Have the NC levels become easier to achieve?

[passthecheese]

I ask this because my youngest achieved a level 4A this year in Y4, which at the time I thought was really good based on the fact that his sister only achieved a 4A in her Y6 SATS which was last year, and my eldest achieved level 5 for his Y6 SATS, at the time, 2009, this was the highest level that could be achieved. Now I see children achieving level 5A by the end of year 5, which would have been the highest level for children at the end of Y6 in 2009. Also my DD now in Y7 has achieved a 6C which is a fair jump, and although she works hard doesn't seem to really understand what she's doing.

Also when we visited QEB in Barnet in 2008, the target levels for y7 boys in maths were generally 6A, which a teacher friend deemed pretty stiff.

So have NC levels become easier to achieve this year?

I don't know, but 51% of children in my DS's yr (6) got level 5 maths this year compared to less than 20% last year - very ordinary school in high FSM area, but they did have a new head 18 months ago who has made a real difference.

Will be interesting to see what results are like across the board.

DS2 is y4 and also 4A in most things - DS1 was nowhere near at that age.

The level descriptors haven't changed, the kids still need to know the same stuff to be a level 5 as previously.

I suspect that now there is a level 6 in maths there is more incentive to accelerate kids through the topics to get them there.

Year cohorts can be very different. The way a school is run can make a huge impact. A very inspirational teacher does the same - DD1 has had two brilliant maths and English teachers in a row and has achieved L6 in maths - awaiting English but likely to be L6 as well, and 5a in science (she's Yr6).

Dd2 is in a very strong year cohort in my part of Suffolk - she has come out of Yr4 with 4b in maths, 5c in reading and writing - and she is part of a group of about 10 children out of 60-ish working at that level. Oh, and more brilliant teachers.

There are so many variables, I'd just celebrate your DC's achievements and not worry about the level boundaries - they have not changed.

Thanks everyone, I was starting to wonder as I had been told that 4A was the highest level he could achieve in Y4. The school last year did quite badly in the maths SATS but the results this year are very good apparently, and this has been after a year of concentrated effort on teaching maths. Thanks again.

I think there is much more emphasis on every child making a measureable amount of progress every year, regardless of their starting point. Which means that the culture of hitting level 4 and then sitting on your hands should be a thing of the past.

And I agree with Noblegiraffe that the availability of a level 6 test means that there is much more incentive to keep stretching those who were previously regarded as having done all they needed to, by reaching the magic level 5.

I would image that it will be partly down to teachers being more familiar with the curriculum now it is established, and a range of external resources like BBC Bitesize and various books focusing on the targeted results.