KS2 results - how to read these

[jessica36]

My DD1 has taken a KS2 test last month, the results will be coming home soon. I am unsure how these results will be shown (like abc,s or %) and what to read into them.

Can anyone give me some info pls ? Are these marks important ?

Thanks ;)

What year group is she in? Do you mean the Y6 SATs.

Why does anything have to be 'read into them'?!

She is in year 2 - I guess if she has low marks in a subject - i would ready into it that i need to support her a bit more in that one than others ?

I see.

You'll get a level and possibly a sublevel. 2B is the nationally expected level at the end of KS1 (she won't start KS2 until September).

Does that help?

Hi Jessica. In year2 they do SATs in numercy, literacy and science. Most children will sit a level 2 paper (some who are able or particularly old in the year sit level 3 as well). You are given a mark which will be either 2a, 2b or 2c. 2a is above national average, 2b in line with national average and 2c is below national average. They will be averaged out over all the topic's covered which also includes spelling and reading and given a rating e.g if the child got a 2a in reading, a 2b in maths and a 2c in spelling then they would get a 2b overall.

Please do not read too much into them as teachers do their own assessments during the whole of year2 as some children freak out when doing tests.

Hope that helps

For year 2 the levels are based on teacher assessment during the year with the test part just one element used to help decide the level your child is performing at.

Levels are given as a combination of numbers and letters with a at the top of each level. At KS1 they can get level 1, level 2 or level 3. I think that level 3 is given just as level 3 without any letter subdivisions.

I think you are given separate levels for each of the subjects rather than them being put together. Also, children will either sit tests at level 2 or level 3 in a particular subject rather than doing both. I think there aren't Science tests for KS1 any more.

Have just read the previous reply and wanted to say that I certainly haven't ever seen reading/maths/spelling grades averaged out.

I report a separate level in Maths, Reading, Writing, Speaking+listening and science to the parents of my Year 2s. This is my teacher assessment level, which is underpinned by taking some SATs papers. You will not, as a parent, be given any of the actual test scores.

Just had parents evening and I was shown all DD's test papers and each score given so have to disagree Teachermumof3. Also, children were all given a level 2 paper and those who did well also sat a level 3 - all schools are different depending on area so maybe we are doing things slightly different to you

Please note: I only used spelling as an example in my previous post but it does count as part of the literacy marks.

I would say that is very unusual, LadyinPink-I have never taught in a school where parents are shown SATs test papers.

I would just add to the OP-if the child is working well below Level 2, they won't be asked to sit the L2 paper anyway.

DS brought home some SAT assessment papers in y5; it was very helpful in that I was able to find some consistent types of errors he was making, and to give him feedback about trying to improve (especially about reading questions more carefully).

Yes, Ragged-our KS2 teachers send home SATs papers to practise with parents, in Y5 and Y6. It was giving the results/showing the test papers of the Y2 SATs that I was suprised at.

I thought that schools weren't meant to get children to sit both level 2 and level 3 papers now and that the system changed a few years ago (possibly when it became more teacher assessed?) as teachers should know which level they would expect the child to be performing at. But I accept not everywhere does things the same way.

Think we get reports at DCs school next week so will see what levels DS in year 2 is working at then.

YOu're right Lawrie. LadyinPink's school seems to be another of the many schools who completely ignore the guidelines set out for KS1 SATs.

It changed to teacher assessment about 6 years ago! Everywhere should do it the same way as everyone is sent the same book of guidelines.

Seems 3 new boys I've just had in are working to a completely different set of levels than me. All of them write no more than 3 sentences each, which would imply level 1. All, miraculously have achieved a level 2 at their assessing schools. There's some bloody cheating goes on - THAT's why so many schools prefer to report on SATs scores, because they have no eveidence that the child is working at that level.

It makes me so mad......

In the KS1 (Y2) test there are 20 spellings which would translate into scores of 0-7. The spelling scores are added to the long & short writing scores to calculate an overall grade for writing. Reading is assessed and reported separately.
A Y2 child would get separate levels for Speaking & Listening, Reading & Writing. They will also get a level for Maths and Science. That is the law and nothing to do with individual schools doing things differently.

Reporting children?s achievements in maintained schools to
parents or persons with parental responsibility

Schools must report for all children:
a teacher assessment level in reading, writing, and speaking and listening
a separate teacher assessment level for each science attainment target
an overall teacher assessment level in mathematics and science

LadyInPink the law is very clear

How many tasks or tests should be used?

The key stage 1 tasks and tests are designed to test children?s knowledge and
understanding of the key stage 1 programmes of study in English and mathematics.
They provide a snapshot of children?s attainment.
Teachers must administer national curriculum tasks and tests to help them arrive at a secure judgement for their final teacher assessment at the end of key stage 1. As a minimum, this will mean a task or test in reading, writing and mathematics for each child, except those judged to be working below level 1.

The teacher should decide which tasks or tests should be used for each child, taking into account their knowledge of the level at which the child is working. Teachers can use the tasks and tests to inform their assessment judgements at any time during the year, but children are not to be tested more than once during the year in each subject or attainment target.

Just had parents evening and I was shown all DD's test papers and each score given so have to disagree Teachermumof3.

There is no requirement to share test results with parents, and since 2005 test scores have formed a very small part of the final assessment judgement, so I don't know why any school would. They seem to be placing undue importance on the test result, imo, which is definitely not supposed to be the case.

Also, children were all given a level 2 paper and those who did well also sat a level 3 - all schools are different depending on area so maybe we are doing things slightly different to you

But all schools do have to follow the ARA, since it's a legal document. It states that children should not be tested more than once. In any case, Y2 teachers' assessment is meant to be so thorough that they know exactly which test a child should be given, and should never need to give both. Your school is over-testing, and they shouldn't be.

Thank you for clarifying that bustergut, feenie and mrz :)

"Most children will sit a level 2 paper (some who are able or particularly old in the year sit level 3 as well)"
I found this very odd

Me too! How strange.

I didn't spot the particularly old in the year part - that sounds totally bizarre

Poor Jessica, are you totally confused now . Please just read my first post which is what actually you were wanting to know anyway and somehow we have all digressed.

DD attends an independant school if that helps and there was no pressure whatsoever on the tests - she didn't even know she was doing them particularly and felt no worry which is how it should be. There may be no requirement but there is no law to not show parents. I was very interested as this is our first year and it explained what she had done. It was stressed though that it is only a small part of overall achievement as they do teacher assessments all year round.

The problem is LadyInPink your first post is incorrect!

In year teachers report NC levels for speaking and listening, reading, writing, maths and science these are based on teacher assessment of the child's work over the year. In addition most children will complete either a level 2 or level 3 task/test in reading, writing, spelling and maths which are part of the teacher's ongoing assessments. A small number of schools may take part in the science sampling tests but for most children/schools science is not tested.

DD attends an independant school

Everything becomes clear.

Here we go again another mnetter bashing a privately educated child.

Jessica was asking how the test marks are shown: I explained they are shown 2a, 2b 2c etc what is so wrong about that again.