Yes, I am aware that writing is teacher assessed, which is why I quoted it in a previous post!

I was just wondering why you felt the need to post that SPAG = GPS when they are exactly the same thing!

I was also wondering why 'GPS' is not mentioned on the Government school performance website which says
"Pupils are achieving at a higher standard if they achieve a scaled score of 110 or more in their reading and maths tests, and their teacher assesses them as ‘working at a greater depth within the expected standard’ in writing."

It seems that Reading, Maths and Writing (Writing is teacher assessed!) are the only components required for the schools to gain higher levels and GPS (SPAG) doesn't seem to come into it, which surprises me as it is an integral part in KS2 SATs!
I genuinely would like to know whether or not it is taken into account in reporting the higher levels on the official figures, as it is not mentioned.

No, you are quite right it is a large part of the English section, but I just don't understand why it's not mentioned when reporting the higher levels on the official Gov website.

To me it should say "Reading, SPAG (or GPS) Maths and their teacher assesses them as ‘working at a greater depth within the expected standard’ in writing.

Sorry, I have a bee in my bonnet about this, I think I will just have to accept that I wont get a definite answer!
It's probably me am I missing something?

You asked what SPAG was so I posted that it was the same as GPS but you have now edited your post.

Thank you Rhiane, 9% in 2017 gives me an idea of where she is at. The information I had from school was limited to a raw score and total score with no comparative information at all. I only used SPAG as a shorthand as on the results we have English is split between reading and grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and spelling.

Her school has made zero fuss regarding her achievements. She has literally been top of her class for the entirety of her school career and yet I’m not even sure they have told her she is amazing. I did and do, but sometimes it’s hard to know whether I am going overboard. Hence trying to work out just how much of a deal this is.

Thanks again

I am sure that if you are always telling her that she is amazing, the school doesn't need to as well. I don't think schools generally like to tell children this sort of thing in case it makes them conceited. As a teacher I have never done so, nor used the phrase 'top of the class' to either a child or its parents.

Yes, I'm not sure whether it is an error on the KS2 results on the DfE perfomance data that spag is not mentioned as a component of the higher level score or not.

However, I suspect it is not an error. When I look up the DfE KS2 results 2017 for an individual school, the data provided in pretty little bar charts simply relates to maths, reading and writing. SPAG does not seem to get a mention at all unless I've missed something.

It would be interesting to know if this is the case and why.

The only way of finding this out reliably is to ask the DfE themselves.

Guest,

Now I undertand why you said that, but I have always been very clear as to what SPAG is!
At no point have I edited any post to change anything to do with SPAG, when I edit a post I always explain why it has been changed. (I had only edited one post before that one and SPAG wasn't mentioned in it before the edit)

Maybe it was the post immediatly before yours, where i said something like 'I don't where SPAG comes into it though' but I didn't mean I didn't know what SPAG is.

I promise you that I didn't edit anything about not knowing what SPAG is.
Apologies if there was any confusion on my part

Sphynx

120 is excellent, DS has been told (verbally) he got 108/110 raw score for maths which I know is 118 scaled score, (Enriching + in his school) but hasn't been told his scores for anything else, just that it is Mastery + so a bit lower than his Maths.
We will probably get our hard copy with his end of year report later next week.
At the end of the day, we are both happy with his achievements no matter what his SATs scores are.

He is also amongst the topin his class/results etc and has never been rewarded for it but as Amber says it really doesn't matter, he's still keen, motivated and above all a happy and content child who enjoys school and is excited to be moving on to a Grammar School, so all good.

Just had this discussion with my daughter over breakfast. She argued (!) the government have got it wrong with GPS, because school have always called it SPAG. Cue heated debate about the usefulness of acronyms.

So, she got over 110 in every subject but is marked at AS. Same in her school report where only reading was assessed as above expected standard. I wonder if government and schools are redefining the criteria. All through primary school she was exceeds, until her year 5 report. We queried this with the teacher, who said she can't exceed until he has taught her certain elements of the subject. Now year 6 report also says most subjects meeting expectations.

I don't mind, because she has always done very well and we don't need a piece of paper from the school to say so. Could it be they don't say exceeds to avoid comparisons and bragging among children? In which case, why the NS grade, and did those below 100 get it?

DSs school report says exactly at which level a child is working at.
They have 5 catagories: Below/Developing/Secure/Mastery/Enriching a '+' can be added to each

Below (B) Pupils have been taught the skill but rarely are able to apply their understanding.
Developing (D) Pupils begin to apply their understanding - this is usually with the support of a teacher or adult.
Secure (S) Pupils are able to apply their understanding independently. They are consistently working at ARE
Mastery (M) These pupils are exceeding their Age Expected Expectation. Pupils have a deeper level of understanding and are able to apply key skills across a range of curriculum areas without explicit teaching.
Enriching (E) They are truely exceptional in these areas and can apply their learning across a variety of scenarios.
The plus shows more depth and understanding in each band.

As well as the above we also get a sheet for Attitude to Learning in all subjects with a score (Outstanding/Good/Improvement needed/Poor) across all areas (Progress/Effort/Behavious/Homework)

We get lots more info as well!

As for SATs, I don't think anyone gets the higher level on their report just the raw/scaled scores, it seems it's the school that gets the credit for that if a DC gets over 110 in all areas and greater depth in writing. Please correct me if i'm wrong.
DS was similar to yours but only teacher assessed writing was reported at greater depth.

PS, SPAG = GPS, this was a misunderstanding between Guess55 and myself, she thought I didn't know what SPAG was and was informing me not correcting me. It really doesn't matter whether its called SPAG or GPS.