Predicted grades in year 7

[newnamefor2021]

What are these? What are they based on?

My year 7 has hit his predicted grades back and they are frankly awful. He does has significant additional needs and a full time one to one.

He put put in a low ability class which didn't seem to line up with his grades. He was doing well in primary and above areas in things like
Maths. He is very very overwhelmed at school and find it very noisy and distracting.

Will speak to school but wanted to understand what they were and how that works going forward.

Never heard of predicted grade in year 7 - they've not even finished 1 term!

Usually based on a mixture of:

• SATS
• Any tests they did on entry to secondary
• Actual performance

As they spend more time in school then actual performance starts to make more difference - they wouldn't leave someone in a low group if they were outstripping their original target.

I would suggest you speak to his Head of Year about it and also consider a tutor perhaps for Maths and English. I used to tutor kids and some 1-1 focused on how they learn and what they personally find hardest can really help.

All mine had them but in a range.

Is the general working at expected level, working beyond, working below expectations? I wouldn't expect more detail than that in y7 (and also it's surely a bit early to be assessing, as he's adjusting to secondary etc).

It's very early days, and they should be caveating it in that way. However, if it looks as if he's struggling currently, it's good for you to know that sooner rather than later, esp if it's in contrast to his previous ability in primary. I'd check with the SENCO and ask for more detail and what they can do to support him.more with the distraction/keep an eye on his progress. Does he, for eg, have an option to work in a quieter area outside the classroom?

Sorry, OP - I have an DC with SEN, so know how worrying this is...

It totally depends on the school.

I’d ask the school but just take it as a general overview of how he is doing. Also I’d ask what he needs to do differently/at home.

@iloveredpandas

Never heard of predicted grade in year 7 - they've not even finished 1 term!

That was my feelings too. Seems early after what has been a very difficult few years.

@rrhuth

Usually based on a mixture of:

• SATS
• Any tests they did on entry to secondary
• Actual performance

As they spend more time in school then actual performance starts to make more difference - they wouldn't leave someone in a low group if they were outstripping their original target.

I would suggest you speak to his Head of Year about it and also consider a tutor perhaps for Maths and English. I used to tutor kids and some 1-1 focused on how they learn and what they personally find hardest can really help.

All mine had them but in a range.

I keep getting referred to the ALN coordinator and not able to speak to head of year. He has a statement. My concern is the garages are G and F accept D for maths and C for art. ALNCo says D is great and I should be happy.

This is a very different child from primary. His English hasn't been great but he was in the top half of his class. He primary school teachers are confused. He is struggling with noise, it's a disruptive class and he's constantly being
Told and getting awards for top behaviours but he can't concentrate and isn't able to complete work.

At home I have key stage 3 books and he's going them really well. So I can't understand.

@BabycakesMatlala

Is the general working at expected level, working beyond, working below expectations? I wouldn't expect more detail than that in y7 (and also it's surely a bit early to be assessing, as he's adjusting to secondary etc).

It's very early days, and they should be caveating it in that way. However, if it looks as if he's struggling currently, it's good for you to know that sooner rather than later, esp if it's in contrast to his previous ability in primary. I'd check with the SENCO and ask for more detail and what they can do to support him.more with the distraction/keep an eye on his progress. Does he, for eg, have an option to work in a quieter area outside the classroom?

Sorry, OP - I have an DC with SEN, so know how worrying this is...

It's proper grades, almost all G and F. With excellent attitude to learning in every class.

I've spoken with ALNCo and she's lovely but I think they think that's his ability. I feel like he's been written off weeks into a new term.

He has a different one to one for each class which isn't helping. He dealing with lots of changes. No one seems very ASD aware. They told him to wear a mask all day so he didn't eat. It's likely his brain switches off. Not sure how to help him as he seems more capable at Home.

I don't think he's likely to get As but I don't think he's a G/F student either.

@DragonMovie

It totally depends on the school.

I’d ask the school but just take it as a general overview of how he is doing. Also I’d ask what he needs to do differently/at home.

Problem is too that he's so overwhelmed at school that when he comes home that's difficult too. Plus he's not mediated at home unless on weekends.

I'm seriously considering home educating him and focusing on a few subjects. Two of his Gs and in Welsh and French. If we drop those it gives more time to focus on the essentials.

