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Original poster

Another maths setting question...

36 replies

doctoroctopus · 13/10/2019 16:43

I’m going to speak to school tomorrow but could anyone look at these figures?

DS started Y7. His SATS were 104 for maths and 111 for both English reading and SPaG (scaled scores).

His CATS are 86 quantitative and 99 for verbal. I understand the quantitative figure is below average. I think the issue for him is timing and being overwhelmed by starting secondary and I think he has rushed through the tests as he thinks finishing quickly is good!

He has been placed in Set 4 of 4. Does this look low? I would have expected the lower end of set 2 or set 3.

OP posts:
TheFrendo · 13/10/2019 17:13

The average (mean) score for maths SATS in 2019 was 105.

Normally CAT test scores have an average of 100, so 86 is low.

Original poster
doctoroctopus · 13/10/2019 17:08

It’s not private and is a ‘true’ comprehensive in that it takes pupils from both middle class and deprived backgrounds.

He’s quite immature for his age. His primary school was small and had high standards. He needs to put more effort in to show what he can do as he can be a but of a dreamer.

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Original poster
doctoroctopus · 13/10/2019 17:05

200 in the cohort, with a split year group, so there are two ‘sides’ of the year. I don’t know about the rest of the year, but there are friends of his with lower quantitative CATS / SAT and they are in set 3.

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PandaTurtle · 13/10/2019 17:05

In our old area the secondaries did not use SATS to set, only CATS and tests from their school.

Not sure where 86 would place him there but possibly would be set 4. What would be interesting to know is why there is such a difference between two test results? Not sure about secondary but in primary sometimes children were better off in lowest set where there were lower numbers and extra support than in set above with normal numbers and no extra staff. It should get reviewed at year end if not before but would be worth asking maths teacher at parents evening or an e-mail as to what he's struggling with. Sometimes it can be just a test in an unknown format.

Sunshine1239 · 13/10/2019 16:59

Dd got 106 maths, 108 spag and 115 comprehension and is top set for everything - there are 5 sets

I think that’s poor unless it’s private and everyone really clever? There were kids in dds class who didn’t meet standard and they’re the kids in set 4/5- they typically scored high 80/low 90 on Sats

RedskyLastNight · 13/10/2019 16:59

They will have created sets based on their own observations in the first few weeks as well as CATS. So based on what they've seen so far, that's where they think he should be. How many classes are there in total and what is the intake like in terms of ability?

As PP said, if it turns out he's in the wrong set he will likely get moved at Christmas.

noblegiraffe · 13/10/2019 16:56

If they’ve only recently set them they probably used internal assessment data as well?

104 in my school would be mid set 3 but we have a small set 4. In another school it could be different. They may have also taken those CATs into account.

LadyPenelope68 · 13/10/2019 16:51

You can't just go on his result alone. Whilst it's not a hugely low score, if there are the majority of children with a higher score then rightly, they will be in the higher sets, so he'd be in a lower set. You have to look at the cohort as a whole, last year he might have been in a higher set, but if results are higher this year, he'll automatically be lower set.

TeenPlusTwenties · 13/10/2019 16:48

I would say that if they discover he is in the wrong set at Christmas they will likely move him.

Hellohah · 13/10/2019 16:48

I think it really depends on the school. I know at DS's school 105 on maths SATS is top set.
Others on here say their top sets are 115+ or 110+.
I don't understand the CAT stuff.

Original poster
doctoroctopus · 13/10/2019 16:44

Just to add...it was mixed ability for the first month and reset 2 weeks ago.

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