SATS Week

[PurpleDuck]

Over the country as a whole, is the number of children who have been tutored for the 11+ really significant? In wholly or mainly comprehensive authorities (the vast majority), there will be approximately the same proportion of 'grammar ability' pupils - they will just be destined to make up the top sets / higher achieving ones in their non-selective secondary schools.

I have no idea, just trying to make sense of it all in my head. The numbers are definitely significant in south London, and probably in London as a whole, but I guess this is just a function of a number of selective schools available. Perhaps it is closer to negligible over the country as a whole.

The average was not the same as level 4b last year - two different things completely.

That was exactly the point the teachers in our school were making - that 4b has become completely irrelevant, because the 'at standard 100' will be tied to the cohort average, not to 4b, and may well be higher. They also said they had no idea what to expect in terms of raw scores qualifying as 'at standard'.

[Guest55]

No it won't - level 4b is still 'expected' ie 100 - read the link I posted.

The average won't be 100.

[PurpleDuck]

No it won't - level 4b is still 'expected' ie 100 - read the link I posted.

The average won't be 100.

Yes, thank you - I did read the link and I hope that your interpretation of what it means (100 = 4b) is correct and not that of our teachers...

Section 4.2 also states:

'Conversion tables for the 2016 tests will also be published on GOV.UK on 5 July so schools can understand how pupils’ scaled scores are derived from their raw scores.'

Does this imply that a conversion factor from raw to scaled scores will be different in different years? If that's the case, would it mean that there maybe be a variation from year to year in a raw score required for 4b, or am I over-analysing now?

[Guest55]

That's right - just like raw scores at KS2 tests in the past, in GCSE and A level - the 'grade boundaries' are adjusted to make the test the same difficulty from year to year.

[Amber]

Yet another plug for Michael Rosen and his great posts on FB. Please go and look, if you haven't already at his spoof paper, and his latest post. A snippet to whet the appetite:

3. How many times has your father spoken to you about Tasmanian Devils? If none, proceed to the room marked 'unworthy'.
4. Do you have an encyclopedia at the bottom of your garden? If you don't have a garden, ask your parents why not.
5. Do you like Nicky and Nick? Tick 'yes'.
6. The word 'notwithstanding' doesn't mean 'not with standing'. English: funny old language, eh? But not for you.
7. Give four sentences which explain what this brilliant piece of writing is about.
8. Explain why the people who wrote this test are anonymous.
9. We're finding it rather hard to think of another question but we have to or Nicky and Nick won't give us another one of these very lucrative contracts. Can you think of a question? No, don't answer that one, because we won't be able to put it through a computer.

[PurpleDuck]

That's right - just like raw scores at KS2 tests in the past, in GCSE and A level - the 'grade boundaries' are adjusted to make the test the same difficulty from year to year.

In which case, hopefully there shouldn't be anything to worry about in terms of the grading as such, let's just hope that the 'at standard' boundary for the current tests is going to be set at a reasonable level, so that we don't suddenly have a much higher proportion of children 'below standard' compared to a proportion falling below 4b in the old system. Thank you.

[Amber]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36253697" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nicky Morgan, say after me: 'We are a credible government, we do know what we are doing, we do have a coherent education policy'.

[loobylou]

I linked to the TES forum thread on my facebook page last night and had 2 friends ring me (from other schools in other parts of the country) to thank me for doing so because they could show that to their children (both boys, both bright, both crying because they felt they had done so badly, both mothers unsure how to reassure them until they could prove to them that everyone found it hard). This is so sad. Nicky Morgan MP has a facebook page by the way and there are plenty of comments on her top post on there (about Hastings) should anyone want to let her know how they feel....

Hats off to my ds's school though. I knew he would cope ok but I was asking him last night about whether anyone else was upset or crying etc. And he said "Why would they? You've all told us they don't matter a bit".

Do you reckon this morning's news will affect Nicky Morgan's ability to stay? I don't have much hope. Hunt hasn't gone despite plenty of evidence that he's rubbish....

[loobylou]

Written by a year 6 teacher. I think it's brilliant....


The Ministry of Misery

The adults of this desperate land
Have forged together to make a band
Of brothers with one simple goal,
To take away our children’s souls.

“How dare they do this?” teachers cry,
“We cannot let this madness fly!”
But soar it does for all to see
The Ministry of Misery.

They take our children, young and pure
Each with the chance to stretch and soar,
Then stick them in a concrete box
And bind their silken wings in stocks.

They tell of knowledge yet to find
While slowly padlocking their minds;
They pluck out feathers, blow out flames
By treating all our kids the same.

Guided reading, maths and SPaG
Grammar that makes our authors gag;
Poems spoke with lifeless tongues
How tragically we feed the young!

Our species journeyed through the ages
A wealth of knowledge, filling pages,
But do our flightless children see?
Not if they want that prized degree!

Modal verbs and prepositions
Just one way to do addition;
Don’t even ask about the arts
We’re yet to draw your own pie charts!

Past progressive, perfect present
Buckle in, this won’t be pleasant;
The bar for them is set so high
That teachers are now forced to lie:

“This stuff’s important, don’t you know!
Just let the pointless knowledge flow!
Never you mind the great outdoors
If you can’t spot the relative clause!”

And so the dreadful cycle goes
The more they learn the less they know
Of this great world that’ll soon be theirs
Denied to them by thoughtless peers.

And then we wonder why the world,
Is caught up in a downward swirl;
Yet there is a way to set them free
Cast out that clueless Ministry.

Turn out the shadows, suits and ties,
There really is no compromise;
If we really want our kids to soar
Let teachers teach forever more.

[tgsmum16]

Such a BIG shame again, Pearson posted the spag paper online, but only subscribers could view.
Don't know if DD's school will carryon with the paper today or not.