Bucks 11 plus - Year 5 or Year 6 Curriculum ?

[mystery]

But which county do you live in Marylou? Hope you do live in Bucks as really otherwise you shouldn't be on this thread ...

I'm guessing this was aimed at me? Can't really fathom what the point of this post was *shrug*

The post was to amuse you all.

[Marylou]

I'm sure those of us whose children are preparing to sit the Bucks test this week are rolling in the aisles...

[mystery]

Not wanting to stir up any hornets' nests or start any arguments...just looking for a simple answer to a simple question! I'd have thought the National Curriculum learning objectives are fairly clear, as is the statement in the FAQ, and the logical conclusion is that the two would be incompatible if certain topics were included in the test.

Yes the two would be incompatible. Are the national curriculum learning objectives that clear for year 5 though? Maybe somebody somewhere who knows will finally explain this as there are definitely some inconsistencies here.

My understanding of the national curriculum is that the national expectations for the end of year 6 are a 4b. So if one looks at the learning objectives for year 5 one presumably is going to find things which enable one to achieve approximately a very high 3 at the end of year 5.

However, there isn't anything in the National Curriculum legislation which says you have to teach this, this and this in this year, and that, that and that in another year ... it's not quite so prescriptive as that, and it takes into account, through the system of NC levels, that some children will attain more or less than the national expectations at any particular point in time.

It would be possible to be in a Bucks primary and not have covered whatever Bucks views as "typical" year 5 work if one was in a bottom group for example.

To me, the Bucks CC statement tries to make it more clear cut than it actually is. If I were entering year 5 now I would be asking for clarification in Bucks. If I had a child doing the test this week I wouldn't be bothered two hoots.

[Guest55]

Mystery - the current Year 5 will not be taught the new curriculum as their KS2 tests in 2015 will be based on the old NC.

[mystery]

I'm sure those of us whose children are preparing to sit the Bucks test this week are rolling in the aisles...

Sorry if my sarcasm was not appreciated! I don't think if you are doing the test this week there is any point in knowing. It sounds like you did some extra anyhow, and children who are above average at maths at school will have done more at school than those year 5 objectives G55 posted show - well in Kent you would have and it is a national curriculum not a Bucks curriculum.

[mystery]

Mystery - the current Year 5 will not be taught the new curriculum as their KS2 tests in 2015 will be based on the old NC.

Yes I know that. Did you read my post at all?

[Guest55]

Yes I did - CEM won't change the Bucks 11+ that quickly before they know if the contract is renewed!

[mystery]

Thank you for your concise response Guest 55. I will show you my working and then you can tell me where my error is, and then maybe I will get some partial marks.

The current year 3 and 4 have the current national curriculum disapplied this school year 2013-14. This is to give schools the option, if they choose to take it, of preparing and starting to teach the new national curriculum before its initial start in 2014-15.

The current year 4 will be year 5 in 2014-15. They will sit their 11plus test in September 2015. If all goes according to plan with the new National Curriculum they will have been taught at least one year of the new national curriculum before they sit their 11plus test. Therefore they will need a C E M test in Bucks in September 2015 which is based on year 5 of the new national curriculum.

I think perhaps you misread my date? Or can you spot my error please?

Where did I mention the current year 5? (The current year 5 will be taught the old national curriculum even in 2014-15 - probably kills two birds with one stone as there would be no new tests ready by then and if there were, they would be tested after only one year of a new curriculum.)

[mystery]

Yes I did - CEM won't change the Bucks 11+ that quickly before they know if the contract is renewed!

OK - but isn't it a three year contract? It would be the third year of the contract. If they don't change it then Bucks will have to change the FAQs that year which state that it will tally with year 5 of the national curriculum - because it won't!

Maybe this is why Kent is only going for a one year contract, and possibly two, in its new test tender which will have its first test in Sept 2014.

G55, iF c e m don't change their tests when a new national curriculum comes along then maybe either 1. Their tests are not particularly closely linked to the national curriculum or
2. They are not very well prepared.

But surely tHe point remains though, that if the bucks test remains linked in some way to year 5 national curriculum work (whatever that means) it will be a different body of work from now in 2014-15 unless the implementation of the new national curriculum is delayed.

[mystery]

Mystery - the current Year 5 will not be taught the new curriculum as their KS2 tests in 2015 will be based on the old NC.

Yes I know that. Did you read my post at all?

If you did read my post, which you say above that you did, where was my error? Was I "wrong" as you put it so succinctly above? And if I was wrong I would respectfully point out that there are better ways of phrasing this bad news.