11 Plus Exams Forum

My DS, in year 6, has been tested this week (yet again) this time single level in reading. He was given a level 6 paper. I was surprised because only 4 were picked from his year and I would not have imagined he would be level 6 yet, there are stronger children in reading than him.! Any idea why they would have chosen him? Needless to say he found the test very hard.

not sure what the test was shuff there are no official level 6 papers any more. maybe teh teacher wanted to see just how the group would copw and used old papers? it is sometimes quite a shock for the brightest children to have to struggle with work.

Hi shuff,

My daughter did the level 6 reading on Monday and writing today, she will do level 6 maths tomorrow. Only the school that participate in this pilot scheme will put forward suitable candidate to sit the test.

Here is the link
http://testsandexams.qca.org.uk/16216.aspx

Concerto
x

Thank you concerto, I have just looked at the site. Still not sure why he was chosen for reading as he is more 5c than 5a I would say, unless of course they have had info. back from the SATS results to indicate the ones who did well!

thanks for that concerto, very interesting..

I hadn't realised that they had done that.

sorry for teh duff i nfo shuff

If they're still testing the levels they could need info about how a level 5 would perform on a level 6 paper.

Personally I would stick with your theory of great improvement in DC

These tests are supposed to confirm the teacher's opinion of your child's level. So, in theory, the teacher has already judged your son to be reading at level 6.

Single Levels in the news today

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/200 ... ts-schools

Edit- In the printed version it mentioned teacher support for the level 6 papers - to stretch the more able.

Our primary has taken part in these.

I tried to find out as much as I could and it was explained to me that they were tests to try to confirm the teacher assessment.

At our school, to qualify to take any level, the child had to be already working at that level or a higher one, for a period of 5/6 months before the test.

For example, at our school, a child is only put in for the level 3 maths in June if there were at least a 3a/4c in January prior to the test.

Doing it this way means that our schools predictions are almost spot on and very few kids fail to achieve the level that they are sitting.

My point of view - a complete waste of time because by the time the results come in (Sep) my dd has gone way passed the level sat as it was based on an assessment almost 10months ago!!!

I don't understand the claim that 10/11 year olds were, in some cases, outperforming 14 year olds because the 14 year olds had forgotten the curriculum that they covered in primary school. The single level tests are in reading, writing and maths. Have the 14 year olds forgotten how to read and write? And surely the maths primary curriculum is something that should be built on and developed in secondary school - not forgotten?
Sounds very strange!