TEACHERS please - Level6 SATs 2012.

[clutteredup]

There are going to be Level6 SATs next year but I can't find any guidance at all about what the content or expectations are going to be - I have some very able year 6s in maths this year who were consistently working at a high Level5 last Year and therefore I'd expect Level6 this year- but I can't find what areas of Maths they will be assessed on in the Level6 paper. Did anyone do the pilots last year or does anyone know where there is any guidance for Level 6 ? TIA

Can't do links on my phone, but if you search on here for level 6 Feenie you will hopefully find a website I've posted before which has exemplar stuff on - from memory I think it's something like mycurriculum.co.uk

Thanks Feenie I'll look .
Is there anything on qca or dfe - i know the site is a nightmare at the moment and I can't seem to find anything.

Not as far as I know, sorry.

There were level 6 papers last year, which were only available to download. Perhaps you could track those down, alternatively have a look at emaths KS3 papers. These come in levels 4-6 and 5-7. The 5-7 versions were similar in content to the level 6 papers. The level descriptors for level 6 will also give you an idea.

Thanks snowball I can't find the downloadable KS2 papers - nor your website either Feenie, can you link it when you're near a computer please - good idea to look atr KS3 papers - did you do them this year snowball?

Yes, I teach 5/6 and last year had 12 year 6's. Taking the paper was voluntary and six wanted to sit it. Of those 4 achieved level 6 on the test paper, although I would say only 2 CONSISTENTLY worked at level 6.

Thanks snowball I've found this sitethat has the old ones to download and I'll compare them with the KS3 ones - I don't want to over do the extra content I'd rather extend their thinking skills which TBH seems to be what it's expecting if I'm looking at the right stuff.

Also interested - couldn't find them on that site - am I being dim??

This is the page I couldn't find it from the link I made either - not sure why. They are the Paper Cs although the earliest one seems to be in 2 parts for some reason it just follows on.

Oh I've just seen why its on the students menu not the teachers one

Most recent paper C is 2002???

Yes because they stopped doing them they have only just reinstated them - piloting them last year - nothing like changing your mind again!!!!!!
Snowball thanks for your message, just seen it - I've replied.

Teachers have always been able to teacher assess at level 6 though.

They seem to have shelved mycurriculum.com - it was cited in the ARA 2011 as a new website with support materials to help teacher assess at level 6. Will be interesting to see what this year's ARA comes up with.

Yes you can technically assess at any level - it's having the evidence for the school though isn't it . At my DSs school they use the SAT papers to make the assessments - I suppose it's quicker that way

Sorry re read that - obviously you have evidence to support level assessments from children's work but the child still needs to acheive the level on the SAT paper as well.

I don't know what you mean by that, really - the guidance in the ARA 2011 said that there were optional support materials available to assess level 6, but I don't think they were necessarily tests, and there was no requirement to give a test.

This year, you can enter a child for level 6, but your TA would go in before the test result is available. Obviously you would wanto to have plenty of evidence that a child was working consistently at a level 6 before you gave it, and you would hope then that a child did achieve the same in the test, but it's certainly possible to have a TA of level 6 without the test result.

Can I ask in preparation for parents eve next week, is this possible for Literacy as well as Maths? My eldest DS was level 5a (TA obviously) in reading and writing at the end of Year 5. Can he therefore be assessed at Level 6 for his KS2 SATS? I was under the impression not, but now think maybe have been misadvised... Sorry, know am coming across as vile and pushy, he has Aspergers and has faced a lot of massive challenges. I like to see him get the oppurtunity to shine as the things he is good at.

Here's the advice from the 2011 ARA, which legally all state schools must follow.

It states in paragraph 4.2:
Pupils working above or below the levels covered by the tests
QCDA has produced a suite of optional tasks covering levels above and below the test levels. The optional tasks provide additional evidence that can contribute to teachers? assessment of their pupils. Optional tasks for pupils working above or below the level of the tests are available at www.mycurriculum.com.

The tests cover levels 3-5, but a teacher assesssment is also required in Y6 with 50%/50% equal weighting. The above advice is to help teachers who may have children working at level 2 or level 6.

Later on in the document, in Reporting and using pupils? results,
where the document refers to submitting teacher assessment data, it also states:
Teacher assessment codes:

1?6 Curriculum level achieved (etc).

So, up until last year, it was possible to teacher assess at level 6. This year, there are externally marked level 6 tests for the first time in 9 years, and they are scheduled to take place the Monday after SAT week.

I've heard (only on MN) that at least one LEA does not acknowledge level 6 at KS2 - I have no idea how they have got away with it for so long, since the statutory info in the ARA is very clear. I hope they will change their practices now that level 6s can be included in the test data again (and should never have been legally inadmissable as a teacher assessment).

And you haven't come across as vile at all, oliandjoesmum.

Thanks very much for the advise, I will discuss with his teacher at Parents Eve. Even if our LEA does not recognise a level 6 in KS2 at least it will be good for his self esteem, boredom levels and preparation for High School if he can do the additional work in class. Does seem a bit silly not to allow children to be recognised at this level, I guess with maths especially some children are just really good at it, nothing to do with being pushed, just the way their minds work.

Indeed - just don't let anyone tell you the curriculum only goes up to 5a at primary school, because it doesn't. A child working at a 5a has a right to make progress too!