CAT4 scores

[kashif68]

Hi
My Son took the CAT4 in 2nd week of May 17 . We have moved from another country. And just been around 04 weeks in the new environment, curriculum and age 10yr11m.
His CAT4 are below average which seem surprising as he was getting 95% marks in his previous school. Maybe text anxiety new environment, maybe.
Verbal: 81
Quantitative: 77
Non-verbal: 81
Spatial: 62

He was taken in Y6 at the end of term 2. Came across a lot of new concepts etc. Has skipped Y4 and Y5 as he was starting Y4 at previous school.

School wants to move him to Y7 with learning support and we are contesting to move him back to Y5 (which we wanted him to start initially at the time of admission

So need some insight.

[sazzleevans]

He's nearly 12 so year 7 withs support sound the way forward so he can be with his piers. Just my take on it. Hope that helps.

[LIZS]

CAT scores don't assess on the curriculum and theoretically results do not vary wildly each time. However ds had similar experience when he arrived in y3 which gave an artificially lower level. It wasn't so much what was tested as a lack of understanding of the format and concept of tests to time, although he was behind in maths and writing particularly. 2 years later he was well into average range. In fact he subsequently was assessed by an EdPsych as well above average in some areas. In UK it is very unusual to go back years. If he is due in y7 in September does he change school or are you in the private system?

[kashif68]

Hi
Thanks for the replies. No he stays in same school. Aware that they are not on curriculum but not being aware of format n concepts of test , might play a role like it happened in your case, children who are aware of such formats may end up doing well. The school got him in Y6 when we asked not to jump 2 years as he was doing American curriculum in his last school.

He himself was noy comfortable with Y6, maybe we can have him in Y6 Again.

Also teacher was saying he wont be accessing y7 curriculum, thats another reason why we want him in Y5 or do Y6.

[GU24Mum]

What's his month and year of birth? In the UK, the current Year 6s are born between 1st September 2005 and 31st August 2006. If your son is in that group but say right at the end, you may be able to repeat Year 6 but if he's in the older half of the class, he'd be very old then compared with the rest of the class if he repeated so would be better in Y7 with support.

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

CAT tests test underlying ability so although the format of the test may not have been something he's experienced before, the test content should have been neutral for everybody.

I presume these are his standardised scores? If so, you need to have a good chat with his class teacher and the school SENCo about areas of weakness and what needs to be done both at home and at school to address it. Also get a detailed plan of the support that is going to be put in place and ask what you need to be doing at home to support that.

I doubt any school would put a Year 7 into Year 5. You might get him into Year 6 if the school is particularly sympathetic but the sports department of a private school won't like it (it messes with their teams which are normally organised as under 11s, under 12s, etc)

[kashif68]

Hi
He was born may 2006.

I doubt sports shd be of any concern, keeping in view the bigger picture. Problem is they dont have a SenCo, thy recommended an edu psych straight up. There are no attainment test results, its js been six weeks he has been in school.

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

I'm not saying that sports is the most important factor but it's an example of the inflexibility of some independent schools and an example of where internal politics can play a major role (and yes I have taught in indy schools where pupils have not been kept back for reasons such as these).

I take it it's a non-selective school? In which case alarm bells would be ringing about the lack of senco.

[PatriciaHolm]

Independent schools don't have to have a SENCO, but the lack of one and the immediate push to an external ed psych would suggest this school is not particularly supportive of those with SEN. Have you other options?

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

Just realised you refer to Learning Support - what provision do they have? If somebody is in charge of that, they should be doing the job of the senco.

[kashif68]

Yea they have learning support. We as parents are open to give our son support but not ed psych on the onset, no learning support has been given as yet to him which indicates little or no progress

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

Is there a head of learning support? If so, that is your point of contact.

[LIZS]

Expecting such reaction within 6 weeks is probably not realistic, especially when the year is drawing to an end. What learning support are they proposing for September and by whom? It is worth seeing an EdPsych as ostensibly those scores are low and it would better inform you and them which areas need particular support and how to approach it. Is English his first language?

[kashif68]

They havent shared a plan , we have asked them that new environment, test context , such short period n Eng also not being first language, we need to see support over long period with progress.

[kashif68]

Yea head of learning support

[kashif68]

What they are proposing is move to Y7 but with no access to Y7 curriculum, we are saying if you have to do it, do it in lower year , secondary is gonna get tougher n soon GCSE will come, he wont be ready for that. In short we are asking them to give time n sustained support n if it shows little or no progress we deliberate edu psych

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

Culturally moving year groups does not really happen in the U.K, partly for social reasons but also because it is the norm to differentiate so all the pupils in your class can access the content of the lessons.

What Learning support are they suggesting for Sept? Some extra 1 to 1 lessons, in class support, intervention groups?

How strong is your son's English? Was he given support for the CAT tests (the questions read for example)?

[kashif68]

1 to 1, in class n intervention bt not with y7 curriculum. Support in Test i am not aware of.his english is getting better, he has some problem in understanding british accent

[user789653241]

I moved to US when I was 12, with no English at all, from non English speaking country. I stayed in my right year group. I caught up within a year, and had no trouble in stem subjects at all from the start.
A lot of children experience the same here in England, I assume.
I don't think English schools are keen on keeping children out of year groups.
I don't think the problem is just about English being a second language, there seems to be more to it, and are you really happy with school he attends?

[kashif68]

Yea schoolz great. Son is doing great socially n in sports as well

[LIZS]

Can you clarify what type of school this is? Prep to 13+, junior/senior perhaps? Did he take an entrance test, SATs or year 6 exams? Are they selective? I wouldn't worry too much about the curriculum until he has the basics covered. Developing language skills will help in the meantime.

[user789653241]

Hmm, if he is doing great socially, why do you think it's a good idea to separate him from his friends? I found friends were one thing that kept me going to school when I was having tough times in new environment/new country.

[sirfredfredgeorge]

irvineoneohone I have to imagine your CAT scores would've been higher, we have a kid with a combination of lower CAT scores and the environment.

I would echo though that if the social and sporting side is good, going out of year so he loses all sporting competition and has some much more immature peers would not be useful.

[LIZS]

And even if they were to agree to put him back a year , if you subsequently had to change school due to this not working out or circumstances another school may not honour that arrangement.

[kashif68]

The school is prep to 13+. No entrance test, no SATs for year 6. Just an 30-45 min assessment (interview, reading and some basic math questions). He is doing great with English, taking EFL classes. In terms of basics, that's exactly what we are saying to them. We are just worried a bit that starting secondary will put more pressure on him, as the curriculum gets very specific later on and with him not accessing the curriculum, will be tough later on. We also have to see the side emotional side of not accessing Y7 curriculum and his friends doing that.

[SaltyMyDear]

How was he doing academically in his previous school? Compared to the others in his class?

There is no stigma attached to seeing an EP. If you can afford it I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't go.