What's the highest of those stupid grade things that you can get in Y3?

[dinglydell]

I don't know if dd is at school with total geniuses but is it possible to get a 5c at the end of Y3 and would it be common for many kids to get a 4a in everything? Or do I know some mums who are slightly stretching the truth or maybe, like me, confused by it all?

Unless your school uses a different system, I think it's highly unlikely. 4b is the expected level by the end of year 6, with high achievers getting a 5, so I think it's really unlikely at the end of year 3. What did these kids get in their sats this time last year? 2b is normal at the end of year 2 - I think a jump from a 2b to a 4b in one year is pretty impossible...

Entirely possible. IME a child was given a KS2 paper at the start of year 2 and scored 5a. Year 3 children taking IMC not that rare. Children develop at different paces. Levels are pretty basic and a minimum check on teaching progress.

Most importantly is that child is oblivious of these assessments as long as you're sure she's learning. Average child can reach L5 at 11 with decent primary teaching. If they don't decent secondary teaching will make up for it.

I think they all got higher than a 2b, I think they started the year in the 3s, maybe 3a or something. So potentially they could go to 4b but as high as 5c? How would they even test for that? They are on the G&T list by the way but even still 5c seems a lot ...

The children can't be oblivious of these levels in dd's school as the teachers discuss them with them. Depending on the child they know where they are. Dd, fortunately, is as clueless as me and hasn't got a clue what it all means.

yes it is possible, have known it
doesn't mean they're a genius though
just developing in those areas ahead of others

I don't think that there is a limit to what you can get in primary school. My son in year 5 has a classmate who is a level 6.

We are at a average, non-pushy state school and my y3 dd is a 4c in everything and top groups. 4a is possible (especially at an academic private school). 3c is average for Y3.

i was referring to level 4a in yr 3

My other friend's daughter got 2b in everything this year so I guess that's well below average then if some are getting 5s?

Remember it's only English and Maths. Plenty of time and space for DD to blossom, in lots more subjects. English and Maths facilitate access (although for some it may be their forte anyway) to lots of other subjects. It'll unfold over time.

Not a private school at all - an inner city London state school. Must just be a very clever class!

Some people pay to have children like that in their DCs class, it helps the others too. My examples were also from a inner London state primary where DH is on Gov Body. There have been three children like that over the last fifteen years, but many more at the level you quote. Years later others also excelled who were average at year 6 in English/Maths, but found their niche in other subjects. As long as DD is happy learning and experiencing a wide curriculum, she'll do well.

"I don't think that there is a limit to what you can get in primary school. My son in year 5 has a classmate who is a level 6."

He isn;t, you know. There is no level 6 in Primary school.There used to be an optional level 6 paper for Maths, but no more.

That's interesting seeker. So if someone got a 5c in y3, potentially they couldn't go further than 5a over the next few years? Could be boring?

could be that the teacher is being generous with the assessments?

could be that the children are getting a lot ofsupport from home/teaching to the test

could be that the teachers in the school are very good.

could be a bunch of clever children.

"That's interesting seeker. So if someone got a 5c in y3, potentially they couldn't go further than 5a over the next few years? Could be boring?"

There is loads of work a bright child could do which isn;t anything to do with the quite rigid SATS curriculum.No reason to be bored.

I do think it would be VERY unusual to get a 5c in year 3 though. We had a child at that level in Maths a couple of years ago, but he was average in all other subjects so there was loads for him to do at school - as well as continuing his maths with help from the maths department at the local secondary school.

There's no doubt that there would be interesting things for a child to do but to imagine that they couldn't sort of 'progress' for the next 3 years other than two sublevels seems a bit depressing.

I genuinely do find it all quite baffling though.

Of course they progress! These are just levels of attainment - they do not reflect what a child actually knows.

It's like you can't get better than an A at GCSE. Child A may be far, far brighter than child B, but they both get A and that's that. However, outside the exam room child A might well be enjoying Proust (in original language) whilst child B had made a decent fist of knowing just the set books.

Yes, I totally understand that and I know how 'artificial' these grades are. But seeing as the schools often now let them be known, I wonder what effect that would have on a child who has seemingly 'reached the limit.'

Dinglydell, did you read my post about the level 6 boy in our school? Just because you don't go up through the levels doesn;t mean you're not progressing. And level 5s at year 3 are really really rare.

Oh yes, i did read that but then someone else posted that level 6 didn't exist at primary school and that 5a was the top limit.

There were a couple of DCs in DS year who could have got 5s for reading at the end of Y3 (their reading books were "level 5") and I am pretty sure DS would have got one for maths at the time.

In our school however they cunningly don't mark them too highly so as to keep a smooth progression through the school. (I have heard them admit this in governor's meetings )
So if the parents are telling the truth, it is actually a good sign because it implies the school is recognising the level these children are at, and will probably differentiate appropriately.
But don't worry if your DS is "average" at the moment, many do catch up, and my feeling is that it is more likely that they will catch up if each child is being correctly assessed.

He isn;t, you know. There is no level 6 in Primary school.There used to be an optional level 6 paper for Maths, but no more.

That's not right, seeker. There is no level 6 test in primary school. But level 6 teacher assessment has always existed. And the majority of assessment in primary schools is teacher assessment, only Y6 tests measure level 3-5 and no further.

There are also tasks to assist teachers in assessing level 6 children (new this year). There is no ceiling on primary school assessment, nor has there ever been.

10A. HTH.

Nobody in DD2's class got 5s, but she and a substantial group of others got 4c in reading and 4b in writing, some got 4c in numeracy too (DD2 got 3a, very happy as she finds maths difficult). Ordinary state school with very strong year cohort, funny how you get those blips...

But as Feenie says, it's teacher assessed so the possibility of 5 and up is there for a very very able child.