Teachers please - Y4 expected SATS levels

milliebear00001

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Yes, all children are tested in the first half term.

By 'aiming to get', I mean that is the goal at our school. I've just looked at the school results historically and depending on the year and subject, 79-93% achieve Level 5 at KS2. The 2010 published results for children achieving L5 were 79% in English and 85% in Maths. The remainder achieved L4. I know these results are atypical.

What is the demographic of your area? I think all schools would like to get all their children to Level 5, but clearly this is much more achievable for some schools than for others! This is why some schools would be aiming for 100% level 4 (or even less) depending on the children's entry levels and background. That is a realistic expectation for those schools.

I have never come across a school that did IQ tests. Do you know why they do this?

milliebear00001

thatgirlsam wrote: »

Wow I am shocked

She hasn't had a 'formal' assessment, her teacher told me that she was working to level 8... although that must be in her opinion

I am excited for her to start senior school in September in that case as I think they assess them again to see what level they are, as primary cannot officially give them more than a 5a I think

I know she is extremely bright, she is on the G &T register etc but I didn't know that level 8 was GCSE level

In maths she doesn't work with the rest of the class, her and 3 other girls are taught by another teacher as they said she needed more of a challenge

Sounds like the school are managing her needs very well. I expect she will fly at secondary school without too much need for help from you - don't worry!

Lunar_Eclipse

milliebear00001 wrote: »

I would consider a 10-11 year old working at level 8 in maths to be very gifted with only a very tiny number of other children across the country working at the same level. Level 8 is really GCSE level and would be covering work we don't routinely teach at primary school.

This is true. There are a number of children in my daughter's class that achieved L5A in the Y5 tests, which I think is within the realms of normality, but often indicates a gift in the subject area (ie gifted & talented.)

Level 8 is really something else (I think it equates to about a GCSE grade C) and firstly I'd query how the school have come to that conclusion, because it is way beyond the curriculum normally taught at primary school (ie if she really is working at L8, then she has some very unusual innate gift with numbers that I think you would notice.) A handful of the highly gifted children at our secondary school achieve L8 in Maths at the end of Y8, to give you some perspective.

I have a child who tested at L4A in Y3 and L5 in Y4 which has never happened before at our high achieving school. And that worries me, but mainly because she dislikes school so much and finds it all boring and pointless. Whilst I don't want to encourage you to worry,your daughter must really be standing out from her peer group, so I'd encourage you to keep an eye out on her enjoyment of school and friendships.

thatgirlsam

milliebear00001 wrote: »

Sounds like the school are managing her needs very well. I expect she will fly at secondary school without too much need for help from you - don't worry!

I pray she doesn't need too much help from me as I will let her down big time

JC9297

milliebear00001 wrote: »

What is the demographic of your area? I think all schools would like to get all their children to Level 5, but clearly this is much more achievable for some schools than for others! This is why some schools would be aiming for 100% level 4 (or even less) depending on the children's entry levels and background. That is a realistic expectation for those schools.

I have never come across a school that did IQ tests. Do you know why they do this?

I agree with you, most schools will have a proportion of children who will never make Level 4 let alone Level 5, this has nothing to do with the efficiency of the school (which SATs are meant to be checking), rather the individual child's ability/potential.

thatgirlsam

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

This is true. There are a number of children in my daughter's class that achieved L5A in the Y5 tests, which I think is within the realms of normality, but often indicates a gift in the subject area (ie gifted & talented.)

Level 8 is really something else (I think it equates to about a GCSE grade C) and firstly I'd query how the school have come to that conclusion, because it is way beyond the curriculum normally taught at primary school (ie if she really is working at L8, then she has some very unusual innate gift with numbers that I think you would notice.) A handful of the highly gifted children at our secondary school achieve L8 in Maths at the end of Y8, to give you some perspective.

I have a child who tested at L4A in Y3 and L5 in Y4 which has never happened before at our high achieving school. And that worries me, but mainly because she dislikes school so much and finds it all boring and pointless. Whilst I don't want to encourage you to worry,your daughter must really be standing out from her peer group, so I'd encourage you to keep an eye out on her enjoyment of school and friendships.

I don't know, I'm just repeating what the teachers have told me

As I said, she is taught maths seperately to the rest of her class

She loves school, I think she is lucky that there are 3 other girls working to a high level - and they have a good friendship together

I do worry - I worry that I am going to let her down,, I worry that the school won't challenege her and that I won't notice!

She has been lucky in this school, her teachers are great and have definitly noticed how bright she is, as I already knew (she could beat the computer at chess age 6/7)

Its me that will fail her, if anyone will

Lunar_Eclipse

milliebear00001 wrote: »

What is the demographic of your area? I think all schools would like to get all their children to Level 5, but clearly this is much more achievable for some schools than for others! This is why some schools would be aiming for 100% level 4 (or even less) depending on the children's entry levels and background. That is a realistic expectation for those schools.

I have never come across a school that did IQ tests. Do you know why they do this?

Affluent middle class professionals.

The IQ tests are ultimately carried out to help the school achieve its high SATS results. They are used to highlight those that are potentially gifted (score above 130) and those that will need to be taught in smaller groups to at least achieve L4 in Y6 (which is more often than not children of average intelligence, ie score around 100.)

They then look out for children under performing against their IQ. For example, I just heard of a child whose IQ score was 125 but is performing at around 85 in his school tests, using the age standardised score against the specific SATs level. He is going into a focus group next year to try to reduce this gap between actual and expected performance.

I believe all schools do a similar thing for Y7 entry. Not IQ tests as such, but the Midas testing to predict GCSE grades. State and private use this university based system; I'm sure you'll know of it.

It really is a self fulfilling prophecy to a large degree. My head told me what my 11 year old should get in her GCSEs last year!

Gingham_R

thatgirlsam wrote: »

If thats not the case and the average is level 4 then I now realise quite how far ahead she is... and it some ways that really worries me

A level 8 in maths at that age is extremely unusual. Have you thought of contacting the National Association of Gifted Children? She has extremely high learning potential and when you say about it worrying you in some ways - I know how you feel. There's a lot that goes along with the high grades and it's not all easy!

Gingham_R

LE, I'm really interested in what your school is doing. What IQ test do you use? How are children with high IQ and a learning disability catered for?

thatgirlsam

Gingham_R wrote: »

A level 8 in maths at that age is extremely unusual. Have you thought of contacting the National Association of Gifted Children? She has extremely high learning potential and when you say about it worrying you in some ways - I know how you feel. There's a lot that goes along with the high grades and it's not all easy!

Hi GR, Is it the same as the G & T or something different

What would they do if I contacted them?

I do worry about it - For an example when they were practising for their SATS, they did a literacy test and the teacher gave them an example story/essay which was marked at a level 5c

When she handed back their work she told my dd that her story was better than the example so gave her a 5b.. I am worried, if her work is better than the examples they are giving them to work toward, where does that leave her?