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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be fuming that DS got a level 3b in his Y5 SATS reading...

228 replies

pippiLS · 12/06/2014 14:47

…and that his form teacher thinks that this is somehow my fault!!

Some background info: DS had all L3s at KS1, is hoping to get into one of the best Grammar schools in the country (maybe we need to rethink this) and is reading (with me), A Brief History of Time at the moment (just to give you an idea of his reading level). He loves science and is very well informed about material far beyond the curriculum at this level yet he has also performed poorly on his Science SATs paper. Oh, and one last thing, he got 100% in one of his maths papers.

Have arranged meeting with Head and form teachers but not sure what on earth to say. He joined this school in Y5, so just this year (it's a middle school). His final report from his previous school in Y4 was all 4as.

OP posts:
ReallyTired · 13/06/2014 09:40

"He described one of the questions on the SATs paper. it asked about the arrows in a life cycle diagram and DS launched in to explaining the lifecycle in detail when the answer was just that the arrow meant 'grows into'. DS's response: 'but wasn't that a bit too obvious and easy'."

I feel that you and your son misunderstood task. In reading comprehension children are not been asked for their knowledge on a particular topic. If your son went into great detail about a lifecyle which was not in the article then quite rightly he would have been marked wrong. Your son has to imagine that he has absolutely no prior knowledge of the topic of the reading comprehension and show what he can deduce from information the article.

What your son should have written down was what the article told him about the life cycle and no more. (Even if this is very little.) With more advanced reading comprehension your son will have to use inference and explain his inferences. (Ie. how he knows from the article rather than writing down his general knowledge.)

There is little point is worry about your son getting into the superselective school or not at this moment in time. He sounds a very bright little boy who simply misunderstood the task. This book is really good for improving reading comprehension skills.

www.amazon.co.uk/Skills-Builders-Reading-Level-Rising/dp/1846806836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402648459&sr=8-1&keywords=reading+comprehension+skill+builders+rising+stars

There is zero point in being angry with him. He sounds like a little who did his best. Once he understands what he needs to do then he will fly.

Original poster
pippiLS · 13/06/2014 09:52

Thanks for the link Really, I'm not angry with him.

He's 10 and will sit the 11+ this September so I do have to think about it now. He wants to go to this school because he perceives it as the best and he wants the best for himself. He has also said that he wants to go to Cambridge . He is not any kind of genius by the way and although he plays a musical instrument he's just OK at it. He is really good at drama though.

I want what is best 'for him', not necessarily the best school. When we get a curve ball like this SATs mark it does make me wonder if the Super selective Grammar will be right for him. His pace of working is not exactly speedy.

OP posts:
ReallyTired · 13/06/2014 10:04

pippiLS

Its one test, on one day. Please don't dampen his dreams. Failing to get into the superselective is not the end of the world.

My son at ten years old wanted to be a doctor and find a cure for FragileX. He is in the second set at the local comprehensive and alas I don't see him getting into medical school via the traditional route.

CrayolaCocaColaRocknRolla · 13/06/2014 15:06

I read the OP and had to comment. I was far beyond everyone else at Primary but got marks like your DS in exams. I'm just not academic. I can spell, read & write, I can learn languages & learn how to code. But I failed all my exams in school. Some children aren't good at exams.

Retropear · 13/06/2014 16:28

Pupils is your 11+ reading comp multi choice?

Ours is,I only ask because looking at that book in the link (which looks great) I'm not sure it would help with 11+ multi choice reading comp.

I wish our reading comp was more like the Sats set up as I can't find any books that focus on multi choice skills.

Retropear · 13/06/2014 16:28

Sorry Pipples

Retropear · 13/06/2014 16:28

Or even pippils

MiaowTheCat · 14/06/2014 12:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
pippiLS · 14/06/2014 15:45

I suppose one of the reasons I'm worried about the test result is that if he narrowly misses getting a Grammar school place and I appeal on the basis that he is 'Grammar school material', they will want to see hard evidence in the form of test results.

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 14/06/2014 15:47

"I suppose one of the reasons I'm worried about the test result is that if he narrowly misses getting a Grammar school place and I appeal on the basis that he is 'Grammar school material', they will want to see hard evidence in the form of test results."

That is a very good point. Do you have plenty of other marked high quality work to set against it?

Retropear · 14/06/2014 15:58

Hmmm imvho the 11+ wants very different things to what Sats want.

Take Spag.At ours Spag is only a tiny mark and they go on far more re content(as they should). It's interesting as one of mine has amazing Spag skills (G&T),his twin is ok but not like him.They're scoring pretty similar in the essays they've written for 11+ as scruffy handwriting and not so hot Spag boy has a fab vocabulary,general knowledge and ideas.He is more creative as opposed to accurate which seems to score points.

They both find VR very easy which obviously schools don't do and as I said the 11+ reading comp seems to be very diff to Sats comp.Re the maths ours seems to cover a lot not done in school,the old fashioned written calculations instead of gridding and sodding chunking etc,etc.

Not sure how grammar schools could rely on primary opinions tbf,ours have nothing to do with it but the girls are known to ring.

