APPEAL HELP GLOUCESTERSHRE

[veebee]

Dear All, I have been asked to provide evidence of year 5 CAT scores as well as SATS predictions.

1. What is a good CAT score???
2. My Daughter has Level 5 sats predicted- but will ACTUAL SATS results be available to an apeeal panel set for June?

[cairo]

CAT scores are marked with a minimum score of 70 and a maximum of 140/141. They are standardised, with the average national score always being 100. Your child will have done 3 tests in Yr 5 - Quantative, Verbal and Non-Verbal. The three scores are then averaged to get a "mean SAS" CAT score.

So anything around 100 means your child is average, anything over that shows they're above average. I did read somewhere that a score of 126+ puts children in the top 5% nationally. (Someone else can correct me if I'm wrong.) As CATs are not prepared for, they are meant to be a better indicator of innate intelligence than SATs. From what I've seen though, stunningly high CATs do not always guarantee 11+ success.

I wouldn't have thought the actual SAT results would be available in June. I seem to remember there's always a bit of a scramble to try and get them in end-of-year reports going out in July...which would suggest they're not back in June. Perhaps you could ask your child's school, to be sure?

[hermanmunster]

It sounds to me as if CAT scores are going to be more useful. the SATS are reported as 4,5 etc without subdivision and as many kids who do not get into GS manage to get 5s it is not always a helpful indicator (doesn't mean to say you shouldn't quote them though). You may have to get the heads predictions.

[veebee]

If her CAT scores are NOT impressive- would you leave them out?

[hermanmunster]

If they are not OK it will a struggle - may need to consider other forms of evidence eg an Ed Psych report.

[bet77]

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... hp?p=87373

http://www.satsguide.co.uk/help__other_ ... _tests.htm

[capers123]

If her CAT scores are NOT impressive- would you leave them out?

Yes, but I'd also think very carefully if the child will struggle in a grammar environment. If they're below 100, then they are literally 'below average' - and grammars are for top 20%.

CATS tend to be pretty accurate as the teachers are not pushing the children to improve the schools standing in league tables.

The school may also have submitted this info direct to the appeals panel - you'll find out when you get all the paperwork.

[Amber]

Though CATS scores are supposed to be objective and accurate, I have a child whose score in one of them went from 116 in Year 3 to high 130s in Year 5. As they are meant to be a measure of innate ability I am not sure how this happened: I have to say I am sceptical and feel that maturity must play a part.

[AR_Glos]

I would suggest that you carefully look at either DS or DD, and whether they have it upstairs to be good enough to go to the better schools.

Believe me, if DS or DD is not up to the mark, they will struggle if they get it, be rejected totally, or find it really tough. It really is better being the best of a average bunch rather than being the worst of a really good bunch.

If your child has a low score, or is just by the pass mark, then really consider if it is worth it. I hate telling parents that their child has not made it. Due to the fact they are not the right calibre or the choice is unrealistic.

Here is another point. REALLY make sure that you submit all forms correctly, if you make a mistake or error, then you are really putting your childs place at risk. If the paperwork is not filled in correctly then it is not the councils fault or problem. One final thing. We are on holiday etc etc does not wash, as the phase "what is more important your childs education or your holiday" is used a great deal.

[Amber]

If your child has a low score, or is just by the pass mark, then really consider if it is worth it.

I disagree with this. It would make absolute sense if the tests were fantastically accurate measures of a child's ability to cope at a particular school - but they are not. They are often a measure of how well-prepared a child has been,or how nervous they were on the day. The difference in ability between a child scraping a pass with, say, a score of 210, and a child with a 'solid' pass at, say, 225, is likely to have been a handful of questions, more or less, depending on their birthday.

I have seen mentioned on here that once appeal children are admitted to the school, there is no evidence whatsoever that they would struggle more than the next child, or that those who score very highly remain at the top of the tree throughout school. The 11+, as it exists in Gloucestershire in particular, is a very blunt instrument which tests how good a child is at VR on a particular day. It is not a gold standard test for IQ, or for suitability for a particular school.