Level 6 SATS.
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Re: Level 6 SATS.
Maybe its just policy at ds's school being imposed from above then. But it has to be more than coincidence that we've had this comment consistently for the last 4 years - unless it's just the teachers trying to say in a roundabout way that it is policy to do that but they don't agree so they'll tell us their true assessment anyway?yoyo123 wrote:a very cynical view and not one I have ever come across,in my 18 years of teaching, maybe I have always worked with professional caring colleagues.Which just leads the schools to work out what is the maximum they'll be able to record at the end of Y6, subtract 2 levels a year, and decline to officially record levels above that even if the children are working ahead of schedule. So records might show the expected progress, when in reality you're getting stagnation.
eta: I hadn;t read your post Amber..snap!
Re: Level 6 SATS.
My DS's primary does do a lot of enrichment. For Maths, my DS is in a small cross-year group of about 5/6, all working on level 5a and above. They are taught by a HLTA that has a Maths degree, and occasionally by a Maths teacher from the local Secondary school.
I'm going to check out that APP thing.
I'm going to check out that APP thing.
Re: Level 6 SATS.
I'm reading those level descriptors. I would say that my DS in English writing, the ONLY thing that he can't do from the level 6 descriptors is the neat, legible handwriting. Literally the only bit.
I knew he was good at Maths, and that he has been 'noticed' by the Head of Maths department at Maths Olympics events held at the local Secondary school, to the point where she called over two other teachers there and said "this is the boy from **** school I was telling you about, the level 7 boy", but he really CAN do everything on the level 7 descriptors, and half if the level 8. Algebra in particular, he excels at. Ilnow he started using BODMAS at home when he asked me how to solve an equation with brackets in when he was in Y2.
His Maths ability far outstrips my own, tbh.
I knew he was good at Maths, and that he has been 'noticed' by the Head of Maths department at Maths Olympics events held at the local Secondary school, to the point where she called over two other teachers there and said "this is the boy from **** school I was telling you about, the level 7 boy", but he really CAN do everything on the level 7 descriptors, and half if the level 8. Algebra in particular, he excels at. Ilnow he started using BODMAS at home when he asked me how to solve an equation with brackets in when he was in Y2.
His Maths ability far outstrips my own, tbh.
Re: Level 6 SATS.
I'm sure if your school does that Okanagan, your school does that. It's not right, and not what most schools do, but if that's what you've heard every year, it sounds pretty likely that this is what the headteacher has asked the teachers to do at your school, and they don't dare do other than do that. However, if the teachers do appear to know the true levels, and teach according to the true levels, then the stagnation you fear or have experienced should not occur. But stagnation can occur for many reasons --- including illness or external circumstances as suggested higher up the thread.
However, an intelligent appraiser looking at a class overall would be able to see that in general a class had made appropriate progress and then take a view as to the reasons for why certain individuals might "buck the trend" and what had been done to support them through the negative times both emotionally and academically.
Also, what is expected in terms of nc points and nc sublevels year on year is oft misquoted by teachers, headteachers, and advisors alike. Even the two sub-levels per annum quoted on here is not correct. If it were, all children who were 2b at end of KS1 (national expections) would be 2b + 8 sublevels by the end of KS2 ( a 5c - 2 sublevels above national expectations).
The requirements to sit SATS etc have reduced considerably with more teacher assessment introduced at end of both KS1 and KS2. Schools choose to do old SATs papers or whatever they are called all the time. They are not driven to do it.
The biggest change over the decades to me seems to be the way that teachers are performance managed by their individual heads. Depending on how each head chooses to implement the guidelines you can get teachers who are "empowered" to use a bit more of the approach Amber describes, or teachers who just have to do whatever their head says or risk a poor performance appraisal each year.
I do like those maths ideas Yoyo, but I'd expect them to work with children younger than year 6. For an intelligent year 6 child, able at maths, and with a solid grounding in the basics, I'd go for level 5/6 work with some challenging investigations and practical work.
