Practice Sats Year 6 - what score should children in top groups be getting at this stage?

[hereagain1]

Just that really, what score should children in top groups be getting at this stage in practice sats? What score is expected to be on track for a high score in May?

[RedSkyAtNight]

They shouldn't be practising SATS paper at this stage. They will be thoroughly fed up of SATS by May anyway.

In maths they won't have covered the vast majority of the Y6 curriculum yet, so taking a SATS paper is a bit pointless.

If you have a child in a top group (which is surely school dependent ... top group doesn't mean top across the country) just be pleased that they are likely to meet the expected level without too much stress.

[hereagain1]

RedSkyAtNight thank you for your reply!
I don't understand why you feel the need to reply to my post if you have no intentions of actually answering my question. Also my question is not about whether my child is the best in the country or the best at our school! I've asked about top groups in general as in children achieving well above of what is expected for their age/year group...

I'm pretty sure a lot of kids are doing practice sats whether at home or at school and that is up to the school/parents...

[RidiculousDiversion]

I don't know the answer to your question, OP. But I would say that, if your child is top group, you will end up giving them a more boring and frustrating Y6 by practicing SATs papers with them. There's lots of intellectually challenging stuff you can do that's much broader than the curriculum, and which will enrich their lives much more.

I think that the only benefit of practicing SATs is if you have a child who you think won't do well because of nerves about the test and want to thoroughly de-sensitise them to it. But even then, it only makes sense to do that if SATs are used by their secondary school in a rigid way (to set, or to decide flight paths). Otherwise, they just don't matter that much.

[FuckYouDailyMail]

One of my DC OP is top set and their school has just done a practice SAT test. I can't answer your question as yet as apparently we won't be told their score until parents evening later this month. Not sure why you've had such grumpy responses to a perfectly fair question.

[RedSkyAtNight]

I was trying to point out that getting fixated on Sats results - especially this early - is not a good idea. Please look back at threads from last year's year 6 parents.

and that top group is meaningless as none of us have any idea what the standard of your school's top group is!

If it helps, mastery was considered to be over 110 in the sats test. DD obtained 116 in her mock maths test, so at that point was working at mastery level. Unfortunately she only scored 108 in her real test, so clearly the mock was no guide that she was on track to score good marks! Or maybe focussing too much on a single mark in a single test on a single day is just not the best measure of how your child is doing?

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

I think the point RedSkyAt Night was making is that you can't generalise about top groups, as the ability of that group will vary in every school depending on many factors.
It's highly likely that if YOUR school's top group is full of children currently achieving well above expected level, then that is what they will attain in May without a lot of extra practice.
For what it's worth my school doesn't set/group at all.

[hereagain1]

Thank you FuckYouDailyMail
My DC is doing practice sats at school at the moment, don't think we will get the results, so will ask at parents evening too.
Good luck to your DC!

[sirfredfredgeorge]

If they're working well above the expected two terms before the test, then you have to assume they would get the vast majority of the test correct already. Why would it be any less?

[lorisparkle]

My ds1 did a baseline SATs test in the autumn last year. He got 103 in maths and was in the top group. His school was a tad too obsessed with SATs causing a great deal of stress unfortunately. He did well in his maths SATs paper in the end about 113 I think and is in top set at secondary. It was such a shame that he did not enjoy his last year of primary. He is much happier now.

[Scabbersley]

Dds friend got full marks in every sats paper that they did and got 120 in the actual thing. Dd got around 99 to 104 at this stage and ended up with 110 and 109 in the actual sats

[Dixiechickonhols]

If you are in or near a Grammar area scores will be higher esp maths as the children will have covered all the yr 6 work already to sit 11 plus exam last month. Mine didn’t start Sats practice at school until after feb half term. Results were in line with her end result from the start.

[ParadiseCity]

I had to check this wasn't a zombie thread. Sats practice in autumn is bonkers. You need to learn the stuff first surely

[user789653241]

That really depend on individual child and school, doesn't it?
Yes, all the topic may not have been covered yet if you refer to NC, but for able children, they might be well past that stage. Same can be said for school too. In some school, top table children maybe getting 80% or 90% or even 100%.
In another school, top table maybe getting 50%.
It's a very silly question to ask, imo.

[FuckYouDailyMail]

Thanks OP for the good luck but I really dont mind what the result is as from experience with all my other children their SATS score didn't correlate with their proper exam results when they were older so I don't find it an important measure. However I do find it interesting that the new head we have now has decided to put in this practice test and I wonder if it's more for their own OFSTED ambitions.

[hereagain1]

Thank you for your reply lorisparkle and well done to your DS for a fantastic result

[MirandaWest]

DD did SATS last summer. Got 120
in them all. Just asked her when they first did any practice SATS and it was definitely after Christmas.
If a school is doing practice SATS that's up to them but I'd hope no parents would be now (or even later tbh)

[GuestWW]

DD1 took the SATS in May, they started practice papers after Feb half-term and by May they were thoroughly fed up with it. DD2 just start year 6 and they are covering curriculum but won't start papers until same time. My experience (and that of fellow parents at the school) is that starting any earlier really turns the kids off. Our school got all through at the expected level and at least 20% got 119 or 120 in the final papers.

I cannot answer your question though as they were not doing papers at this stage. They do get at least 90% in weekly maths test but they are specific to recent learning so probably not directly comparable to a full SATS paper.

[Goldenbear]

The top group at my son's school have started SATS practice papers as he is in that group but it's not the whole of year 6- 120 pupils. We have been asked not to use any past papers at home. He has scored 119 on the two papers so far.

[MirandaWest]

I presume my DD did do practice papers but not sure whether she knew what scores she got - I certainly didn't. Must ask her

[Allthebestnamesareused]

Redsky is correct though that top set in itself means nothing as it will depend on the cohort for your particular school. Your top set may indeed be top in the country or it may only be average ability but top of that particular school.

Therefore you can't say what the top set results for your school will be. You could ask the school what type of results they usually get and how they think this year's top set are comparing. I'd wait until parents evening to ask.

I too am surprised that they are doing papers this early as the kids will be bored by the time they get to actual SATS and then actually not settle down to perform well in the actual paper.

Also by the time you are in year 7 SATS really do mean bugger all!

[GraceMC]

Not sure about this stage, but they will do lots of practice after Xmas. I remember my son's backpack was full of papers almost everyday after new year. In the end all of his results were above 110.

[Systemoverload99]

Definitely mean nothing. My daughter has just started secondary school and they've done their own testing to set and not even looked at the SAT scores.

At my current school there is one paper completed in September as a base line (this seems common in lots of schools). They won't do a whole paper again for a long time thankfully. Such a shame that this is what most people are fixated on, bloody numbers!!

[LootTheRoom]

Echoing what others have said school is probably doing a paper now as a baseline. Some of the content, particularly the arithmetic, will have been covered in previous years. So they will be looking to see if there are any gaps in learning before starting on the year 6 curriculum.
I would expect someone who was hoping to get above expected in May to be achieving a standardised score of 100 + now. They should have secure understanding of content taught from year 5 and spend year 6 learning how to solve problems and covering topics like algebra.

[Feenie]

Also by the time you are in year 7 SATS really do mean bugger all!

Depends on the school - quite a few near me use them to set in Y7, my own ds's included.

Schools can also do as many of their own tests as they like, but ultimately have to meet targets set for them using KS2 results.