Teachers please - Y4 expected SATS levels

thatgirlsam

FBaby wrote: »

thatgirlsam (or any parent for this matter who has a child who achieves significantly above the class average), how do the teachers challenge your children? Are they all in set groups? Are you children in school with a higher than average level of high performing children?

I would very much welcome some feedback on this. At the moment, I am keeping quiet about my DD on the basis that 1. I and my DD are happy with the school, it is only 6 mns walk from home, the culture is very much one I agree with, the kids are well behaved etc...2- the school does get good GSCE results, 3- I tell myself that Y7 is transitional and things will pick up next year, and 4- maybe I expect to much from a local school, but there is a part of me that does wonder whether the school is failing my DD in not challenging her at her level.

My daughter is in the 'top sets' for her subjects - She has also been assessed at a 7b for Science

I would like to know where she will go from here in regard to her Maths ability, I will talk to her teacher after Easter

I am confident in the School - She seems to have been very well supported so far

susancs

My daughter is now in year 10 (first year of GCSEs) and has been in the top set, considered G&T in most of her subjects since Primary school. The Secondary school she attends got outstanding in a recent OFSTED with a mention of how well G&T were supported, but in reality the children have a teacher they can go to talk to( she never goes to see her) and they go on extra trips in a group for subjects on occassion. In most classes during years 7-9 my daughter used to complete the top set work and there would be extension work on the whiteboard for those who finished quickly which was really just to further consolidate work and the homework given out in advance (which she usually went on to do in class when she finished the extension work). The school also set pupils to work in some lessons in pairs so she was happy working with another child. They also started studying some of the GCSE topic work the last term in year 9. A lot of her set will be doing GCSE's exams this year.

To my mind it would have been little benefit giving her (and other similar pupils) GCSE level work in earlier years "to challenge her", she was far better consolidating skills to a high standard. Also I do note that in GCSE some topics are easier than others for her and due to practising skills over and over in the earlier years, she is now good at working at topics until she fully understands them in class. She now does revision as homework as oppossed to actual set homework each night. As in the top set with A* targets, some of the work they do is at "A" level standard we have been told, so will stand them in good stead later. She has a good social life and really enjoys school, plus has good friends (plus team work skills) from working in pairs and the benefit of free time after school from earlier years due to completing homework earlier in class. She has also got used to setting her own challenges in learning and has good skills at supporting her own learning such as looking at GCSE learning pods, internet sites, asking for books.

I will also say that although she got very high SATS results at the end of primary school, when she went to secondary school, she was missing some "life skills" in spelling and puncuation, which was rectified by work given and teaching in year 7. From my own and friends experience, I would also say the required skills set in Secondary School is much higher than primary school for the same grade (although the Primary School had excellent results and was considered outstanding by OFSTED). I would also agree with the above poster who stated that in some topics a child may be exceptionally high, but in another topic they may be not working to the same level, so though overall they may be a level 8, because more of the time they are at this level, but in some topics they may be more challenged. I also think year 7 in Secondary school is one that children need to settle in the school in, in that they learn the new routinues, expectations, behaviour, socialisation skills, avenues they can use to support their own learning and in a way being academically challenged comes after this when they have settled in more.

poet123

My son is in year 10 too and taking quite a few GCSE'S this year with a view to getting them out of the way. If he attains Maths A* (as he is predicted) this year, he will then pick up the Statistics GCSE work and sit that in year 11. If he falls short of the A* he can re sit in year 11.

My experience with the school and how they have approached challenging their G&T pupils is the same as the above poster. Languages for example, as they are started only in Y7 the levels are lower, so if in the other subjects some children were well above target they were allowed to concentrate on raising their levels in languages. If it is a structured thought out program it can work very well.

However, some schools do just pay lip service to pushing their gifted students which is a travesty for all concerned.

JC9297

susancs wrote: »

My daughter is now in year 10 (first year of GCSEs) and has been in the top set, considered G&T in most of her subjects since Primary school. The Secondary school she attends got outstanding in a recent OFSTED with a mention of how well G&T were supported, but in reality the children have a teacher they can go to talk to( she never goes to see her) and they go on extra trips in a group for subjects on occassion. In most classes during years 7-9 my daughter used to complete the top set work and there would be extension work on the whiteboard for those who finished quickly which was really just to further consolidate work and the homework given out in advance (which she usually went on to do in class when she finished the extension work). The school also set pupils to work in some lessons in pairs so she was happy working with another child. They also started studying some of the GCSE topic work the last term in year 9. A lot of her set will be doing GCSE's exams this year.