Honestly I wouldn't worry.That said neither of mine have done the test yet so don't rely on my deductions.Grin

Hakluyt · 14/06/2014 16:00

But the point about appeals is well made.

Whathaveiforgottentoday · 14/06/2014 16:09

Teacher explained that the log was about promoting the ethos that they are a reading school. I suppose I'm being selfish but I have a reading child and I'd like to keep it that way.
I agree with this totally - much rather have a child that loves reading than one who has his log completed but finds reading a chore. I would hope this would lead to a lifetime love of books which will do far more good in the long run.

Original poster
pippiLS · 14/06/2014 16:13

I suppose it could be worth requesting that he does another test before the end of term to see if there has been any improvement after we discuss strategies to get him back on track.

Retro, I agree that the two tests are looking for different things but I will need hard evidence of his ability from school (should we need to appeal) and the easiest way to get that is if he has done a test and got a high level 5 in it.

OP posts:
Retropear · 14/06/2014 16:27

Yes could you explain,get some CPG books and request a retest.Explain the move may have had an impact.I read somewhere a move can set a child back 6 months.

PrincessBabyCat · 14/06/2014 16:42

It could be a couple things.

It could just be a fluke.

He could be a bad test taker.

He could have a learning disorder.

I have dyscalculia, which is an LD in math. My math teachers knew how to break down problems and explain them in a way that I was able to at least average in math class at school. But on standardized tests and tests that I wasn't prepped for (because no one knew what problems would exactly be in there), I failed every single time. So at school I looked ok because I had teachers that would work with me and kids that let me copy their homework, but on paper I was terrible.

Original poster
pippiLS · 14/06/2014 16:43

Goblinowl, you asked about his reading age. I was looking at his year 4 report yesterday and it was 13 years and 9 months about this time last year, so about 4 years above his chronological age.

That's a good point about the transfer Retro., his maths level has steadily increased though (4b to 5c). He had 4as in English at the end of last year and as I've said, his last TA was 4a :(

OP posts:
SuburbanRhonda · 14/06/2014 16:51

He wants to go to this school because he perceives it as the best

OP, what do you think he means by this? That it's the best for him (maybe has great sport, or art or something), or that it's the best in terms of academic results and he wants to go there because he also wants to get good results?

And did he say why he wants to go to Cambridge?

TheBuskersDog · 14/06/2014 17:07

Presumably all the other children transferred at the same time as well so any impact on levels would apply to all of them.

I cannot imagine a teacher wanting to have one child sit another test because the parent wants him to come out with a higher level, the purpose of optional SATs is to help inform/confirm Teacher Assessments.

If her TA is much higher then I would expect her to look at his paper and identify where he is dropping marks and then maybe you can help him to understand what the examiners are looking for.

Hakluyt · 14/06/2014 17:27

However, an anomalous optional year 5 SATs test can easily be lost if necessary.

Original poster
pippiLS · 14/06/2014 17:29

The Grammar has great science and technology Suburban.

He knows that Cambridge Uni is a top uni so reckons he'll have a better chance of becoming a scientist/inventor if he graduates from there.

Busker, yes, you're right about the retest, I'm just grasping at straws really.

OP posts:
Original poster
pippiLS · 14/06/2014 17:42

Grin Hakluyt

...but we will need some evidence...

OP posts:
RoverClover · 14/06/2014 17:45

Firstly, the school should never blame a parent. If an adult is listening to a child read, providing a range of books, discussing the topics etc that is enough. A school on the other hand has a duty to track a child's progress, implement schemes to improve/work towards a target, ensure the child is able to understand and answer correctly - verbally or written.

My snapshot of your son is: he is extremely good at maths therefore his method of learning is biased towards a certain 'method'. There are times when being strong in Maths will be balanced by being less strong in English as they are TOTALLY different concepts.

You have a number of options! You can turn it back on the school and ask where their 'value added tracking' is? Can you see their half termly assessments of your son since the beginning of YR 5? What strategies have been in place (if little movement of sub grades) to support your son?

Inference is a huge chunk of the Reading. Does your school have a comprehension scheme such as Accelerated Reader, Rapid Readers or even comprehension cards? If yes, check his comprehension levels - if there is a marked difference between reading level and comprehension level then the SENCO has been remiss in picking this up, as has the school itself.

Keep reading and keep giving him access to a range of books and genres, discuss what the characters are 'feeling' and 'doing' and which words make him think that.

My god that was long! Sorry.

Hakluyt · 14/06/2014 17:45

There should be plenty of evidence in his school books. And year 6 SATs. Lots of schools don't do SATs at the end of year 5.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 14/06/2014 17:51

One of DS's English teachers and her Homework assignments is really grating on me at the moment, a friend feels the same. DS doesn't have to do reading logs and his school is very into promoting reading,they have an Acronym for it.

I think at the moment, they're quite tired in the heat plus from the effort of changing school and dealing with the new dynamics of the classes etc. DS dipped a bit with grades at new school compared to First School as did his friends so I don't think it's that uncommon. Having said that he is now getting better grades.

The thing that I'd want her to explain further is the bit about processing . I might if I were you , follow that up and ask her to explain exactly what she meant.