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AIBU?

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Original poster

To give DD school (and the SATs agency) some basic statistical literacy?

188 replies

drspouse · 19/07/2025 10:30

DD has her SATs report with her end of term report.
She got 89 in her English grammar and 93/94 in her other English and in Maths.
This has been reported as "not reached standards" or similar by school.
As a PhD in a subject requiring statistics I know that 85 would be one standard deviation below the mean (100) and that scores of between 85 and 115 are statistically indistinguishable from 100.
Put another way, if you have to have 100 to "reach standard" they are assuming that half the children automatically won't reach the required standard.
AIBU to explain this to you and to school and my fellow parents?
DD was in a group of 2 struggling with maths at the bottom of the class for several years and I'm really proud not just that she's progressed but also that she's now in the middle of the national scores.
This is a ridiculous way to "explain" to parents (unless their explanation is wrong and it's not a normal distribution with a median of 100?)

OP posts:
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Swiftie1878 · 19/07/2025 10:47

Instead of trying to be smart about it, I’d concentrate on how hard your DD has been working at school and that her SAT results will be good indicators for her teachers at secondary to understand the support she needs going into KS3.

Heronwatcher · 19/07/2025 10:46

scores of between 85 and 115 are statistically indistinguishable from 100.

If you look at the raw scores needed to generate a scaled score of 85, 100 and 115 this just isn’t true.

summerbreeze10 · 19/07/2025 10:44

OP, I would concentrate on the pride you feel in your DD and ensuring she receives all the support to kick on in secondary school. Well done to her.

Heronwatcher · 19/07/2025 10:43

By the way schools are also assessed on progress so you may be able to get your daughter’s progress scores if you ask? And most schools I know are really good at highlighting individual progress even if the child is still below the nationally expected standard.

sd249 · 19/07/2025 10:42

It's not a normal distribution. It's a standardised score, we have a broad, large intake of 300+ and in that it is definitely not half below 100 and half above, that's not how it works.
I would say that in our area about 65-70% of children will be 98+ it's not half and half.

okydokethen · 19/07/2025 10:42

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-tests-2025-scaled-scores/2025-key-stage-2-scaled-score-conversion-tables

this is helpful to show you exactly what DC got in the tests

dootball · 19/07/2025 10:41

The mean isn't 100 for each anyway - even after scaling!
Also you seem to have made up the standard deviation of 15.

Heronwatcher · 19/07/2025 10:39

It sounds like you’ve done more analysis but I can’t work out your point. Aren’t the national figures something like 62% reached the expected standard in everything (meaning over 100)? With variations across the individual subjects (i.e in reading it was 75% achieved over 100). I can’t work out whether you’re saying that the standard is set too high, or that your school don’t understand the figures.

okydokethen · 19/07/2025 10:38

I wouldn’t over think the statistics, SATs just give a basic overview of where kids are at with core subjects. Your DC hasn’t passed, she isn’t the only one and secondary school should be able to support her going forward.

nutbrownhare15 · 19/07/2025 10:36

They should give you a range for each category. In my daughter's school report this year (not year 6) it said 95-115 is standard expected for year group and 85-94 is working towards those standards.

Octavia64 · 19/07/2025 10:34

It’s not a normal distribution. Not even close.

NewWin · 19/07/2025 10:33

But do you know that it's a normal distribution they are working with?

I assess pupils for something else and 89 is seem (and unfortunately reported) as low average