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Original poster

Year 7 end of year exams

36 replies

OnePlusOneEquals · 02/05/2024 20:21

DS has been talking about his end of year exams he’s had this week. He had his maths one yesterday and he told me that it was easy, I said to him that either he either got given the wrong paper or he just thought he was correct on every answer.
After a bit more questioning it turns out there are two papers for year 7 - foundation and higher, just like in GCSE - is this a common thing in high school? Are they already segregated for exams at such an early age? I know he’s not an academically high flyer, it’s a good comprehensive school with a grammar school in the same town. Of 6 sets he’s currently in set 4, got 103 in his sats….but this just doesn’t feel right to me. Why couldn’t they give 1 paper for all students with a mix of levels of questions?
His sets are a bit all over the place, he’s been bumped up to set 1 in maths, and set 2 in Spanish, but the rest he’s still in set 3 or 4 - which isn’t exactly low set…..or is it? But for him to say the exam was easy, it must have been. Time will tell when results come out I’m sure and the parents’ evening in a few weeks.
But is this normal??

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Original poster
OnePlusOneEquals · 02/05/2024 20:52

Oh yes, I’m not going in on a war footing, I was just bemused by it all and didn’t want to upset DS by questioning him too much about it, so decided to Mumsnet it instead!
He’s on catchup anyway with an adhd diagnosis at the start of year 6 and meds a month or so after that. So hasn’t really been able to concentrate much in class before then, but did manage to pass all his sats - which wouldn’t have happened without the meds. He’s not hyper or disruptive, just cannot focus for any length of time. It just doesn’t feel right to not have an all encompassing paper with varying levels of difficulty.

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3WildOnes · 02/05/2024 20:49

It can be really demotivating for the children in lower ability sets to sit a paper where they can only answer a few questions.
If he has scored well then he will likely be moved up and sit the higher papers next time.

Dacadactyl · 02/05/2024 20:49

DS is year 7 at state school and they set them from day one onwards off their SATS scores.

He is in 2nd from top set (out of 6 sets, but im hoping he'll move to top set after these exams) and he says at his school he thinks everyone sits the same maths paper at this stage.

wafflesmgee · 02/05/2024 20:44

Sometimes it's the opposite, everyone sits one paper that covers everything, then the lowest children have a second pper that focuses in on key foundational skills which the other paper merely touches on, in order to better inform the teachers of which gaps to plug etc.
Trust the process.

wafflesmgee · 02/05/2024 20:43

They may do 2 papers because some children's ability level is too low to justify putting them through the upset of sitting a harder paper that they get zero marks in. A better use of time for those children is teaching to plug the gaping gaps in their understanding and recapping core skills and hopefully close the gap with their peers.

wafflesmgee · 02/05/2024 20:41

Different schools do it differently, all do it informed by assessments, so if he did find it too easy he'll be moved up a set...so either way it's fine.
Sets can also partly be based on behaviour and other factors than academics though, eg school houses, and in Yr 7 they may also set different selections from different primary schools in order to give children greater chances to mingle and create new friends.

Staffing can also affect it, eg who is going on Mat eave or supply staff, which sets will have teaching assistants and which won't...you have to trust the school know what they are doing.

MultiplaLight · 02/05/2024 20:38

We tier maths exams from Y7 but there is a lot of crossover. However we need to assess the stretch content for the top, and also make sure the bottom students aren't disengaged. It works well and means we get approx 30 marks of crossover then 20 of either core or support.

Being set for so many subjects is unusual however if it works for the school who are we to judge.

Original poster
OnePlusOneEquals · 02/05/2024 20:36

I know I will get answers at parents’ evening etc, but it just seems so odd!

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Original poster
OnePlusOneEquals · 02/05/2024 20:35

Yes, pretty much all of the subjects have been put into sets. They say that sets 1-2 are the same, 3-4 and then 5-6. Which if that’s what they say, then there would just be 3 sets in total. Around 300 in a year group. Trying to get my head around it.
They completely split the year group in half into two streams - and these aren’t split by ability.
But then they do set within each stream, so 2 top set classes, 2 middle set classes and 2 bottom set classes and each level is apparently taught according to ability.
Therefore in maths he would be considered a middle set student, but in class 4 (which is equivalent to class 3 apparently).
So why would he be given a foundation maths paper? And why would they not let everyone sit just one paper??

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AllProperTeaIsTheft · 02/05/2024 20:26

Pretty unusual to be setted for 6 subjects in Year 7 in a comprehensive school, I'd say! And I've certainly never heard of tiered exams in Year 7 either, and I've worked in quite a lot of schools.

Original poster
OnePlusOneEquals · 02/05/2024 20:22

Sorry, bumped up to set 1 in SCIENCE!!! Not maths.

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