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Original poster

Just Checking this is perfectly reasonable - re SAT levels

30 replies

urbancupcake · 05/05/2013 07:48

My dd ended up in a particularly low stream in school based on the way the school said they grouped.

Where they had a large number of level 5 students, they took the raw scores from their SAT's results, used only the English reading element only (which they leveled at a 5c), removed the writing element because they say for several dd's they were teacher assessed so could not be relied on (note, this dropped her from a 5b therefore to a 5c), and for that reason also, did not use the science scores either.

Unfortunately, if all their figures are correct, this impacted my dd's position, as her writing score was much higher than her reading score.

Would this method in your opinion be totally reasonable?

Note, they do not use their own exams like other schools do, who do not trust primary schools SAT's results.

Thanks loads

OP posts:
Original poster
urbancupcake · 05/05/2013 18:20

They accelerate only the top two streams, in science and maths. The top two streams are taught science, maths and physics by three separate teachers and they also get latin. Stream three compride of, according to their data, a mix of level five and level 4 dc's.

OP posts:
roisin · 05/05/2013 17:49

But if their third stream consists mainly of children getting L5s in Maths and English, then it should be a high achieving school and that stream should still be working towards getting B grades at least at GCSE.

Is she just in yr7? Do you feel she's made progress this year?

Original poster
urbancupcake · 05/05/2013 16:27

@Roisin...Mmmm, from my own research, streaming is incredibly rare - especially if they don't set their own exams. No, maths was 5b, but they say they get a high proportion of level 5 children, which meant (if their figures are correct) she didn't even hit the top two streams!!! Five streams and a state school, in answer to your question.

@Boffin. Yes, all the research I've stumbled upon has nothing positive to say about it, educationally and spiritually. If it was a normal setting situation where movement is more fluid, I'd be so much more relaxed about it, but apparently, research also shows there is very little movement between streams and the gap just gets wider and wider.

OP posts:
BoffinMum · 05/05/2013 08:09

Streaming is educationally unsound. However if the school insists on doing it, you can fuss about the details on which they are doing this assessment, and ask for a special case to be made for your daughter as a trial, to see how she gets on in the higher set.

roisin · 05/05/2013 08:01

Is this a selective school?
How many streams?

I didn't realise schools did streaming these days: it's very problematic.

In answer to your question any school can use any criteria they want, and externally marked maths and reading SATs are probably the least biased data.

I would hope that any school worth its salt would allow adjustments to sets at the end of yr7, if they've done well. Did a low maths score contribute to her placing?

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