Help, don't understand nat curc levels on son's report

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MelW
Posts: 90
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:33 pm

Help, don't understand nat curc levels on son's report

Post by MelW »

I have just had my son's first school report with the attainment levels all expressed as National Curriculum levels. I understand the core subject levels but for non-core subjects the levels are all over the place - some high, some low?? He has 2b for languages he has just started which I understand but a 4b for Geography and then a 3c for history. Should they be 5s? Does this mean he has done badly at history? I have googled for about an hour to glean some info but have given up. The school did not provide much guidance simply saying a 5a in Science is not the same as a 5a in Geography but no explanantion!!

Can anyone shed any light on this for me please?
Thanks. :?
gloucestermum
Posts: 739
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:14 pm
Location: Gloucester

Post by gloucestermum »

I really wouldn't worry-we also had DS first attainment levels home and there was a wide range of grades.The important ones of maths and English were 6c/5a so that's all we were concerned about!
The languages start at 2c so thats nothing to worry about.DS also had a mixture of 4's for history/geography and other non core subjects.I always look at the effort grades when they are 4's-if these are good then you cannot ask for anything else! DS mark in DT was a 3b-but the comment was he had made a great start and effort and behaviour was excellent.He is never going to be "arty" so I really don't worry.

In only 7 weeks as long as the core subjects are OK then I think you have nothing to worry about.

GM
Burneth
Posts: 903
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:20 pm
Location: On another planet called Gloucester!

Post by Burneth »

The grades on the assessment were slightly confusing to me also - and likewise DS ranged from 2A (for languages) right up to 6A (for his fav subject Maths!).

Reading the explanation on the reverse of his Assessment it states the "National Average" level achieved at the end of KS3 (Year 9) is Level 5/6 .... which is a good while into the future for our DC yet so the level 3 or 4 at this stage is surely acceptable.

Interestingly, it also states that some KS3 levels range from 1-8 (including Maths) whereas some only range from 1-7 (including English). Is this a national standard I wonder?
[img]http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/4;51;459/st/20080902/e/DS%27s+1st+day+at+senior/k/f5bf/event.png[/img]

PS I am Burneth and I am a lady....!
Road Runner
Posts: 410
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:32 pm

Mel x

Post by Road Runner »

Hi there

Just thought I would also add some assurance.

Buy all accounts Children are expected to have moved up two levels by the end of year 9 in English Maths and Science. Thats 6 sub levels in total.

At my sons school they only start concentrating on levels in year 9(my son is there now) as it is only then that the school start predicting. When my son was in year 7 and 8 I asked about levels(as assumed we should know) and I was told not to be concerned with them as they can vary so much particularly in the new subjects. The school was more concerned with 'effort' . It is only his term that we received his predicted and his current levels and they range between 5 (his weakest subject physics where he is still predicted a 7 for end of year 9) and 7(Geography which is one of his very strong subjects and so is predicted an 8 ) outside of that he is currenlty at a mix of 6 and 7's.

I do however now wonder what this means in light of the SATS being abolished.

Mel
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Hate to upset you but the KS3 tests AREN'T abolished - most children will do them in Maths next summer as the papers are written and have been trialled. Why would schools want to use their own tests?

In future some children will be tested every year and the papers will be produced for schools to use.

What will go are the League tables and they are no loss!

If you want to know about levels the school should give some guidance - all our child's assessments e.g. in History had a sheet saying what to do to get each level and what to aim at.
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