Year 6 doing last year's SATS exams?

[Twofishfingers]

DS2 is in year 6 and they have just done last year's SATS papers, to use as a benchmark and to know what the teacher will need to focus on, strengths and weaknesses of the children, etc.

DS scored over 114 on every test. 118 for grammar and punctuation and for one of the maths tests. What on earth is his teacher going to do with him this coming year? I know they differentiate for more able children, but is he actually going to be challenged in class?

Presumably they will carry on having a variety of lessons (not just literacy and maths) but he will continue to perform at above average levels.

I suspect they were just doing the test to ascertain at what levels the kids were performing at currently to see where and what effort is required. they may even "set" kids accordingly (by table - we know it happens!) Then he'll be sat with other higher than average kids and do appropriate extension work.

Its all quite normal.

Dd had two pupils in her class who got 120 in all three papers in the mocks. They were fine, did very well in the actual things I believe. Went to local state school where they are all being tested again!

Dd is y9 so it was old levels for her. She did none curriculum maths alongside for most of primary, but had still exceeded the old level 6 primary curriculum long before y6.

In her case, her school just continued into a lot of the ks3 curriculum, slowed down with none curriculum maths as before, taught individually once a week. In class lessons she just got on alone with maths work set for her.

Unfortunately there is no guarantee they'll do the same for your ds, not everyone has the same experience.

There is also the complication that the teachers available might not be capable of teaching much beyond that level. Not in a teacher bashing way, simply because being an excellent primary teacher doesn't necessarily mean the skills to teach maths beyond primary level. In which case the best scenario is that he isn't taught as such but gets given tasks to complete himself.

I suspect be very bored but then most of year 6 were anyway with the constant repetition. My dd's school wouldn't give her extension work as they said they had to work within the year guidelines so she used year 6 to pursue her out of school interests with gusto and learnt to just enjoy the fact that she had a very easy year. Year 7 has been a shock by contrast!

Sounds to me like he needs to work on his reading and maths...

Unless you think those are the highest scores of which he's capable? So, a little above average, academically, but not really 'gifted'?

I really dislike the 'gifted' label. Who has decided 'gifted' here? I thought the government had done away with it.

Honestly, some children find things easier some of the time but an education is a marathon not a sprint.

DD is bright, spent the last 18 months of primary school quite bored, they didn't have time to do much in the way of extension work.

It is fine, doesn't hurt, allows them to play and be a 9-10-11 year old before going onto secondary school. Education happens outside school too!

Bit like Laura - secondary has been a slight shock but she loves it so far.

Don't wish it away - we have 45 mins of homework every night in Yr7, just let him be a kid.

Apologies - I was being flippant. Seriously, OP, though, I don't understand the negativity. There's always something to learn, for everyone; and if those are your son's scores now, there's clearly room for improvement before May, which is a good thing, no? That's quite aside from all the learning he can do that's not related to the sodding, stupid SATs! Sometimes it seems like there's a MN rule that until or unless your child is "bored" at school, they can't really be properly bright.

Our school didn't start SATS prep until February (thankfully).

Some children are bored in primary - tiny school mixed year groups - budget cuts. Nothing wrong with stating facts.

But I don't get the way that 'gifted' is banded about on here, DD, youngest in her year, did really well on her SATS, did really well in music exams in Yr6, got into GS without tutoring etc., etc..

Bright enough and willing to work when it interests her enough, yes. 'Gifted' doubt it, but what does it mean and what difference does it make anyway?

They will/should focus on developing greater depth. So not giving 'harder' stuff, or teaching secondary level things, but differentiating the same work for the children to develop mastery skills.

Evidence of challenge will be sought in planning scrutinies (if they happen), moderation and book trawls. Ofsted will look for progress in the books. If there is only evidence that the child can do everything and gets it all right first time, they will want to know why.

So he took a test of what he is supposed to know at the end of the year and he already knows it all? I would find that disconcerting too. I think you just need to watch that he is challenged accordingly now you and the teacher both know where he is at. Nice to not have the worry of learning just to pass the test, but for the enjoyment of it!