However, an intelligent appraiser looking at a class overall would be able to see that in general a class had made appropriate progress and then take a view as to the reasons for why certain individuals might "buck the trend" and what had been done to support them through the negative times both emotionally and academically.
Also, what is expected in terms of nc points and nc sublevels year on year is oft misquoted by teachers, headteachers, and advisors alike. Even the two sub-levels per annum quoted on here is not correct. If it were, all children who were 2b at end of KS1 (national expections) would be 2b + 8 sublevels by the end of KS2 ( a 5c - 2 sublevels above national expectations).
The requirements to sit SATS etc have reduced considerably with more teacher assessment introduced at end of both KS1 and KS2. Schools choose to do old SATs papers or whatever they are called all the time. They are not driven to do it.
The biggest change over the decades to me seems to be the way that teachers are performance managed by their individual heads. Depending on how each head chooses to implement the guidelines you can get teachers who are "empowered" to use a bit more of the approach Amber describes, or teachers who just have to do whatever their head says or risk a poor performance appraisal each year.
I do like those maths ideas Yoyo, but I'd expect them to work with children younger than year 6. For an intelligent year 6 child, able at maths, and with a solid grounding in the basics, I'd go for level 5/6 work with some challenging investigations and practical work.
Re: Level 6 SATS.
tongue was firmly in cheek, mystery....
Re: Level 6 SATS.
Shame. It sounded a lot of fun to me.yoyo123 wrote:tongue was firmly in cheek, mystery....
Re: Level 6 SATS.
Look at the focussed assessment questions for level 6 - although there is no using and applying it will give you an idea of the standard. It's the equivalent of Primary 'pitch and expectations'.
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Re: Level 6 SATS.
I have mathematical mayhem to suit all from classR to infinity and beyond!Shame. It sounded a lot of fun to me.
well, OK..maybe year 7...
my lovely science tutor at Falmer managed to teach the entire science scheme of work for year 5 using
a murder mystery, fish and chips and a tube of smarties ( not all at once...)
Re: Level 6 SATS.
I think there is plenty of potential for a good teacher to challenge all abilities even in Y6 with the kind of work yoyo suggested. Some kids learning what flour is, some how to spell 'egg' and some working out metric to imperial ratios and calculations, perhaps algebraically, ingredient ratios, calculating required quantities according to the weight of the eggs and all having a jolly good feed at the end! Sadly at our primary such cross curricular creativity was beyond the imagination of most of the staff but I do remember when my dearest friend moved to Essex her recounting a lesson which involved learning about the working of the heart by getting the kids in the playground with PE bibs and plastic piping to play circulating blood and ventricles of the heart etc whilst taking their pulses and circulating blood. Those kids probably know more about biology than most and had good fun to boot. But of course they did have outside space...yoyo123 wrote:I have mathematical mayhem to suit all from classR to infinity and beyond!Shame. It sounded a lot of fun to me.
well, OK..maybe year 7...
my lovely science tutor at Falmer managed to teach the entire science scheme of work for year 5 using
a murder mystery, fish and chips and a tube of smarties ( not all at once...)
mad?
Re: Level 6 SATS.
Fantastic!
I still look up at motorway bridges when I drive along, looking for the expansion joints..(46 years on ) after we did a topic on roads in year 5 ( 3rd yr juniors in old money) we made a paper mache model of a junction, learnt all about macadam and how roads are constructed.. again still look when they are resurfacing for all the layers..
maybe I was a strange child, but being involved totally in what you are learning is fantastic!
Made me what I am ( jury is out over whether that is a bonus!)
I still look up at motorway bridges when I drive along, looking for the expansion joints..(46 years on ) after we did a topic on roads in year 5 ( 3rd yr juniors in old money) we made a paper mache model of a junction, learnt all about macadam and how roads are constructed.. again still look when they are resurfacing for all the layers..
maybe I was a strange child, but being involved totally in what you are learning is fantastic!
Made me what I am ( jury is out over whether that is a bonus!)