How to encourage school to try Level 6 reading Etc for dd?

Key Stages 1-2 and SATs advice

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kenyancowgirl
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Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: How to encourage school to try Level 6 reading Etc for d

Post by kenyancowgirl »

I agree with southbucks - my oldest son was entered for L6 maths and English at primary - the teacher made it very clear that whatever he was graded for the English, the teacher assessment would be L5A as the requirements for the L6 English were not covered sufficiently through primary - consistent inference etc cannot be assessed by one test. He did score high enough for a L6 in both maths and English but was graded 5A in English. When he went to the GS we explained this at the first parents evening - the school were very clear that the L6 English was "a primary school level" and did not relate to the secondary requirements and that the teacher was absolutely right to be cautious as too many people were coming through saying they had L6 English but actually did not have the maturity to deliver L6 across the board in all aspects of English. As it is, he is now Y8 and is predicted, and on target for, L8 in both Maths and English. All secondary schools do their own testing on entry to the school, in my experience, and take far more notice of these than they do of SATs levels (although some do use them for streaming, initially, I know, but, in reality, a 5A student would be in the same top set as a L6 student) so I wouldn't worry too much if your school won't enter your child for L6!
silverysea
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Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: How to encourage school to try Level 6 reading Etc for d

Post by silverysea »

I have faith in either of the two possible secondaries to assess my dd2 correctly once she gets there. And I agree that sideways stretching in year 6 (art, history, anything) would be nice if she has already attained level 5-but It seems guaranteed that won't happen. Instead she is likely to be left to languish with MOTS (more of the same) spinning her wheels while they focus on keeping their level 4 percentage at 100%. (See my initial post attempt at table of last year's results- looks skewed to me.) That has been my and other parents' experience with this teacher and the area primaries-focus on floor and rock-hard ceiling for those at the other end of the ability spectrum, turning often to bad behaviour or frustration through boredom.


But what is raiseonline? Is there hope that the new head will be onto this and shake things up?
ToadMum
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Location: Essex

Re: How to encourage school to try Level 6 reading Etc for d

Post by ToadMum »

DS2 loves Maths and is very good at it (though he says it himself :lol: ). In Year 4 he was assessed by a senior Maths teacher from the local (girls'!) GS and for the rest of the year he and a lad from another local primary school had a weekly after-school session with that teacher.

Last year, Year 5, this progressed to DS2 attending the regular Maths lessons of one of the Year 7 classes, with a weekly tutorial with a Year 13 girl. He undertook all the same assessments as the Year 7 girls, achieving a real level 6b at the end of the year. All this was facilitated by the Maths Coordinator at the primary school. Both he and the GS class teacher regularly checked that we were all happy with the arrangement. DS2 loved it - even the tests - and I suppose it solved the 'problem ' for the primary school of what to do with a child who had always been working a year or two ahead of. himself, so to speak.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
pabrighton0
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Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:55 pm
Location: Herts

Re: How to encourage school to try Level 6 reading Etc for d

Post by pabrighton0 »

Amber wrote:
mystery wrote:I don't know what is music to the ears of primary teachers. I find some very unpredictable. I also think that they are ruled by "school policies" whatever thoughts and opinions the individual teacher might have. In general, teachers also do not have time to find out what the facts are - they just do what the SMT tells them.
Actually that is quite insulting. Most primary school teachers really do not have any interest in putting children in for even more tests than they already have to sit, just to 'prove' to either their parents or the children themselves that they appear to be clever. Level 6 primary tests offer no educational benefit to teachers or the children concerned; there may be some league-table or OFSTED 'benefit' to a school in our warped world of measurement but the 'school policies' are there for a reason. A good teacher will of course want to challenge all the children in the class, but may not see delivering a pared-down, tailor-made for primary level 6 curriculum which they are neither qualified to teach nor which would benefit their pupils as the best way of doing this.
Most Y6 primary school teachers targets are about getting everybody to Level 5 (and I suppose level 4 where that is an issue). Achieving level 6 is something that will just give some headaches to the local comp sec school since it generally defines future targets, so in most they stay out of those hot waters. Never mind that a Y5 L5 will generally get bored during Y6 school lessons.
Still most 5c children perform like the 4a that most of them really are once they are at sec school! Teaching to the exam has limited advantages!
My suggestion to OP is to discuss with the school how you are planning to enrich DC experiences by taking her into Home Education and using the opportunity for that trip around the world. Some people actually do that...
Last edited by pabrighton0 on Thu Nov 07, 2013 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Amber
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: How to encourage school to try Level 6 reading Etc for d

Post by Amber »

pabrighton0 wrote:[My suggestion to OP is to discuss how you are planning to enrich DC experiences by taking her into Home Education and using the opportunity for that trip around the world. Some people actually do that...
Yep. We did (though couldn't afford the world).
silverysea
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Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: How to encourage school to try Level 6 reading Etc for d

Post by silverysea »

We've already tried home ed, she prefers having more contact with lots of girls her own age-she needs a pool to find pals on her quirky wavelength! We just got back from her grandparents in the US and had a brilliant lifetime goal trip to Asia last spring - we're let off a few days of school as it included a demanding music course. We couldn't afford it really but it was a one off - now we are back to spending all holiday time and money on elderly relatives abroad for the foreseeable future.

I have to accept that my influence over school is close to zero, but I feel ok now I've spoken to her teacher and looked at her work-she is definitely being taught new things even in her strong area of writing, and got chosen today to represent the school at a maths challenge (thanks in part to 11+ prep I believe!). She's a lot calmer about tests and the possibility of failure, getting more resilient.


Really we do a lot with her, I always try to push her to do things she'd not try off her own bat, and often she finds a new interest or something worth sticking at. It just happens that she is obsessed with fiction and wants to create her own-and the education system values that particular interest highly at her age. It's a natural drive for her unlike maths but now she's seen that hard works pays! So we are in a good place right now.
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