What are the expected grades of a "middle Ability" Pupil (Governments definition) for Gcse.

[soul2000]

Obviously this is related to how you class middle ability. , A pupil of middle ability in a Grammar school would be high ability in a middle range comprehensive.

However if you use the Governments Definition of Middle ability, what grades are expected at GCSE , A Level E.TC.

[soul2000]

Thanks Tiggy.. Obviously plenty of "Middle Ability" kids will go on to get As , but they might be at the top end of the Middle Ability Group. The Middle Ability kids at Grammar Schools are likely to be at the top end of the group hence they would except A grades, B grades at worst.

It also makes sense that Cs are the expected achievement, because schools are ranked on 5 A* to C ..

[MillyMollyMama]

Interestingly the average grade of the very few pupils with middle ability (as defined by the Government) at my local grammar school was B. The average grade of the middle ability at my DN's comprehensive was C-. The high ability children there averaged a B, at the grammar is was A+. There will be differences in achievement according to what end of the high and middle attainment band the children are and, crucially, the value added and quality of teaching and learning. Would the high ability children in the comprehensive have attained an average of A if they had gone to my local grammar? From the published statistics, the grammar adds value, the comprehensive does the opposite. Therefore parents cannot expect a definite grade of GCSE achievement based on the abilities as defined by the government. It depends upon the quality of the school and having plenty of children with ability at the top end of the range, not the bottom.

[crazymum53]

MillyMollyMama in your post you have simply compared 2 different schools local to you and compared their average grades. The fact that they are a grammar and a comprehensive may not be relevant outside your area.
I checked the statistics and only 15% of pupils who obtained level 5 or above at KS2 achieved grades A or A* at GCSE so are SATS really that accurate. See www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/06/the-data-on-level-5-conversion-to-gcse-grades/
However CATs tests results are more accurate predictors of GCSE performance see www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/cat-cognitive-abilities-test/cat-cognitive-abilities-test-faqs#faq3 and these tend to be used by secondary schools rather than SATs results alone.