am I the only person that is pleased primaries are doing level 6 now?

[sausagesandwich34]

I've heard lots of people say that it's ridiculous that DCs are being pushed to level 6 but my DD is really enjoying it

previously, when they stopped at level 5 they would have just spent year 6 repeating and drilling for SATS according to parents with older dcs but she is learning new things and really enjoying it

it's not all bad surely?

[mrz]

Primaries have always taught level 6 to those pupils who were at that level ...it isn't new!!

[sausagesandwich34]

apologies mrz

it's my oldest child, just going on what parents of ex pupils have said

[cece]

It's just the test that's new... well recycled from a decade ago.

[mrz]

Yes my eldest did the level 6 test the first time around.

[fraktion]

I was going to say it isn't that new. I got 666 in my Y6 sats devil child

I do think it's nice for higher a grieving pupils to get that differentiation though.

[Iamnotminterested]

Stealth boast.

[sausagesandwich34]

no stealth, it was an obvious boast

however i still think it's good that primary are allowed to go beyond level 5 as while some primary schools were already teaching about this level, an awful lot weren't and there is definitely less of a feeling of teaching to the test

[BertieBotts]

Humph. I'm still bitter about the fact that I was supposed to be entered for the level 6 test but because I was one of only 3 pupils in the school who were eligible they never bothered! :(

[WofflingOn]

My DD got a 6 in maths and English (science N/A) and that was 2002.
She was encouraged, not pushed and so were the others in her group that did it.

[Blu]

The top / 'enrichment' group at Ds's primary were doing L6 work, but didn't do the L6 test (afaik) which was ideal from my pov - I wouldn't have wanted DS to be grilled and pushed into spending any more time repeating bloody SATS tests just to get a higher official mark to get the school up the league tables.

Some schools were running after-school booster classes to try and get children through L6 SATS. Which doesn't seem to be the point.

But it's good that all chidren are taught at their level.

[yellowvan]

YY. Taught brilliantly well at ds's school by the headteacher as well. Small group of about 15 and they all love it, friendly competition and everything.

[mrz]

and then IMHE they go off to secondary where they start at level 3

[sausagesandwich34]

mrz that' why I'm having a really hard time picking a high school

they generally all agree that there is no such thing as a year 7 who is level 6, and the ones that go in on level 5 are generally knocked back to level 4

how demoralising for a child!

[basildonbond]

ds2's primary didn't teach to level 6 (he's just started Y8) - he allegedly stayed at level 5 in maths for the last three years of primary (poor child was so bored ...) his teacher told me they couldn't give him any harder/more interesting work as that was as high as he could go in primary so although it's obviously been possible a lot of primaries took no notice

[SpringierSpaniel]

If they are offering L6 then it becomes even more of a factor to consider whether all your local secondary choices stream/set Y7 as soon as reasonable possible.

One of our potnetial choices doesn't set until Y8. Given the gap between dc1's ability in Maths for example and his class mates in general, I am factoring this into secondary comprehensive school considerations.

[Feenie]

his teacher told me they couldn't give him any harder/more interesting work as that was as high as he could go in primary so although it's obviously been possible a lot of primaries took no notice

It's not really that primaries took no notice, more that the teacher was talking total bollocks. The statutory documents have continued to refer to level 6 teacher assessment even when tests weren't available. I do know that at least one LEA wouldn't accept a level 6 teacher assessment, however, even though this went against statutory guidelines.

[APMF]

Primaries 'always' teach to level 6 ?????? The ofsted outstanding schools in my area certainly don't.