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

knitted I am sure you are delighted that Chrohn has come to the rescue and posted in the nick of time.

Phew!

So you think the system's failing but you aren't prepared to do anything to to try to change it

Well if you take a look around you will find lots of systems are failing and I have fought long and hard against a different system in another area. This one is not my fight.

Maybe its something you could take up though? If you had a vested interest in schools?

Your living up to your name * Cantbelievethisishappening are you not....
three posters now have mentioned this practice and your spitting vitriol over it being made up nonsense.

I posted this thread a couple of years ago.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/1430501-Im-a-maths-teacher-and-I-make-up-sub-levels

As for changing the system, levels have been abolished.

Vitriol?? Spitting? If you say so love

four posters now....

And a gloss over the article ABOUT ofsted earlier ...

Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector, told how low standards were often accompanied by an “acceptance” of indiscipline, with more than 400,000 pupils now attending a secondary school where behaviour is poor.

Op sorry to derail, I don't believe all state schools are bad...it just irks me when posters try and pretend they are all amazing,

Knitted Who has pretended that all state schools are amazing? What an utterly mind numbingly stupid comment.

You have now, randomly moved on to issues of behaviour in schools.

Thank for bolding the word four though.... I may have missed it

Ofsted are not fit for purpose but of course you will have an awful lot to say about that as well because the school caretaker mentioned something about it last year.

• noblegiraffe Sun 18-Mar-12 14:02:14

Really interesting thread, thanks for being so honest and posting!

I have only just got my head round levels and now its all going to change again. So I wonder if teachers are pleased they are going?

cant

Instead of just ranting at me, why don't you respond to the posters who work in schools and flag this up.

Also a school caretaker whilst I am sure has far more knowledge of whats going on than me, the school caretaker is not as in the loop as a teacher of at least 3 decades.

"it just irks me when posters try and pretend they are all amazing,"

Yep, that would irk me too. Good thing nobody does, eh?

Noble
You have made many valid points in your post from two years ago.
Unfortunately IME the new Ofsted framework, hard evidence, close scrutiny, death by data analysis (do you use SISRA) and moderation mean a significantly more robust but often pointless/meaningless system of measuring and monitoring progress.

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

How did you guess!? I'm amazed at that, what with it being really uncommon to talk to friends!

So I suppose you are able to categorically state that these practices never occur in any state school in the country, nor have they ever occurred in the past. And that you can prove that because you have the authority to speak for all teachers then, yes?

Knitted Ranting?? I can assure you I am not. Please do not flatter yourself.

So I suppose you are able to categorically state that these practices never occur in any state school in the country, nor have they ever occurred in the past. And that you can prove that because you have the authority to speak for all teachers then, yes?

Perhaps the most pointless comment on here IMO.
There really is no answer to this.

Yep, that would irk me too. Good thing nobody does, eh?

I am not so sure..sometimes I think people get entrenched and dig in, and no matter how many times evidence, first hand, second, or third, has been presented, stats, etc have been posted on a thread....sometimes one gets the impression its falling on deaf ears and always will.

On this thread for instance - some seem on the one hand to hold OFSTED in very high esteem, but on the other have not mentioned an article about OFSTED damning state schools provision to educate higher achieving pupils.

You have now, randomly moved on to issues of behaviour in schools

No I was quoting from the article I posted about state schools failing higher achieving pupils and why, whats going wrong.

Seeing as op is talking about her son being able in one subject but not being stretched I don't think its random at all.

Ofsted is deeply flawed on so many levels. Anyway...join me in having a and a breather

Can't yes we use Sisra. It doesn't change the fact that sublevels don't officially exist and therefore when teachers are awarding sublevels, it doesn't matter how moderated or scrutinised they are in the school, they are still making them up. My department might make them up in a different way to your department, different subjects definitely make them up in different ways.

But we're all essentially licking our fingers and sticking them into the wind.

Anyway, life after levels. Don't need to worry about that shit any more, what comes next will undoubtedly be rigorous and nationally standardised. No, wait, we've all been told to do our own thing.

Its very worrying Noble...I have literally just got my head round levels and so on, and the kinks and flaws in the system and what to look out for and so on....and now its all being swept away. I fear for my dd literally on the cusp of all this in year 2. how can i support her if I dont know the system now.

Let's not get sidelined with levels and general school standards. OP, YANBU. My DS would be bored rigid without his beloved level 6 booster sessions.

". OP, YANBU. My DS would be bored rigid without his beloved level 6 booster sessions."

oh, I do love Mumsnet!

Why is that funny? He's good at maths, like the OP's son, so I thought we were right on topic. He enjoys challenging work.

Trust me, this makes life pretty hard at times, when they're doing work that's age appropriate but far too easy. My DD had a much easier time at primary school with more mainstream abilities. I love mumsnet for the differing viewpoints, but less so when you have to stop and wonder whether to put your head above the parapet.

Thank you for replies. ds achieved 5a in his mock and will be sitting a level 6 paper. However, it frustrates me that he is finishing work early in class and is getting bored. I have already spoken to teacher about this but nothing appears to have changed. Guess we are going to have to do work at home to help him.
The school talks the talk about getting children to achieve their full potential but it feels like hollow words right now.

So is he not being given any level 6 work to do at all?

I teach in a school in special measure (so clearly one of the 'crap' state schools). We teach in ability groups for maths and English in Yr6 to avoid the more able getting bored and to support the children who need it.
We also provide L6 boosters for grammar and maths. The curriculum for these tests is not part of the current Yr6 curriculum so needs to be taught in addition to the usual work. For at least 4 of the children it is a very important part of their week- even though it was difficult for them to accept the challenge at first!
I'm left wondering why this doesn't happen elsewhere whole we are still considered crap.

my ds is also in a top set for this subject and he is not the only one working at high level 5. It would appear that most if not all of the classwork is level 5. They are operating extra classes in other areas but not thus subject. I hope they will relent nearer the time.