Sitting L6 papers in Year 6

[QuietAsAChildDrawingOnTheWalls]

DD's school said it will be putting some children forward for the L6 papers this year. At parents evening, her teacher said that DD will definitely be put in for the Maths paper as she is currently working at L5. She said the school were undecided what to do about English L6 papers (not sure why that is though?). DD is currently a L5/6 for reading, but on her last 'proper' timed assessment was' only' a L4 for writing, although she did do less well on the test than she does in class.
My questions (which only occured to me after parents evening) are: are there separate test papers for reading and writing or are they combined? If separate, how likely is it that DD will have to sit both given her lower writing score but bearing in mind she is usually strong in writing? If DD sits these L6 papers, with these be in addition to the usual papers, or will she have to sit both sets?
I know this is not hugely important, but would like to know in advance if DD is going to have to do 'more' exam in her eyes than most of the rest of her class...
TIA

I don't see why there's a hoo-hah here at all - if children were working at a level 6 in the classroom , then their teacher assessment was a level 6. Now their test score will match. It's a good thing. Unless schools use them inappropriately in the hope a child may fluke a level to make them look good - won't be too good for the child when they struggle with peers at secondary who are genuinely working at a level 6.

I wonder what those few LEAs mentioned on MN will do - the ones that MNers claim ignored the existence of level 6, and acted against statutory procedure? Like on this weird, weird thread Will they ignore the existence of externally marked tests resurfacing again too?

breadandbutterfly.Like you, i wasn't bothered either. But dd wanted to have a go at the level 6 paper herself. It sounds really nerdy but she likes doing tests and says that they are so easy. She always finds everything like that. Yes her teacher assessment was level 6 as it was in year 4 and her reading age was classed as "adult" from year 3. But she was still not "allowed" to take a level 6 paper! I know she was able to gain a level 6. The teachers knew this as i was told her pass rate was the highest the school has ever had. But like i said it was the lea who said that level 6 extension paper had been discontinued. I don't know if this is everywhere but was told that it has gone from here. Same as 11 plus. We don't have that here anymore and dd maybe would have passed that and got into a good school. Never mind.

I am constantly amazed at how much in other schools parents know about the levels their children's peers are on. I know that my ds is on the top table, and I know what his levels are, so I assume that that other children on that table are there or thereabouts. But I wouldn't know if one of them took additional SATS paper. How would I?

It had discontinued at that point, ibizagirl - but teacher assessment has equal weighting with the test result. So a teacher assessment of level 6 and a test result of level 5 would have told the next school an awful lot of information about her attainment, ifyswim.

Bear in mind that not all schools are doing writing papers this year. Some will be using only teacher assessment as the NC tests are being reviewed.

There is actually a writing test at 3-5 and at level 6 - but won't be externally marked.

The only mark given for writing in 2012 will be teacher assessment.

A small sample of schools (including my own) will have to send theirs away for external marking, like the sampled Science tests. The results will not be reported, but used to judge standards across the country.

Thanks Feenie. Dd did a writing assessment in year 6 but it wasn't externally marked. She did a 6 page (A4) story about being found on an island and what she might find or do there. It was brilliant if i do say so myself. This was marked by her year 6 teacher as level 8. Head got it photocopied to put in school in a frame and it was read out in assembly. Regarding science tests, i thought that they had finished.

They have, but a sample of schools have to do them every year to monitor standards - ds's school did them this year.

Level 8? Wow - that's very impressive.

Thank you Feenie for your kind words. Yes, level 8 is impressive but it doesn't really mean anything i suppose. Dd is 12 now and at high school. Not private or anything because she wasn't even considered because of the primary school she went to. But thats another story. Dd started high school in set 1 for everything except pe and after assessments, she is still getting level 7's and 8's but can't obviously go any higher. A lot of the children in her sets, such as in German, are only gaining a 5 so i don't know how that works. x x

A level 5 at the beginning of year 8 in a new subject like german is usual, ibizagirl -there just hasn't been time to learn enough to get higher levels. I'm presuming your dd didn't get level 8 in german?

Hi seeker. No she is on 7a at the moment which i assume is still ok as some are saying that 5 is the highest for languages? Dd 7a for French too. Maths, English, Science, Re, Geography, ICT and Dt she is getting level 8. Pe she is getting 5 for effort i think! But good at netball as she is tall.