SATS,do they matter to your child?

Bexley · Post by **Bexley** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:15 pm

As far as value added goes:

if a child goes into reception at what is judged to be above average attainment, and can leave in Yr6 with no more than a level 5 (even though they may be working beyond that level), does that mean their value added score is not a true reflection of their progress ?

I don't know, so wondered if anyone could help!

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:16 pm

KS1 to KS2 is the problem

If KS1 level 3 is achieved then a KS2 level 5 is 'expected' progress - two levels in four years.

It is similar in KS4 - if a child get level 8 in Maths then an A8 is 'expected' progress ...

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:22 pm

Bexley - I guess that must be the case. I'm afraid I don't know as much about value added as I'd like to. I think the measures given at KS2 are how much value has been added since KS1 rather than since reception (but I may be wrong). For a positive value added score a child has to achieve more than they would have been predicted to achieve from their KS1 results (level 2 would be predicted to achieve level 4). So, if a child is level 3 at KS1 they would be predicted to achieve level 5 at KS2: if they do achieve this, there is no value added. Even if that child was in reality a level 6, because KS2 SATS only go up to level 5, there's no way of measuring this.

Buffybabe - conversely to your experience, I have heard a HT admit to having told KS1 teachers to show restraint in their KS1 assessments to ensure that KS2 results looked relatively good .....

Bexley · Post by **Bexley** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:32 pm

Guest55 wrote:KS1 to KS2 is the problem

If KS1 level 3 is achieved then a KS2 level 5 is 'expected' progress - two levels in four years.

Thanks Guest 55,

So am I right in thinking that:

a KS1 level 2 has the chance of improving 3 levels, but a KS1 level 3 can only improve by 2 levels , even though technically they could be capable of more (if the SATS testing went beyond a 5)? Does this mean a school that gets good 'results' at KS1 is at a disadvantage as far as value added at the end of KS2 due to the fact the children cannot get beyond a certain level on paper so their progress is limited?

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:35 pm

Sort of - it would be wrong to artificially lower levels - but a teacher should be really sure a child is level 3 ...

The single level tests and a new assessment technique called 'Assessing pupils' progress' should help as it's designed to develop a common understanding of what a level is.

Bexley · Post by **Bexley** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:46 pm

Thanks Guest 55 and Bexley Mum 2.

I must admit I hadn't given value added that much thought until reading this thread, but it now seems as if it could be somewhat flawed!

Tracy · Post by **Tracy** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:12 am

The value added bit was explained to me as:

The KS1 results are taken and using this info, KS2 results are predicted. Our school uses the Fischer Family Trust -I don't know anything about this body and I don't know if any other school uses it.
If the KS2 results are more than the expected results from the FFT then the school has 'added value' to the child's education.

This does not however measure any work undertaken by the parents or additional private tutoring due to poor standards at school!!!

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:03 pm

Most LA use FFT [Fischer family trust] data to set targets -

http://www.fischertrust.org/