Teacher Assessment vs Externally Marked SATS

[Guest55]

Around Bucks many schools have used APS points for some time especially to compare with RAISE online National APS.

[fatbananas]

RAISE online National APS.

What is this? I'm interested in the assessments/ changes.

[Amber]

RAISE online National APS.

What is this? .

Bane of my life!

[Guest55]

https://www.raiseonline.org/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Schools can analyse their performance against national and compare the progress of their pupils.

[Amber]

And then give teachers a list of pupils' names and targets to be met within a short deadline - in my job as a 1-1 teacher this is usually in the magnitude of 2 NC sublevels in a term- in order to prevent OFSTED for coming in and wringing their hands and sucking their teeth.

In my cynical view it is a stick with which to beat teachers.

[Guest55]

It's based on the assumption that 'every school should be above average'

[Amber]

It's based on the assumption that 'every school should be above average'

indeed; and every child, regardless of what is going on in that child's life.

And it must be the teacher's fault if not.

[mystery]

'requires improvement' refers to the school and the teaching, not the pupil.

In our school we aim for at least 4 points progress and if pupils are not on track to make that progress by the end of the year, we (the teachers) have to put measures in place to ensure pupils do make progress. It may be working with a teaching assistant; an intervention program; different work to plug identified gaps etc.

I have to say I have been teaching since the National Curriculum was introduced in 1989. I have always tracked and identified pupils who are making less than adequate progress. This should not be new to teachers. Points are new (2 for each sublevel) and Ofsted does keep moving the goal posts so what was satisfactory is no longer.

How does 4 points per annum work then, if as Guest 55 put in her post, that 1 sublevel = 2 points? If you achieved that pupil results would be sky high.


E.g. end of year 2 2b

end of year 3 3c

end of year 4 3a

end of year 5 4b

end of year 6 5c

So you would have turned an average child into an above average child ------- how could you do that for all children?

Take a child who was 2b at the end of KS1

[wonderwoman]

[quote="mysteryHow does 4 points per annum work then, if as Guest 55 put in her post, that 1 sublevel = 2 points? If you achieved that pupil results would be sky high.


E.g. end of year 2 2b

end of year 3 3c

end of year 4 3a

end of year 5 4b

end of year 6 5c

So you would have turned an average child into an above average child ------- how could you do that for all children?

Take a child who was 2b at the end of KS1[/quote]

Don't get me started
The example you give is quite typical. Essentially for me tracking in any form is all about ALL pupils achieving the best they can. Saying a child was 2b at KS1 so not expecting them to achieve more than 4b at KS2 is, I guess, the problem Ofsted are trying to address. You can't turn all 'average' children into above average, but you can have a good go. It's not easy, but it's what good schools do.

[mystery]

Cor. So my daughter who has only moved one sub-level in writing during year 3, but is still above national expectations for the end of year 3, would have some kind of plan in place? What kind of thing might her plan be?

Do many schools work on this two sub-level basis or is this just your school being zealous? And does your school actually achieve this kind of progress with many children?

It must be tempting to underestimate children at the start of the measuring process (when is that) so that 2 sublevels per annum is more likely to look as though it has been achieved.