What do schools do to prepare for Level 6 maths test at KS2 SATs?

[lljkk]

Just that, really.

I think DD's teacher hasn't made up his mind about whether she'll be put in for L6 maths yet, and I don't want to pester. But if he did want to put her in for L6 maths, he'd be preparing her by now, no?

DD1 has been told that she is doing the Level 6 test (wasn't consulted myself but that's another issue!) and has been given Level 6 homework to do - that's all so far and it's only just happened. They use MyMaths to do homework online. What other help she'll get has yet to be seen but yes, I would expect him to start preparations.

DD's school they have a group of 8 doing level 6 sats

4 of them started on the level 6 curriculum in yr 5 and the other 4 joined the group at the start of yr 6

they are having 1 session in their normal maths time and 1 breakfast session starting after half term

no extra homework at all for yr 6 -spellings +maximum of 2 worksheets per week

my yr 4 child gets more

Mine were taught only to KS L4. The school's attitude was that their mission was to get everyone to the expected national expected average ie L4. If you was already there then you were left to coast. They left Y6 on L5 but only because we taught them the extra material.

I'm assuming people are talking about state schools. If yes is it common for kids to be taught to L6?

Our experience of a non pushy school is what put us off the state experience when it came to secondary schools.

In the school I work in the year 6 class have a level 6 table for maths lessons. They are given differentiated work as are the rest of the class. They also have lunchtime lessons once a week to practice level 6 sats questions.

In my ds1 school he has different lessons to rest of class which are led by a Ta.

Our kids just did a past paper. That was all.

Wow, Sausage, your school sounds very prepared, or ambitious maybe.

Cece: how many are in the Level 6 math group at your school?

Sorry you had such an unpleasant experience, Totally. I can't understand that logic at all, either. DC school is extremely ordinary in every respect and they seem to consistently get 20-35% Level 5s, so yes they are taught to that level. I understand a few L6s were achieved last year, so must have been taught, again.

The school identified a g&t group in yr1 for maths but this year have a very bright cohort and are predicting 40-45% level 5

They have excellent teaching and the teacher who heads up maths has a maths degree

State primary

My DD is in a group of 6 doing the L6 maths paper and they have 'extension' maths lessons once a week.

She is also doing the L6 paper with 2 others- but has been told that she does need any extra work for that as she scored 36 out of 40 in the trial paper. Maybe with writing it is harder to teach the move from 5 to 6?

DD is at a good state school

Just realised that my post makes no sense! She is doing L6 writing with 2 others.

DD1 is in a "booster" group who are covering work in preparation for having a go at the L6 paper. According to DD1 they do this while the others are doing mental maths. I don't know how much time that amounts to.

About eight of them had a go at a L6 practice paper a few weeks ago, as part of their assessment week (i.e. a week of tests which the teachers use in preparation for mid year report-writing). She passed and her teacher thinks she should have a go at the real thing.

She brought home her completed test paper and I'd say there is definitely some stuff on it that you wouldn't be able to do if you hadn't had any specific preparation (mainly algebra).

DD1 is at a "Good" state school according to Ofsted. Overall attainment levels aren't actually brilliant (disadvantaged area), but they are good at differentiation.

She is in a maths booster group who are covering work in preparation for having a go at the L6 paper. According to DD1 they do this while the others are doing mental maths. I don't know how much time that amounts to. About eight of them had a go at a L6 practice paper a few weeks ago, as part of their assessment week (i.e. a week of tests which the teachers use in preparation for mid year report-writing). She passed and her teacher thinks she should have a go at the real thing.

She brought home her completed test paper and I'd say there is definitely some stuff on it that you wouldn't be able to do if you hadn't had any specific preparation (mainly algebra).

Oops - don't know what happened there.

My DD3 is one of 10 in her year group who are doing level 6 maths in their yr6 sats.
Nearer the time the school intend to put on a few informal sessions where they look at level 6 work but other than that they will look at it during normal maths lessons.
She is at an outstanding middle school with a year group of about 125.

Hymph, although I know a deserve a slap for being bothered.
DC school is not doing L6 tests at all this year because of a timetable conflict.
But DD is teacher-assessed as at least L6 in at least one subject, so I've nought to complain about, really.
Anyone else have similar timetable conflict?

Oh FFS, DD is having a shrieking sobbing tantrum because she won't be able to do the Level 6 tests.

Is the timetable conflict for the date of the test? The L6 tests last year were the week after the others IIRC so perhaps they are all out on a trip.

I'd find out. Sounds like bad planning.

Yes, the annual y6 residential, sort of the pinnacle of school social life experiences. L6 test Really doesn't matter. Not sure I'd want DD lumbered with a target of L8 for end of KS3 anyway. Just need to persuade DD.

my DD is doing both maths and english L6. Thankfully her teachers and I decided to gather some revision websites to help the children and they also run booster lessons for level 6 which she attends every Tuesday. The important thing to do is make sure your child is calm and has time to his/herself to get the best out of them. Also make sure there are no distractions otherwise it can seriously harm your childs working abilities

DD is doing all the L6 SATs papers. She is getting a combined score of between 96-98% on the practice L3-5 maths papers but not achieving the score she needs on the L6 ones. AFAIK none of the DC in the class are getting the scores for L6 but they are all doing the papers.

I don't think they are doing enough L6 work in class and it's these questions in the L6 paper that DD isn't able to answer, because she was never taught them. Her homework isn't at L6 either. We asked her if she wanted to learn some of the L6 maths at home but she wasn't interested.

She's acheiving consistent L6 on the practice English papers so I guess she's happy with that. I do think the teacher hasn't stretched the top maths group enough if they are getting such good scores at L5 but aren't acheiving L6. I would assume they are all capable of acheiving L6 work but just haven't been taught it.

But in reality, the difference between L5 & L6 is minimal at secondary level, especially if the school doesn't set in Y7, so we're fairly relaxed about it. I'm just concentraing on how we're going to make sure she's in bed at a reasonable hour!

dd was one of 8 children doing level 6 maths to begin with and they did old papers, etc. But then about 4 days before the exam they asked about 12 other children if they'd like to do the test too and all accepted. All of the original level 6ers got a level six, and so did all but two of the others. they have definitely got easier over the years (the papers) and don't worry about whether they'd have told you by now, they sometimes tell you near the date so be prepared for it to go either way.
(the original 8 were in a little maths group of their own and taught by the head's wife, the other 12 were in the top set).

That's odd, I heard deadline for L6 entry was back in March. 2013 anyway. Maybe in past had later or flexible entry deadlines.

Blimey that's a lot of L6s in one school. Pass rate nationally was only like 0.5% in 2012.

Level 6's all done. According to DD the maths were easier than the past papers they have done at school, but the SPAG w a real shock. She knew that she was doing a L6 reading comp paper, but had no idea that there was a grammar l6 until she sat it!