Year 6 teachers - anyone else horrified by Writing Sats results?

[minxthemanx]

The thresholds come out tomorrow, I know, but we got our papers back last week - on intial inspection, if the thresholds are similar to last year, we have only 4 level 5s (and were expecting 20+). Virtually every child has scored much lower than we predicted/have assessed them at. STACKS of input into writing over the last 3 years - 1 to 1 tuition, ingtevention groups, you name it we've done it. We're gutted. Anyone else experienced similar?

Not slanging, not sure why you think that? I've conceded that the national data may shed light on your opinion - and it's just my opinion that your conclusion may not be valid. Time will tell!

There are over 200 primary schools in my LEA alone - that's why I think 9 schools may not necessarily be as representative as you think.

Blimey...full of admiration for you lot. All sounds a foreign language to me having defected to the other side soon after the NC was brought in. Has their been any progress towards the abolition of these notorious SATS since last year's boycott?

I answered you in my post of Tue 05-Jul-11 21:30:21, Bronte.

Thanks! Had flipped back to the first page. Dohh!

Well despite the years of teaching, it's level 1C for clam, for the simple-minded conclusion that I have issues with my children's school.

For the record, clam, look up why SATs were introduced, look at the correlation between SATs performance and that for selective entry and beyond. Have the majority of Oxbridge students sat SATs, clam? Do good secondary schools find SATS relevant? Does any intelligent client mention SATs after the early summer of year 6? Check out the MN guidance.

Most of us live in a world where a 1% drop in performance at this kind of basic standard conjures up not just the regulator or holding company but viability issues. The only sensible response is to embed real excellence, not the label 'outstanding' which seems awarded to any place getting 50% L5s (an easy target for the average level of socio-economic markers). That level of professionalism would be worth paying for, would avoid parents having to deflect and temper the contempt felt by young children who can easily see drilling in SATs techniques and negligence in preparation for secondary transfer in year 6 for what it is.

I completely respect and am grateful for good teachers, as do children who have their world expanded by these very special souls. SATs are to guide those who have lost the point of teaching, and have to be reminded of the shell of what they have lost or in some sad cases never found. Good teachers who are also parents do not choose primary schools for their DCs just by their SATs results. Perhaps they live on a different world from the ones who do.

two questions from a non teaching Mum.

1. Was it a dreadfully dull paper? I've had some practice papers where the subject matter was so uninspiring I'm not surprised the pupils found it impossible to write anything creative. (Something about designing trainers comes to mind).
2. Why do we have these wide levels. The difference between a 4 and a 5 seems so much more important a the difference between an A- and a B+. 1% seems such a tiny difference to judge a whole school on.

DD1 got her level 5 English on the threshold mark. Several equally able and more literate pupils (DD is dyslexic) just didn't. The senior school put these children in the top set (after CATS) and DD in set 2. No one is in the least upset that they binned the SATS results because this is where these pupils fit.
Therefore SATS seem to give neither a decent picture of the abilities of the individual child nor a fair judgement of the school (it a small school, on the reporting threshold, one child makes a huge difference to league table place)

(appologies for any typos its late and I'm dyslexic too)

apologies - I can use the spell checker when awake

Are you this vile in real life rosar? Just wondering how much respect you command from friends, colleagues and clients. If you have any.

If only an outstanding was so easily achieved rosar ... you seem to assume a !% drop has something to do with performance. This shows how little you understand the unpredictable nature of the DfE. Each year the goal posts are moved and this added to that they blindfolded the players. The mark scheme was not revealed even to the markers

Seems a massive coincidence when its the first year of a Tory government and they are desperate to bash teachers, no?

Not as vile as you obviously are clam, but quite able to stand up to bullies who think they have the only perspective around. Respect is a two way street, or are you one of those teachers who like the fact that you think the little people you see everyday cannot see through your limitations?

mrz I have sympathy with moving goal posts affecting not just KPIs but also inspection outcomes, but regulators toe the line too (and that's another story which has affected not just schools). In the absence of a market, what people like clam refuse to acknowledge is that children often got a worse service that they get now. My point was that volatility is something everyone faces, and there are ways to address it. Really good schools put a lot into getting and stretching the buffer, which is why they (at another level) will consistetly get 95-99% A/A*s at GCSE across a wider curriculum and more difficult learning age group, so the 50% L5s is can seem less insurmountable and possibly more rewarding.

I can't see anywhere where clam has bullied you, rosar. I can see an unnecessarily aggressive post from you where you repeat her name though.

You appear to be directing your anger at what you perceive to be the matter with the education system in the wrong direction. I don't actually know what your point is, since you have wandered so far away from it.

Ah the wonders of selective reading!

The matter with most things is down to individual practices. While I don't read all posters as taking the same position, I do wonder at the quality and tone of inferences made and feeble attempts at justification. However while the point of how most professionals manage volatility remains unclear to some teachers, and schools cannot deliver L5s for at least half their cohorts, then it's clear the SATs are very much needed in some places.

Happy school days to you, while mine stay far away from your lovely system.

Thank the Lord!

No idea what you are talking about, rosar, you have lost me completely. A few posters have answered you patiently, but you keep going off on tangents.

So - are results lower than previous years? I have read some teachers saying that results are lower than they expected, when will "Joe Public" know if they are down nationally?

DS1#s class has their SATs papers remarked in 2009 because the results were so much lower than expected. Results went up.

Anyway, back to the discussion...

Our results are slightly better than we expected.

When do parents and pupils get to find out the results, does anyone know?

Thanks!

Depends on the school - all schools got results on Tuesday 5th, and ours went out that same night.

Thank you Feenie. MY DD has been off this week with conjunctivitis so I may be out of the loop.

Ours are officially going out with reports but the children know their levels already.

Makes me REALLY REALLY miss the old style normal distribution grading
top 10% get an A (or in this context 5a)
15% get B (5b)
20% get C (5c)
20% get D (4a)
20% get E (4b)
15% get U (3 or lower)
that way the actual paper and marker have less of an effect
then again "improvement" vanishes too - and the political pressure that brings