In a normal year, the predicted grades are generated by the SAT scores the children achieved at the end of Y6. Each child has "official" targets but some schools choose not to communicate these to parents, using their own internal targets instead.

The current Y7 cohort have no official end of Key Stage 2 data (although primaries likely have still assessed and transferred this to secondaries). This means the targets are could come from those primary judgements, from the secondary's own initial assessments of the child or CAT scores if they have sat them.

It may be possible that the secondary school think him less capable than the primary did or that they see his additional needs as a greater barrier than the primary did. It's definitely worth asking the question.

I've spoken with ALNCo and she's lovely but I think they think that's his ability. I feel like he's been written off weeks into a new term.

Whilst each child should be assessed by their own merits and taught accordingly, I have known some schools to group together all those who need support, for logistical purposes, and end up with a mixed ability group of children all targetted at the lower end. If you feel this is happening then please pursue this with them. If he is genuinely performing at the lower end, they will be able to evidence this.

This is normal, it's what they have assessed based on SAT info (teacher assessment this year). So all children have a grade based on this but it is moveable!

@Iamnotthe1

In a normal year, the predicted grades are generated by the SAT scores the children achieved at the end of Y6. Each child has "official" targets but some schools choose not to communicate these to parents, using their own internal targets instead.

The current Y7 cohort have no official end of Key Stage 2 data (although primaries likely have still assessed and transferred this to secondaries). This means the targets are could come from those primary judgements, from the secondary's own initial assessments of the child or CAT scores if they have sat them.

It may be possible that the secondary school think him less capable than the primary did or that they see his additional needs as a greater barrier than the primary did. It's definitely worth asking the question.

Probably a mixture of both. I'm not expecting him to be a nuclear physicist but I didn't expect such low grades.

He's off this week as I'm having to isolate to go into hospital and he seems to understand and answer questions papers. Especially maths and science.

I guess my thoughts are that if he is coming out with those grades then I'm maybe better Hope educating him, I'm self employed so it's possible but it's obviously not my preferred option.

I'm frustrating though. It took changing schools and fighting the system to get him where he was. Now he's lost everything we worked for. He's lost all his friends, he is becoming more withdrawn, he is starting to dislike school and his grades are awful.

Wish they wouldn't do this so early on.

@Iamnotthe1

I've spoken with ALNCo and she's lovely but I think they think that's his ability. I feel like he's been written off weeks into a new term.

Whilst each child should be assessed by their own merits and taught accordingly, I have known some schools to group together all those who need support, for logistical purposes, and end up with a mixed ability group of children all targetted at the lower end. If you feel this is happening then please pursue this with them. If he is genuinely performing at the lower end, they will be able to evidence this.

Thanks. I argued it with them and that is when they first brought up these predicted grades and now they sent them all out and have the whole list. It seems to be their proof that's all he is capable of.

Honestly, I've seen his work on his books and he's not always finishing his work. He says the class is noisy and the children seem to get in lots of trouble a lot. His math he seems to get them all right, so I just don't understand but I think the D is the highest he can get in that set anyway.

I think I need a plan for January and go in and set out what I want.

My y10 had this in y7. It was a bit rubbish and discouraging but 3 years on he is significantly outperforming them (and as he is doing gcses he is doing less of the subjects he struggled with).
He also is good at maths, and was moved up to the top set, and has stayed there.
Are they setting for maths?

@friedeggandsauce

This is normal, it's what they have assessed based on SAT info (teacher assessment this year). So all children have a grade based on this but it is moveable!

It's not based on his SATs though as those grades were higher than most in middle sets. These are individual grades for each subject. History, Welsh, and etc all have grades.

His SATs were above average for maths and average for English.

@trumpisagit

My y10 had this in y7. It was a bit rubbish and discouraging but 3 years on he is significantly outperforming them (and as he is doing gcses he is doing less of the subjects he struggled with). He also is good at maths, and was moved up to the top set, and has stayed there. Are they setting for maths?

Thanks, that's encouraging. Yes setting for maths, he's getting D. Which I think is the highest he can get. I know the class is significantly behind in maths as I'm a governor at the school and we had meeting on it. All his maths work is addition, subtraction, multiplication and writing out in word and numerical form. He is bored of it and gets it all right.

