Level 6 Maths

[leanmeamum]

How can he do the paper if the school don't do KS2 tests? To get a level 6 you have to do the level 3 to 5 papers and get a level 5 as well as sitting the two additional papers.

He has been assessed a High level 5 in Maths (Wigan Lea) hence the level 6 paper.

My question was - do CATS & SATS levels work in the same way as they are being set CATS.

[leanmeamum]

They had been taught extra 'stuff' to pass the test ... not to understand it necessarily.

His maths set has already done Pythagoras & volumes for sphers, prisms, etc & Algebra ia also quite advance & are doing year 8 syllabus (over 1/2 way through the STP 2A) so they can do the sample papers.

[lara228]

Interesting discussion. My DS has been bored stiff in his maths 'extension' group - has been at level 5a since end of year 5. He (along with many but not all of his group) was tutored for secondary school entrance and his tutor covered some of year 7 and even year 8 maths topics - maybe not in the full secondary school detail, but certainly enough for him to understand and apply. I had a meeting with his headteacher several weeks ago and asked if the school had a policy against stretching the most able to level 6..........a few days later DS comes home 'guess what mummy, some of us were given level 6 SATS papers to try - they were hard but I enjoyed them and did well enough to pass'. As far as I am aware, these are genuine level 6 papers with some topics that he does not know but enough to enable him to gain a pass mark - and has reawakened an interest in the subject, which is even more important.

I have often said that I despair of state schools where much effort is made to get those children who need extra help to pass level 4 (and thus keep up the school's place in the League Tables), but nothing is done for those who are at level 5a and, therefore, have done their bit for the League Tables - level 6 does not enhance a junior school's ranking.

[vasu]

I agree with lara228. After giving 11+ my son had become complacent as he thought getting 5a is a piece of cake. But now he is giving level6 for maths and english hence the renewed interest in sats. It is tough, he says. I am happy that his brain is finally getting some shake up rather than being limited by the school. For years I was quite unhappy with school not able to stretch him enough. Now I am quite pleased.

[Guest55]

There are plenty of level 5 topics that Primary do not teach and are not tested at KS2 - why not do those topics first? There's also masses of using and applying question on NRICH, Primary Maths Challenge and UKMT Junior Maths challenge; that would be FAR more valauble for their future success at Secondary.

The questions are not the same as a level 6 question on the topic - I've seen last year's papers so I know what I'm talking about. Level 5a* is far more accurate.

[leanmeamum]

Before we digress too far - can someone Please tell me how CATS scores work & what is their significance?

I'm not worried about the syllabus because he's doing it at school & at home with us.

[DC17C]

I thought the point of CAT testing was there was no syllabus/teaching as such as it is supposed to assess innate cognative ability.

[Guest55]

CATS is nothing to do with KS2 tests (or SATS as people insist on calling them).

You cannot study for CAT tests and they are not statutory. If these are tests your son is doing in May then they are KS2 tests and he will have been entered for them by the school.

[lara228]

There are plenty of level 5 topics that Primary do not teach and are not tested at KS2 - why not do those topics first? There's also masses of using and applying question on NRICH, Primary Maths Challenge and UKMT Junior Maths challenge; that would be FAR more valauble for their future success at Secondary.

The questions are not the same as a level 6 question on the topic - I've seen last year's papers so I know what I'm talking about. Level 5a* is far more accurate.

You are probably right - but most state schools seem to have little or no interest in enhancing the learning experience for their brightest children once they have reached level 5 - as I said before, there is no benefit to their league table placing or to their statutory achievements. ANY advancement is, therefore, welcome for those children who need to have their interest in education maintained - and if my DS gets it by being challenged by level 6 papers, that's fine by me. Incidentally, for the first time ever, DS has brought home a school text book for revision of KS2 science - what a joke - apart from the spelling and grammatical errors that appear throughout the book, the science in some places is simply wrong. How I wish my lottery numbers had come up and I could have taken him out of school for year 6 and educated him by travelling through Europe.........roll on September!

[Cutting42]

I am getting the feeling that there is a lot to this topic that the general parent does not know or appreciate. I had no clue that KS2 does not cover the complete sylabus of level 5. Why is this, why are topics not covered and who decides what should be covered.

Guest55, you seem to know what you are talking about but also seem to be critical of what they are doing and telling us, what is the wider implication of this?