To my mind it would have been little benefit giving her (and other similar pupils) GCSE level work in earlier years "to challenge her", she was far better consolidating skills to a high standard. Also I do note that in GCSE some topics are easier than others for her and due to practising skills over and over in the earlier years, she is now good at working at topics until she fully understands them in class. She now does revision as homework as oppossed to actual set homework each night. As in the top set with A* targets, some of the work they do is at "A" level standard we have been told, so will stand them in good stead later. She has a good social life and really enjoys school, plus has good friends (plus team work skills) from working in pairs and the benefit of free time after school from earlier years due to completing homework earlier in class. She has also got used to setting her own challenges in learning and has good skills at supporting her own learning such as looking at GCSE learning pods, internet sites, asking for books.

I will also say that although she got very high SATS results at the end of primary school, when she went to secondary school, she was missing some "life skills" in spelling and puncuation, which was rectified by work given and teaching in year 7. From my own and friends experience, I would also say the required skills set in Secondary School is much higher than primary school for the same grade (although the Primary School had excellent results and was considered outstanding by OFSTED). I would also agree with the above poster who stated that in some topics a child may be exceptionally high, but in another topic they may be not working to the same level, so though overall they may be a level 8, because more of the time they are at this level, but in some topics they may be more challenged. I also think year 7 in Secondary school is one that children need to settle in the school in, in that they learn the new routinues, expectations, behaviour, socialisation skills, avenues they can use to support their own learning and in a way being academically challenged comes after this when they have settled in more.

I think this is an excellent post, it sounds like you and your daughter have a great attitude to her ability and getting the most out of school.

FBaby

I thought I would resurrect this thread again because of the issue of doubt with some children capable of reaching a certain level without being taught to it.

As stated before, my DD got a level 5a in Maths at end of Y6. Her teacher then said that she suspected she was actually a level 6, but couldn't assess her at that level. She started year 7 in September, and I was disappointed to find out that the school didn't have subject sets. I was also quite dismayed by how little maths homework she had. I discussed this with her teacher last spring and she admitted without me bringing it up that my DD was not challenged enough, that unfortunately her level was way above that of the class and couldn't teach her individually, but she would try to spend a bit more time with her. My SS subsequently said that this never really happened and she found herself bored most of the time. Still, at her year end exam, she was given a level 5-7 maths test, and she scored 7c. Somehow, she was able to answer some questions about topics she had never studied in class (and not doing any tutoring or extra homework at home).

All this to say that it is perfectly possible that thatgirlsam's daughter managed such amazing results without all the tutoring behind it if she is exceptionally talented.

I, for myself, am very pleased that my DD seems to be progressing well (in every areas) despite what I thought was a lack of challenge. I am very happy with the school in every other aspects (and being 5 minutes walk away is an extra bonus), so relieved that academically, my DD doesn't seem to be missing out.

balletshoes

I have to say, having read on this forum for a couple of years about SATS, levels etc, I was surprised when, after my DD's year 6 class had completed their normal SATS tests in May, a few of them (my DD included) were asked if they'd try level 6 tests. I was under the impression that primary school staff didn't/couldn't test to these levels?

(I know my DD isn't a level 6, even though she gave it a shot, because she came out of the test and told me she didn't understand some of the questions at all :rotfl:).

FBaby

I think my DD was given some level 6 work hence her teacher's assessment, but according to the teacher, they couldn't do them for SATs and therefore couldn't put that level at end report but maybe some schools do.

The funny thing is because she was under-assessed then, and these results were used to set the baseline for her expected grades at end of year 7, she got the award for the most improved pupil for the whole Key stage 3, that is over 250 pupils!!!

clairehi

Balletshoes - Y6 at our school were able to sit SATS tests up to level 6 for the first time this year so maybe this is a new thing coming in?

Fbaby - your DD sounds amazing at maths but surely the school should be doing more to help her progress?

emsywoo123

A question for all thea teachers (or in fact anyone who knows actually :rotfl: )

Is there an equivalency between NFER scores and SAT levels?

FBaby

clairehi wrote: »

Balletshoes - Y6 at our school were able to sit SATS tests up to level 6 for the first time this year so maybe this is a new thing coming in?

Fbaby - your DD sounds amazing at maths but surely the school should be doing more to help her progress?

Thank you I did think the same during the year but seeing her results I am pleased she is progressing whatever the support she received. I'm not interested in her doing her gcses early just showing some steady progress. She will be in a special set next year so am now confident they will insure she continues to thrive.