Level 6 papers

[silverysea]

Now I appreciate how lucky we are in our primary that the new head is adding the L5/6 boundary group to the mix.

[Guest55]

I really do not understand why you want your child taught level 6 before they know all of level 5!

Also they are having to be retaught in Year 7; doesn't that worry you?

Ask how they teach % increase and post that here and I'll tell you whether the teacher is up to speed with proportional reasoning.

[KS10]

I'm sure you've explained several times before, Guest55, that level 5 work isn't covered fully at KS2. I don't understand why parents aren't asking for this to be covered first. For what it's worth, my a-little-bit-above-average-in-maths DD says maths no longer makes her feel anxious as they spend longer on a topic in secondary school.

[ginx]

Just realised my dd2, who sat level 6's, only achieved level 5C for English and 5B for Maths.

Not very good. It says on her current report that is what she got end of year 6.

However, she is above in both subjects in her current report. And higher than average. Amazing.

[mystery]

I really do not understand why you want your child taught level 6 before they know all of level 5!

Also they are having to be retaught in Year 7; doesn't that worry you?

Ask how they teach % increase and post that here and I'll tell you whether the teacher is up to speed with proportional reasoning.

I don't know whether my children will be taught the whole of level 5 at school or not. I find that I have to teach them most of the maths they know as not a lot happens at school. I use books which are level 3, level 4, level 5 etc but not chopped down for primary. So hopefully if mine do reach the point that they can be entered for the primary level 6 they will know the proper level 5, not the primary version whatever that is.

It doesn't worry me that they will have to retaught in year 7 either - most of school seems so far to have been doing things they know already and I don't think I will teach it "incorrectly" --- my maths isn't too terrible.

[Guest55]

Mystery - PM me how you will teach what I said above if you are so confident.

[kittymum]

Ooooh when I asked the question I really didn't think it'd cause this much debate!

My concern with the level 6's is that it's just a fairly manufactured level which doesn't really show any true depth of learning / understanding. I feel that they're just a way of manipulating data to show a level of achievement which isn't truly achieved - explaining very badly but it's been a long day and I'm tired (the joys of working with teenagers with behavioural issues!)

Having read and thought carefully about what everyones said I still don't really see what a child gains from leaving primary with a level 6. Yes we could all cram our dc so that they can produce the right answers on the right day (totally shocked that some schools are doing lunchtimes / afterschools for SATS) but that doesn't seem to be quite the point. I thought that the whole point of SATs were to provide a true reflection of where the child is actually at. If we were all to cram / prepare / call it what you like for level 6's then what next? Should they leave primary with level 7's?

Also I think there's a lot of pressure on some gifted children to constantly attain more and they are pushed and pushed. It can be very easy to forget to congratulate them for their terrific achievements and allow them some time just to be or you run the risk that a child's self worth is only seen in terms of academic achievement.

Also slightly shocked that schools wouldn't discuss with a parent entering a child for level 6's! My children certainly wouldn't take them without me deciding that it was the very best course of action for them and as it stands I'm yet to be convinced.

Guest55 thank you for your reply - I was really hoping that you would and value your views from a teachers perspective.

Anyway those are my current feelings for what it's worth - and if we all thought the same it would be a jolly dull world!

[Amber]

Could I just offer a view from further down the line (children in Years 13, 10 and 8 ).

It doesn't matter. I promise you.

One of mine got level 4 in Year 6; one got level 5 and one got level 6.

Nothing would persuade me to let a child lose one second of playtime to get a level 6 in Year 6.

None of it has mattered since the day they left primary school.

[mystery]

Could I just offer a view from further down the line (children in Years 13, 10 and 8 ).

It doesn't matter. I promise you.

One of mine got level 4 in Year 6; one got level 5 and one got level 6.

Nothing would persuade me to let a child lose one second of playtime to get a level 6 in Year 6.

None of it has mattered since the day they left primary school.

Yes, but your level 4 child didn't go to a large comprehensive.

[Amber]

Actually she did go to a mixed ability school and was not setted for Maths until Y9. She says she taught herself all the Maths she knows - she reckons the only way to do it is to sit and sort it out herself as lessons were often a total mystery (!). She got an A* at early GCSE and an A in FSMQ and is predicted A at A level. We are now told she is a 'natural mathematician' which both we and she consider to be utter nonsense.

I should also point out that she missed 3 years of primary school and I wasn't busy teaching her the National Numeracy Strategy (as was) during that time.