level 5 for all SATS in Y6 and is still ony showing as 5b in English now? (even though his end of Y8 report said 5a) (Maths and Science have gone up to 6b and 6a - English doesn't seem to be keeping pace). She said she didn't think I should be worried but she didn't teach English so didn't really know.

I would ask to make an app with his English teacher - if he's in yr 9 now then he should be higher than this. Ask what his target it (I reckon it should be 7s across the board, but I am not a SATs subject teacher - I'm RE BUT we also have levels targets and would expect this kind of increase in the 3 yrs between the exams). It is important to get the good sats results as then they are often setted using these for the GCSE groupings, so you obviously want an appropriate group that matches your son's ability rather than his coasting level iyswim.


And I didn't ask this but was just wondering anyway - are secondary schools assessed for Value Added the same as we are?

Yes we are - my school is very poor on Value Added as we get exceptionally high level students coming in and then don't really give the challenge enough to raise the bar even higher. However, the pressure is really on. In RS GCSE we have the highest Value Added scores and this needs to be addressed across the school. In my previous school where attainment levels were really low but our valued added was fantastic - so yes, we were then assessed for value added. May well be worth mentioning it.

Then the targets she set him were fairly woolly and unchallenging - improve at art and maintain his excellent behaviour (He got all 1s and 2s for behaviour - using the OFSTED scale - of 1 =outstanding, 2 = good etc)

Rubbish. She should be setting SMART targets and they should be very specific, especially in SATS year. You can ask his head of year that a round robin is done on him and you want feedback as well as specific targets. This is actually an excellent way of getting info as it puts the pressure on and they have to provide you with this info. It also heads up that you take no !!!! and that you are concerned about the lack of direction - without actually really saying it!


Now am I justifed in feeling that the meeting didn't accomplish anything or am I (as OH said) a teacher's nightmare?

Not at all - the meeting was pointless by the sound of it. Meet with the head of year and ask for detailed info from every teacher.

If you can help at all, Sea, I would be very grateful!!

I hope I have been helpful - you should be getting much mroe info and it's your right to find much more info now. They'll be having the mock sats in a few months and therefore you need to know what stage your son is at so that you can then do whatever you need to, to support your son.

Anything else I can help on - do ask!! Hope this makes sense and isn't all a random waffle!

Hope bubs cooperates more during the next 4D scan

Sea xxx