Booster homework:SATS

securityguy

ViolaLass wrote: »

I've got sixth formers who will get a B or A who would have to think about that one. Plenty lower down would get it wrong. There's something about fractions that some kids never quite get, I think.

However, with a maths A or B at GCSE and three arts/humanities A Levels they will be perfectly able to apply for a BEd course, and I doubt they will magically improve their maths on the way to the classroom. Maths teaching in some primary schools is absolutely shocking, because it's an inter-generational thing: the teachers were themselves badly taught, and the mish-mash of techniques that are half-understood by the teachers and not understood by parents or grandparents (who might at least act as a backstop) means that no one ends up confident.

It isn't anyone's fault, in particular, but the system definitely fails pupils, and will continue to do so. It's not enough to say "you don't need to do this because you have a calculator" because even GCSE maths, and certainly A Level maths, involves algebraic manipulation which is trivial if you know how to do it with numbers, but very difficult if you only have slightly hacky rules of thumb. I suspect the vogue in the 1980s and 1990s for mental maths instead of, rather than as well as, reliable paper and pencil methods is to blame. You probably have to be fifty to have been taught effective paper and pencil methods for division, in particular, there's not that many people over fifty teaching in KS1 and KS2, and in any event it's not in the scheme of work.

balletshoes

jellyhead wrote: »

Crikey it's a bit hard isn't it! I'd be stuck on the 'explain how you know' bits. I didn't try all of it, just glanced through.

I think thats the difference between the level 6 and 5 papers ~ having to explain your method/answer more. My dd sat the level 6 paper last year and knew as soon as she was finished that she,d fluffed it because she didnt understand the wording of some of the questions and was stumped by the “explain your answer“ bits.

bylromarha

I started a conversation about this thread in our primary school staff room today.

We're entering 3 kids for level 6 maths paper - we have 58 year 6s in the school. No extra lessons - they're the 3 high flyers and the teacher has said I expect a level 5 from you, and have a go if you fancy it.

The maths co-ordinator has had a couple of in school sessions with those 3 kids looking at the level 6 paper, how to answer questions, the extended skills on from level 5. No homework, no extra sessions in their own time, just a "have a go if you want to" attitude. So they will.

The year 6 teacher quite rightly said she isn't a secondary school maths teacher, she can't believe that kids are revising GCSE work when they should be outside playing, that the secondary schools won't look at the results anyway as passing a test doesn't make you a level 6 mathematician and then the head chimed in and said, if they get level 6, what on earth are the kids going to do at secondary - they'll be bored as they'll have done it already.

So there's our schools take on the matter!

BTW - I did a maths degree as part of my primary teaching qualification, had lectures with the 1st and 2nd year maths students at a top 5 UK university and I trained to teach 1995-99, so securityguy, don't assume we can't teach maths as some of us can and do know what we're talking about. I can do long division on paper quite happily, but find it far easier to do with algebra than with numbers.:o

jenhug

thunderbird wrote: »

That can't be for every school though - my son's secondary school doesn't operate like that.

Nor my daughter's. They sit an evaluation test when they visit the school in the June/July before they start in the September. They are not interested in SAT results particularly.

If this is making your son ill, remove him from the tests.

jellyhead

I was taught long division at school, and I'm only 41. I've seen it being taught to year 5 children (age 9/10) briefly, but they weren't keen. They've been using number lines and chunking for so long that it seems odd to them, I suppose.

jellyhead

mysk_girl wrote: »

I enjoyed doing that test! Made me think a little bit, but none of it was that hard. Not sure my workings would be the same way they are taught these days, but fun to do while OH was in the pub last night.

I just reread what I wrote there, how sad am I!

To OP, I would have pulled my child by now, to make you son ill and suggest he takes more medication is outrageous. Can you complain to the governors and the LEA?

I enjoyed it too, but I missed out number 13 - I'd have to leave it until last and see if I had time. I have no idea why but I find shapes difficult. I don't know if my 16 year old would be able to pass that test tbh - but he got a C at GCSE.

de_g.

bylromarha wrote: »

Ever tried to teach level 6 in a class where there are levels 1,2,3,4 and 5 working? Booster classes would be the only way it would be possible really.

Flipping Gove putting this level 6 paper in primary school. Wonder what score he'd get if he sat it?

http://www.emaths.co.uk/images/stories/zoo/SATs/KS2%20Level%206%20Papers/Mathematics/2012/ks2-mathematics-2012-level-6-test-a.pdf

It's a few years now since I did A Level maths so I'm a little rusty, but still! Took me 20 minutes and pretty certain I got them all right, but not straightforward for an 11-year-old.

mrcow

de_g. wrote: »

It's a few years now since I did A Level maths so I'm a little rusty, but still! Took me 20 minutes and pretty certain I got them all right, but not straightforward for an 11-year-old.

Compare to the questions they are exposed to when doing the 11+, those questions were straightforward.

11 year olds do these type of questions on a daily basis at school (well mine does) unlike you, who despite your maths A level are going to find it all new.

jellyhead

My teenagers enjoyed doing the test last night, but they say it's harder than their year 6 SATS were (6 years ago). I thought my eldest would struggle but he must have improved at maths in the past year while his A-level physics teacher has been giving him maths coaching.

I can't imagine my 7 year old taking this in 3 years time, but then it's not for all of the year sixes. Mine will be aiming for a 4b I suppose, if that's still the 'average'.

When my eldest was taking his SATS I told him that as long as he got a 4b I wouldn't be worried.

bylromarha

For all you SATs parents from my Twitter feed - Times Ed Supplement

"The feedback from teachers regarding the Year 6 reading SATs today mainly seems positive, especially the Level 6 paper."