to be disappointed that school is only interested in getting students up to level 4 or 5 in sats.

[angeleyes72]

Not a stealth boast but ds is quite able in one subject. Just ordinary in the rest. Anyway the school is running extra lessons to get people up to level 4 or 5. However, they are not doing anything to prepare students to sit a level 6 paper. He is already bored in class as they sre rightly covering level 5 work.
Aibu to be disappointed

Er skylark- "random ignorant generalizations"?

"Getting a state school to give a rats arse about it is the main reason my two went private for secondary. YMMV, of course - I hope your son gets the education he deserves."

Ptolemy What are you basing your comment on out of interest?
Students start secondary school with (sometimes inflated 'hot housed') levels from which progress across KS3 and 4 is measured. I am not sure what you mean by teachers giving children lower levels? Rather odd.

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11284656/Ofsted-warns-state-schools-are-failing-their-brightest-pupils.html

It means that bright pupils in England are less likely to perform “at the highest levels” – particularly in maths – as those in other developed nations such as Germany, Poland and Belgium.

The conclusions are likely to spark a war of words with the government which has strongly rejected claims of falling standards in state secondaries, insisting the overall number of schools rated good and outstanding has never been higher

So they're not bothered about OFSTED then?

As per article ^ I think you will find OFSTED said they are failing bright pupils.

Hakluyt there's full reporting and there's headline reporting isn't there? What's the one number you can pin on a school that's memorable when comparing it to other schools? 64% of children at School ABC achieved the expected minimum level of achievement (5 A*-C grades including English and Maths) compared with 55% in neighbouring school/catchment area. That's the stuff that parents remember and 'help' them chose a school.

Blink
Yes you are right..... SATS hot housing often means students start secondary school with inflated levels that do not represent their often lower ability. Schools often do there own subject based baseline assessments in year 7 to get a truer picture.

Well.... it will be all change anyway when the new GCSE grading system comes in especially for the A* to C equivalent.

As far as sats go they mean very little as most senior schools do cat tests to enable them to steam the kids. I would go into the school and talk to the teacher and see if your son can do extension work . Happened for my dd's . Their teacher was great at pushing them a bit further and we didn't get the chance to do level 6 either .One daughter now at super selective Grammar school and other in comprehensive where they are both given plenty of opportunities to shine. Nothing wrong with state education but you need to be aware of what's going on and be ready to act if you need to.

Yes Hakluyt and utterly useless statistics without the Value Added which for some bizarre reason is generally ignored.

Freewee- parents also look at OFSTED ratings.

Can'tbelieve what I mean is that students can be given, for example, a level 6c when a 6b would also be reasonable for that child. But the teacher records a 6c so that she can record a 6b the following term, therefore showing progression, and leaving enough levels to last the rest of the key stage.

PtolemysNeedle Wed 28-Jan-15 19:52:55

Yes I have heard teachers doing this also

Ptolemy Wow...... I would be careful about casting aspersions based on what.... hearsay? gossip? Seriously..... comments like yours really make me froth. Are you a teacher? Do you know how progress is recorded and analysed? Evidence based progress? Moderation? What are you basing this comment on?

Knitted Ah yes..... the 'I have heard...' prefix

Sorry cant will qualify more; its a friends mum who is a teacher has told us this. I have known them a long time and have no reason to think she would lie about this.

I presume you both reported these allegations to OfSTED? What was the outcome of the inspection that followed?

Oh dear..... a 'friend's mum'. This gets better.

Sublevels are bollocks so a 6c versus a 6b is made-up anyway. If a teacher makes it up in a manner so that the kid goes 6c, 6b, 6a over the course of a year, then everyone goes away happy.

Make it up so that the kid goes 6b, 6a, 6c and there's hell to pay. Even though it's made-up bollocks.

Sublevels don't officially exist.

H if you understand this - you will understand it probably goes on all over the country, its the way things are.

People are given a system its what they do to survive in the system!

Its pretty obvious.

Oh dear..... a 'friend's mum'. This gets better

Yes, it is better isnt it than saying I heard some random person claiming this. This is someone I know who works in schools for a very long time.

What happened when you reported it?

People are given a system its what they do to survive in the system!

You are utterly clueless but I'm sure those in the teaching profession will not take offense

Am still curious to hear what Ptolemy is basing her comments on. Something her friend also said?

I work in a school, and yes teachers do 'mark children down' to show progression- I have seen it and discussed with colleagues first hand. Children often learn in fits and spurts, they may have an 'eureka!' moment that means a huge chunk of knowledge drops into place. But woe betide you if you admit that a child had made no progress this half term, so if they made a huge leap last half term you don't admit it and 'save' some of the progress to be shown this term. Luckily, it doesn't affect the work the teacher gives the pupil, it's just a number on a piece of paper.

As has been mentioned, sub levels are made up nonsense anyway. And in KS1, where I work, there is a system where each sub level is divided into 2 (ie emerging and secure). So it's even more made up bollocks.

I have not reported it.

I have tried to report far more life threatening urgent circumstances to other bodies in the past, with no luck I have no energy to try and report to ofsted and little care for it TBH. I have little faith in all these organizations.

I am pleased this inner working has been told to me, so I can understand what goes on better and can adjust my own thinking accordingly.

And as I understand its going to be something teachers are doing the length and breadth of the country, because this is what they work with, what would OFSTED do?

But woe betide you if you admit that a child had made no progress this half term, so if they made a huge leap last half term you don't admit it and 'save' some of the progress to be shown this term

yes, this is pretty much what was told to me. It also seems obv to me that this is what teachers would do under this particular cosh.

but I'm sure those in the teaching profession will not take offense

Well as clueless as...chronically who works in a .....school...

So you think the system's failing but you aren't prepared to do anything to to try to change it. Just post unsubstantiated rumours on an anonymous forum. Right.