Level 3 sats targets in year 2 - why haven't the school told us?Why do some schools hold back able kids?

[earlycomputers]

My dd is in year 2 and at a recent parents evening her class teacher gave me a list of the year 2 attainment levels for maths. There was no mention of sats or anything. I then discovered she has sats in May and so looked at what she needs to know for these tests. I am truly shocked at how little she has been taught so far just to get through the level 2 tests. She is a bright girl and she could easily be taking the level 3 tests but she hasn't been taught anything for the level 3 standard and very little for level 2 - both in English and maths. For example she's never covered division in maths or the digital clock or fractions. She's barely covered any joined up writing or using punctuation. Is this a cop out for the schools so they dont have to work as hard (ie it's less work to teach level 1 and 2 than it is 3?) Dont they have a duty to try and extend able pupils? Needless to say I have been introducing her at home to the stuff she needs to know (taking her out of school to do so so she doesn't have to do stuff in the evenings).
They wont even allow her to read harder books even though we have proved she can read to a certain level with almost 100% accuracy and comprension. Why do some teachers do this? I am seriously thinking about moving her out of the state schooling system. sorry for the long rant!

But then a very able child at KS1 surely shouldn't slide to a below average position in KS2 if the teachers are doing their jobs properly, as each child should be moving up at least a certain number of sub levels per year. If they did slide by that amount it would indicate a serious problem.

To be fair, my experience of SATS in England is entirely down to what I see on here and my pushy SIL. Which may be a slightly skewed sample

Several kids in DDs class last year (Y2) were not allowed playdates in SATs week .

Domesticsluttery that's the way things have traditionally been seen. Bright children can be spotted very early on and should continue to do extremely well going forward.

Less than half the children who came in the top 5% at 11 were in the top 5% at GCSE despite these stats in 2006 the Specialist Schools Academies and Trusts drafted a plan with the DFES to encourage universities to establish links with pre-teen students who excelled in year six tests. The trust's chairman was convinced 'bright eleven year olds' should achieve 3 A's at A'level and wanted secondary school heads held 'accountable' if this didn't happen. They would have been 'let down' by their schools.

Spurts and dips in school performance are the rule rather than the exception that's the thing. A child that has been seen as 'bright' all along is very rarely re-categorised just as a weak student is likely to be credited with a surge of effort rather than an increase in ability.

Guy Claxton has written about this and it's very interesting, I've mentioned him before and I am paraphrasing him here.

For all these reasons I'd rather DS was seen as 'bright' early on if possible, especially in a large state school.

Our dd's school is continually reassessing the children and moving them between groups. (informal 'sets'). Their work has been differentiated almost from day 1 in reception. Sats are just part of this.

At each parent evening we are told about levels but we never convey this information to our child. She is only 6 and I don't see why she should see school as just a place where abilities in certain skills are compared.

I agree that there is usually a trend - if you are achieving highly at KS1 you should continue to achieve highly. Infact, schools monitor all children to ensure that no-one is falling behind. They also make predictions etc.

However, being clever at primary school is no indicator of how advanced you processing abilities get. E.g. you may be good at primary maths, but will you understand integration using imaginary numbers when you are 19?

Our school can't afford to not stretch its brightest. It gets a very mixed intake and has to work very high to get good results. Therefore, they won't let a bright child not be stretched.

You've obviously done a lot more research into this subject than I have Cortina

I only speak from my own experience, and in my DC's school "ability" groups seem to be fairly fluid (at least up to Year 4, which is as far as my DC have got so far!)

That's great. :).

"From my perspective it feels as if KS1 SATS are labeling and judging your child. They get a classification, a mark, a score, a label at that time."

But that happens from the second they step into Reception to the moment they leave in Y6 - the assessing, that is, not the labelling. The difference being that most schools fully realise the peaks and troughs of children's learning and keep groups (if they use them) as fluid as possible.

I know that that doesn't happen in your dc's school though, Crtina, and it's appalling.

Whoops - Cortina

Just to clarify re. SATS and grammar schools ? Cortina is right to say that if you go to appeal post-11+, the appeal panel is entitled to take into account SATS results as a performance indicator (and to give them as much or as little weight as they wish). They will also look at predicted KS2 SATS levels.

However, if your school does not do SATS, the appeal panel is not allowed to hold that against you, it just has to use other performance indicators instead. HTH

'I know loads of people in RL who were coaching their DC up for them.'

Truly bonkers! It is a good thing that the schools are doing it themselves and don't have to all have the same week, if DCs are missing playdates. DCs are given levels all through school. What will the parents do when it gets to the first exam that matters to the DC -GCSEs?

just to say
levels are a pile of shit
so are sats
the minute you leave primary school they re assess anyway.
dont worry about it

OP - you are totally wrongheaded here. Get a grip please and leave your child alone!

Op seems to have gone..but in case she returns, here's a cautionary tale...

I teach in a high achieving state secondary. A girl in my form was removed and home tutored by mum becuase she didn't trust teachers either. She returned her in year 8.

This girl has just been found self harming. She is so worried about failure and making her mum angry that this is her only way of expressing her feelings of self loathing. She has mentioned suicide too and can't sleep.

Her mum's response is that she should be pushed with more and more extension work becuase her dd is so able. The stress dd is all caused by other (less able) students who don't understand. Mum doesn't see her role in this at all.

This girl is not an isolated case amoungst our young girls.

I'm just saying be very careful

I should say 'our young girls in this country'

OP has accused us, on another thread of being a witch hunt! I pointed out that if everyone is telling her that she is wrong, it ought to tell her something!
If people start threads it would be helpful if they listened to the advice. I don't think anyone has been unpleasant.Had she come back I think that she would have found it quite beneficial-certainly not a witch hunt.

She has gone quiet on the other thread too-she seems happy in a bubble that she is 'right'.

That is certainly how I have read it piscesmoon
People could have been far harsher!

People generally are Lydwatt! But not in this case. I think that it was 100% that her way was wrong and she should either
talk to the school
change schools
completely HE

I don't think that anyone has been disputing the fact that the school may be letting down her DC.

Link to other thread please?

It is here

It is rather similar except that OP wants advice and is listening to it.

Sorry -use this one -it takes you to the start here