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Education

How can I assess my HE ds against NC criteria for levels?

32 replies

StarlightMcKenzie · 28/10/2013 18:22

Is there any way I can access the exact criteria, specifically the B-Squared stuff. I don't mind paying for it, but I do for a whole school package, obviously.

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morethanpotatoprints · 30/10/2013 15:49

Hello Starlight.
H.ed parents tend not to use assessments as these are only useful in terms of school targets and the same really for levels.
I have seen marking sets for past SATS papers well the Maths anyway. The English is much harder to mark as you need to understand the criteria and be able to interpret iyswim. Maybe a teacher would level the English for you.
Our neighbour a KS2 English coordinator offered to do it for us, but we weren't interested really.
Do you have any teacher friends who could help, our neighbour said it would only take her 20 mins to mark the English.
Sorry but have no idea what B - Squared stuff is.

StarlightMcKenzie · 30/10/2013 19:12

Thanks for responding morethan,

I know NC makes no sense for HEers (I believe it doesn't even make a lot of sense to many teachers either) but I need to demonstrate progress at home, against progress at school iyswim, and that is hard without the actual criteria.

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lljkk · 31/10/2013 09:21

keep asking, the info is out there.
I think I would come up with different goals & targets if I were HEing, mind.
NC is both too wide & too prescriptive.
Is someone else demanding that you create an audit trail?

curlew · 31/10/2013 09:24

Could you get him to do some SATs papers at home then book a single session with a local tutor for them to be assessed? (With or without him there)Is that a possibility?

TheFallenMadonna · 31/10/2013 09:26

The APP criteria are readily available for English Maths and Science. Honestly, the issues are with interpreting the criteria. And with deciding sublevels. There are some exemplar pieces of work around too. DFE website? Levels are going next year though. To be replaced by...?!

throckenholt · 31/10/2013 09:47

I need to demonstrate progress at home, against progress at school

why ? who is asking you to do this and why ?

HE in the UK - there is a commitment to an age appropriate education - but that does NOT mean it has to mirror the NC. Demonstration of progress over time in a reasonbly broad subject area should be easy enough to produce if needed.

soapboxqueen · 31/10/2013 09:47

How old is your ds?

SATs papers would be easy to use for maths and reading and are freely available for year 6. Younger years are more of a problem. I don't think they are making optional sats anymore and they are sold in packs of ten. Not sure how much they cost or if they would even sell them to an individual.

Writing is tricky no matter which way you try as it is so subjective. Most schools continually moderate each other and offer training in writing assessment so that everyone is on the same page.

Have you thought about using app sheets. You might need a bit of guidance to start off with but I'm sure somebody on mn would be able to help you out. They aren't difficult to use just tricky to get an accurate result since it can be really easy to over or underestimate if you have had little or no training. They also need to be used over time and aren't a one off test.

You can get the sheets free over the internet.

TheFallenMadonna · 31/10/2013 10:20

Ah. B squared. That's a commercial thing, right? P scales? While the p scale descriptors are available, I think that the point of using B squared is that it expands those descriptors and provides its own assessment material to assess against them. Not sure how you would get hold of them.

StarlightMcKenzie · 31/10/2013 11:38

'why ? who is asking you to do this and why ?'

Me. I want to know.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 31/10/2013 11:43

Soapbox, No, I haven't come across those. I have had a quick look and think they could probably help a bit. They just aren't as detailed as I would like. I mean what exactly is 'fluent in some HFW?'

What is 'some'?

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lljkk · 31/10/2013 12:37

I think HE is a bigger leap of faith than that, Starlight. You won't get the most out of HE if you stay wedded to NC approach.

throckenholt · 31/10/2013 12:44

Well if it is just for your benefit - you can download past sats papers and go through them with your kids and see how they get on.

You can also get age appropriate work books that you can go through with them.

But as lljkk is right - getting bogged down in NC levels will restrict your experience of HE.

soapboxqueen · 31/10/2013 12:46

ha ha ha welcome to our world Starlight. Many assessment statements are infuriatingly vague. Generally we go with a 'BEST FIT' approach. So for your example you would find a list of the hfw and then assess how many are known. If only 2 or 3 are known out of 20 then I wouldn't say it was reached maybe 7-10 might be some. You will probably find that higher levels will then have 'most known' and then 'all known'.

Are you looking at nc levels or p scales? app only goes down to level 1.

StarlightMcKenzie · 31/10/2013 13:35

Well he's been given p scales for most lessons so far, with the exception of numeracy and literacy, but p scales seem to be a little bit more detailed, though still overall vague.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 31/10/2013 13:37

lljkk, I can't take a leap of faith. HE if done at all will be a temporary arrangement either instead of school, or as well of school.

I think SATS papers are too hard for him at the moment.

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throckenholt · 31/10/2013 13:50

HE is a leap of faith. It is a gamgle - as is choosing which school to send your kids to.

Please don't do HE as well as school - kids need mental and physical space grow.

By all means try and understand how the school system works, and try and proactively make it work the best you can for your child.

Or use HE as a temporary break before finding a school that suits your child better (the implication being that you don't think the current school does).

morethanpotatoprints · 31/10/2013 14:02

Starlight.

I have read your other posts and I know where you are coming from, but you need to really do one or the other. H.ed or school.
One of my dc gained 3 levels at school in science, but was much older than your ds and it was the change of primary/secondary, lots of additional work at home, which he took it upon himself to do and a supportive teacher at school.
It doesn't do to get bogged down with levels whatever education your child has. Ime and other H.ed parents I read about on here it is easy to see where your dc are improving, it is obvious, honestly.
If you work through age appropriate books with him, he will really improve with just a couple of hours a day, but please don't do this on top of school.

soapboxqueen · 31/10/2013 14:27

We use the pivats system for assigning p levels. They are a bit vague and find the pivats system is overly generous when trying to link to standard nc levels.

If your dc is currently at school you could use their scores as a basis. You might disagree with them but it is somewhere to start.

StarlightMcKenzie · 31/10/2013 14:34

I don't disagree with most of the scores the school have given soap, but with the speed of progress of which he is capable.

I would like to HE for a bit morethan but we are in a situation that makes this decision legally challengeable and it might not be allowed.

I absolutely agree with you about the extra stress this will put on ds to HE on top of school but it could be that we have no choice.

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StarlightMcKenzie · 31/10/2013 14:36

throckenholt I'm not sure that it is a leap of faith or a gamble to HE.

My approach would be to use evidence based practice and precision teaching for subjects and skills including soft skills. You can know within 3 sessions or so whether you are making an impact and improving.

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lljkk · 31/10/2013 15:20

Wait, OP isn't going to HE at all but rather is going to tutor on top of schooling?

StarlightMcKenzie · 31/10/2013 15:48

I'm going to HE. School attendance may or may not happen whilst I am doing it. My preference woukd be not, but it might not be within my control.

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morethanpotatoprints · 31/10/2013 15:54

Starlight

I don't understand why it might not be within your control? Why you might be legally challenged? Every parent has the right to educate their child as they see fit, in fact its the parents responsibility to provide an education, by law.
Also, you can do evidence based teaching without so much as looking at a level descriptor.
It is exactly what most H.ed parents do, they just don't gain evidence by formal assessment.

lljkk · 31/10/2013 15:57

Maybe you need to start over by explaining what your challenges are in planning to HE, Starlight. You seem to be dodging a recurring question we put to you. Is it too confidential to explain?

lljkk · 31/10/2013 15:59

Scratch that. Start by recapping briefly why you think you want to HE. Then move on to your doubts or what the challenges are.

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