Unfortunately, he didn't sit actually SATs so has no official national data. The school may have done their own thing but it wasn't from the STA. If he had, he'd probably be being pushed more so that they could get him to official targets and avoid contributing a negative progress score to the school's data.

@Iamnotthe1

Unfortunately, he didn't sit actually SATs so has no official national data. The school may have done their own thing but it wasn't from the STA. If he had, he'd probably be being pushed more so that they could get him to official targets and avoid contributing a negative progress score to the school's data.

Thanks. Makes sense. What would you do in my shoes?

Personally, I'd say that there needs to be a meeting and discussion, possibly including someone from his primary school too. Initial questions:
What did the primary school do that allowed him to be successful there?
If that's been quantified, why isn't that happening at secondary school? Is his current attainment representative of his abilities or is it because he's not being supported in the way he needs to be?

If it's because of the wrong support and it's possible to obtain the right level, I'd continue on with the school and hope, in time, he settles better.
If it's not possible, you need to decide whether you can leave him there knowing it's not right or whether another approach is needed.

@Iamnotthe1

Personally, I'd say that there needs to be a meeting and discussion, possibly including someone from his primary school too. Initial questions: What did the primary school do that allowed him to be successful there? If that's been quantified, why isn't that happening at secondary school? Is his current attainment representative of his abilities or is it because he's not being supported in the way he needs to be?

If it's because of the wrong support and it's possible to obtain the right level, I'd continue on with the school and hope, in time, he settles better.
If it's not possible, you need to decide whether you can leave him there knowing it's not right or whether another approach is needed.

The biggest factor was he had a TA who stayed with him throughout his junior years. The secondary is saying that wasn't good and he was too reliant. He now gets different ones for each class and they say they can't give him the same one. I'm not sure what my opinion is on that. I understand both points.

I think when someone understands him it's easier to know what to tell him and how to encourage him. Equally I understand that school are saying he won't always have that so he needs to learn.

Also, school has a ASD base but both ASD teacher and ALN teacher say he doesn't need that as he isn't overwhelmed. The point is he is very overwhelmed but not in an attack or scream out kind of way.

@Newnamefor2021 you say he has additional needs and a full time 1:1 I wonder if with them being teacher assessed grades he actually had a lot of support so the SAT level isn't a true reflection of his ability.

Whatever though they aren't set in stone and can be moved if he does well!!

[quote friedeggandsauce]@Newnamefor2021 you say he has additional needs and a full time 1:1 I wonder if with them being teacher assessed grades he actually had a lot of support so the SAT level isn't a true reflection of his ability.

Whatever though they aren't set in stone and can be moved if he does well!! [/quote]
For this cohort, that's kind of true but it isn't usually.

The targets set from the SATs are not controlled by the school. They are a measure used by the DfE to evaluate the performance of the secondary school by looking at how many children the school get to their targets, adjusting for those who achieve below and above. Internal school targets can change but "official" targets can't.

Sometimes, what that does mean is that some children are held back because they are "only" targetted for a 4 and are achieving it. With focus, opportunity and challenge, the child could achieve higher but the school only need them to get a 4 so they can "banked" and the focus is put on those who are off target.

[quote friedeggandsauce]@Newnamefor2021 you say he has additional needs and a full time 1:1 I wonder if with them being teacher assessed grades he actually had a lot of support so the SAT level isn't a true reflection of his ability.

Whatever though they aren't set in stone and can be moved if he does well!! [/quote]
Very true. But then based on his ability to do work books at home I still doing the schools prediction of him. If that makes sense.

It's hard to get the balance. His IQ is high but he has a lot of struggles and issues like DCD and hyper-mobility so writing is tiring.

Have you looked at Chromebook for all longer work? My DS is y6, v high IQ but ADHD which has massively impacted on achievement levels (esp last year or so) (he's now medicated). He's also hypermobile, and uses Chromebook for all longer work, and it's written into his plan for secondary as well.

@BabycakesMatlala

Have you looked at Chromebook for all longer work? My DS is y6, v high IQ but ADHD which has massively impacted on achievement levels (esp last year or so) (he's now medicated). He's also hypermobile, and uses Chromebook for all longer work, and it's written into his plan for secondary as well.

I haven't. How does this Work. Do we provide one and ask school to provide compatible work?