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Gifted and talented

Talk to other parents about parenting a gifted child on this forum.

Original poster

Dissatisfied with parents evening

15 replies

hillyhilly · 27/03/2014 19:26

We have been told tonight that our y4 dd can't be level 5 in anything as that would make it too hard for her y5&6 teachers!! Surely this is rubbish.
I'm off to check her reports to check the levels more closely but I don't feel that they are challenging her enough. She is enjoying school but is having an easy time of it.
Any experience in challenging this would be greatly appreciated thanks as I don't want to bluster in banging on about levels but they are an easy way of checking progress.

OP posts:
herdream1 · 27/03/2014 20:36

I do share your frustration. I have given up for the school to challenge my DD in maths and work with her at home. The teacher said in parent eve that my DD was being given extension level 5 works, but my DD can not remember that ever happened. Her teacher sounded as if she can not understand why it is necessary to work at home, but we are simply aiming to be the level required for 11plus. This school is a private school which boosts on preparation for the 11plus.

simpson · 29/03/2014 09:11

Don't they have any teachers that can teach to L6?

Admittedly in my DC school only one (out of 2) yr6 teachers can (teach to L6 maths) and the HT and KS2 Head can teach L6 reading/literacy.

DS's target for end of yr4 is a 5C in numeracy and he is not the only one in his class.

julybutterfly · 30/03/2014 23:35

Admittedly in my DC school only one (out of 2) yr6 teachers can (teach to L6 maths) and the HT and KS2 Head can teach L6 reading/literacy.

Shock

Are you serious? I was told all our teachers were qualified to teach 4-18 year olds. Is that not the norm then?

OP, my Y4 DS has just been assessed as a 5a/6c in maths. The fact that they refuse to level your DC anything above a level 4 is ridiculous. I imagine they're worried about the stats?

I wouldn't leave it as it is if I were you. Do you know what level she was this time last year/the year before?

simpson · 31/03/2014 08:09

Nope, not normal in my DC school.

Once a child hits L5, then they have their lessons with HT (reading/literacy) and deputy ( maths).

Iamnotminterested · 31/03/2014 08:10

OP , what rubbish, challenge the school. DD2 is working on L6 literacy in year 5 ( and she's not the only one) and her school are providing them with the teaching and materials, ordinary state school.

Original poster
hillyhilly · 31/03/2014 11:51

Thanks all, I have another appointment to discuss it further this afternoon.
It very much seems to me that they are targeting her two sub levels of progress per year which is the standard progress, and that for her to go higher than that is not something they are striving for.
I am about to start another post about progress levels - I think that being G&T should indicate that she is possibly capable of more progress than that.

OP posts:
Impatientismymiddlename · 31/03/2014 11:57

Are you serious? I was told all our teachers were qualified to teach 4-18 year olds. Is that not the norm then?

Teachers usually train to teach only two key stages (either key stage 1&2 or 3&4) so they don't do the whole of age 4-18 spectrum. It's also quite worrying that you only need grade C's at GCSE in math, science and English to train to be a primary school teacher. I would imagine that even after the teacher training a lot of very bright 10 year olds will have better math skills and ability than a teacher who only got a C in GCSE maths.

sashh · 31/03/2014 15:52

Are you serious? I was told all our teachers were qualified to teach 4-18 year olds. Is that not the norm then?

They are qualified in that their qualification allows them to teach this age range, whether they can actually do it is debatable.

I trained to teach adults, at the time it was 14-adult in a college, but they have changed things so my QTLS counts as QTS and I am now 'qualified' to teach from reception.

17leftfeet · 31/03/2014 16:01

I think it's reasonable not to give a child a level 5 if they haven't covered all of the topics with enough breadth.

I know children in year 4 who can complete some level 5 work but won't be levelled at 5 -yet

herdream1 · 31/03/2014 21:00

julybutterfly

May I ask if your DC is attending a selective independent school? And/or how much out-of-school teaching is your DC getting? I am sure there are many year-4 children who could be at 5a/6c in maths, but have not made it, simply because they have not been taught to that level yet.

julybutterfly · 31/03/2014 21:53

No, it's a state school and he gets no out of school teaching. He had an amazing y3 teacher last year and is going to y6 for maths this year (so being taught with the few who will sit L6 SATs this year).

I do wonder what they'll do next year but they seem on the ball so far

pancakesfortea · 31/03/2014 21:58

In my son's year 4 class there are a few of them bumping up against level 5. Not working securely there yet, but moving in that general direction. There's no upper limit imposed to their achievement.

State school, inner London. Just a regular school, not one of those that people buy million pound houses to get into.

pancakesfortea · 31/03/2014 22:00

Like 17left said - they will do some level 5 work, but wouldn't get an overall level 5 yet.

julybutterfly · 31/03/2014 22:06

Lol ours is a normal state school too wish I had a million pound house

I guess, from reading other stories, we are VERY lucky in our OFSTED rated 'good' school

dalziel1 · 07/04/2014 17:55

I've twice been told something similar about DS2. It has happened in two different years with different teachers and even different schools.

I failed completely in challenging it. Nothing I did, or said, made any difference at all. If they don't want to teach your child, then they simply won't.

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