post 11+ mid year sats taken a dive? will it scupper appeal?

[Etienne]

his teacher thinks they are looking for 130 really

it should be near or over 130??

The higher the better, of course, but I'm inclined to think 130 would be at the extreme end for appeal purposes.
Let's focus on panel 'expectations':
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b57" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(N.B. This is Bucks specific.)

As the bucks test is so heavily verbal based it is thought the 119 will be the one they focus on

Not necessarily. Even if the weighting is not identical to CATs, at least VR in the 11+ is now counterbalanced by the other two components.

[southbucks3]

they were his cat scores... yep 130 is really high, i know his big bruv got over that, as i was amazed... bless him, but big bruvs nvr was the low one. I can only think it is for a security blanket the teachers are maybe protecting me from a fall?

The test was to see which areas needed more work, and to guide entry for level 6 maths...something i would not even consider for him even if he had got 5b this time. I probably over bigged it, as there is all this talk on appeals about evidence, and class books showing working to a level 5 throughout the year etc etc. I will back track and tell him not toworry at all.

My hubby thinks the test pracrise thing is the answer too, particularly with the eye tiredness he needs to work a way of podding on, as thats two very wise people i will give him a 50 min paper now and then, just so he can show himself it is easy, or hard, whichever and it does not matter that much. I will just make sure i give him 50 minutes of really good fun immediately afterwards, i tend to fall into the trap of discussing errors straight away and 50 mins turns into hour and a half!

Thanks etienne and mystery for the cat advice i will give him a big hug at his match from you both and a zillion from his worry wort of a mum!

[Etienne]

there is all this talk on appeals about evidence, and class books showing working to a level 5 throughout the year etc etc. I will back track and tell him not to worry at all.

Don't worry - I for one have never ever suggested class books showing level 5 standard throughout the year. What matters is what he's achieved by the time of the appeal. Consistency may well be a virtue - but the rapid progress that can often accompany increasing maturity in year 6 is equally praiseworthy.

Definitely give him a big hug from all of us!

[mystery]

Yes do. With the three cat scores you have quoted it does seem like a shame if you would still have to worry about a bucks appeal. Aren't those score high enough to convince a bucks panel that he is well within the bucks grammar ability range - massively so on nvr, greatly so on numerical, and well within on vr.

What cat scores do bucks panels usually look for?

Was there a big discrepancy between his cat centiles and his bucks c e m centiles in the three areas?

[Guest55]

Why are they using a single test to level the children? They should be using APP ... that is what the LA recommend.

[southbucks3]

Why are they using a single test to level the children? They should be using APP ... that is what the LA recommend.

They probably are, what is APP? 4a was not his given level, only he told me, not the teacher, it was just the score that he got in those tests, which they were told was to find problem areas, but I know she uses as a feeler for level 6. Well they did find probs in a way, his problem is not using his eye kit and getting in a flap about getting left behind, or making silly maths mistakes, oh and having a worry wort of a mum compounding the issue.
All happy again tonight doing topic and playing minecraft in equal doses, actually asked to do a mental maths test, as he got 15/20 for that which upset him the most, as he has not got less than 18 since year 4...well in his head space anyway Actually all these facts and figures are a new one in me, I don't normally hear anything...good job judging ftom my daft reaction this time.

[mystery]

It seems kind of early to be judging whether not to teach a child towards the level 6 papers too. It costs the school nothing to enter a child, no stats are done on entries versus passes, and the papers do not have to be ordered until March.

Do you know why your son was stuck on 4a for maths for 9 months in year 5? If you have just done the bucks c e m didn't the prep for that up his maths level? Was it his maths that let him down in the bucks test? Do you know what maths he needs to learn and practice to improve?

His nvr cat and numerical scores would indicate someone who will ultimately could have a great grasp of maths. Do you know what held him back in year 5?

[Guest55]

APP is 'Assessing Pupils progress' - they are levelled grids which schools use to help them get an accurate judgement.

The 'securing level 5' booklet might help or 'Overcoming barriers level 4 to 5'; both are Primary maths resources all schools in Bucks have.

http://12262.stem.org.uk/level_4_5/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Guest55]

Mystery - stats ARE done on level 6 entries v 'passes' by the LA ....

[mystery]

They might be done by yours, but that is foolish of them. Who cares if they enter some kids for level 6 who don't get it? It's really not much different from entering a 3 to 5 paper and not making 5.

Maybe bucks will read the dfe research and stop being so precious about the 6 paper. Probably kent does the same and this is why our head does not get in gear for the school to teach children in maths or spag to high level 5 in time. She says it is because of the dreadful psychological damage " failing" the paper would do to the children ....

Why does bucks see it as a meaningful statistic? What can they do with it?