KS3 SATs

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zorro
Posts: 2076
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:27 am
Location: Barnet, Herts

KS3 SATs

Post by zorro »

Hi Guest55,
I know you will know this.
Do independent schools do KS3 SATs?
Thanks!
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Most don't which I think is interesting as quite a few do take the KS2 tests. In my view the results would be useful for parents to check their children ARE on track for top grades at GCSE.
zorro
Posts: 2076
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:27 am
Location: Barnet, Herts

Post by zorro »

Agreed!
Thanks.
zorro
Posts: 2076
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:27 am
Location: Barnet, Herts

Post by zorro »

Had a look on DS's school calendar and they are doing internal Y7 / Y8 exams exams so they must use these as a benchmark for setting and progress.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Yes but they are set by the school and are not a reliable check on progress!
Northkentmum
Posts: 483
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:15 pm
Location: North Kent (surprise!)

Post by Northkentmum »

Guest55 wrote:Most don't which I think is interesting as quite a few do take the KS2 tests. In my view the results would be useful for parents to check their children ARE on track for top grades at GCSE.
Does this equate to the progress scores and marks that the school give you each end of term?

I have concerns as DD is among the top marks in her class and was top in her last math test ,her weakest subject at primary , yet at state primary school she was above average but not top.

Could i ask the school for her grades ie 5a-6a or equivalent or would they just poo poo it?
NKM
katel
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Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:30 pm

Post by katel »

Maybe she's in a class that's generally ess good at maths? I'm not sure I understand the problem - am I being thick?
perplexed
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Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:18 pm
Location: kent

Post by perplexed »

We once asked my stepdaughter's independent school if they did KS3 SATs, or if they could do some marking / grading etc at national curriculum levels. This was because we got glowing marks, reports, exam results all the time, but not much idea how these results placed her relative to the population at large. Also she had marginally failed the 11+.

Most independent schools do not do KS3 SATs as they do not have to. Now your school may be different, but the answer from the headteacher was ****. Something along the lines of "we don't do SATS as our girls are way above any possible level they could get in SATS."

This was such a rubbish and untrue answer that it worried me. However, once they started giving out GCSE predicted grades / targets, they seem likely to be accurate. Stepdaughter's grades are likely to be surprisingly high (mainly A* and A). I think they have many "tricks" up their sleeve - really small classes, never go beyond the syllabus for one second, practice GCSE type questions ad nauseam for several years, some of the GCSE are modular so some bits are examined early and can be resat if necessary, learn model answers to common question types etc.


Good luck.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

How are they 'above the average they could get in the KS3 `tests'? level 8 in Maths is achieved by only 7% or so .... surely they are not saying ALL their children are above this!!

The KS3 tests in Maths test understanding rather than knowledge - I suspect this is why they are avoided as you cannot 'cram' for the questions.
herewegoagain
Posts: 104
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:10 pm

Post by herewegoagain »

Our local independent doesn't do KS3 SATs. The Year 9s are already doing GCSE work so I think the argument is that they are already working beyond the level of the SATs. I really don't know if this is a good or bad thing. It would be interesting to see how the students did if they actually took the KS3 tests.
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