Y3 optional SATS: reason for low ceiling on test?

[Devexity]

DS's class just did optional SATS. All pupils were given only Paper A - the one that tests up to 3b. He and a significant number of others got near perfect marks.

Why only test them with that tool? Is it so - as my cynical friend asserts - so that they don't have to diferentiate for L3a & 4?

My DD is doing optional sats at the moment too, OP. Is it the paper that has 'level 2-3' on the front? If so why can a child not achieve 3a on it?

Whilst we are on the subject, anyone know what level the literacy papers are pitched at?

DS did this exact set. As you can see from the level thresholds, paper A only provides levels to 3b. The writing & reading papers are levelled up to 4.

Perhaps so the school can show substantial "added value" at Y6 sats.....

I thought optional sats were just for the school to use as an assessment tool, not externally marked or the results submitted.

We use these - but for internal purposes only, as SQ says they are wholly internal, optional and form a minor part of our assessment.

Typically (Year 3), I have children doing everything from the Level 1 paper from the Y2 set all the way through to Year 3 paper B, and usually have a couple of children doing the Year 4 mental maths + Year 4 paper B in order to make certain that children working in the higher sublevels of Level 4 get a test that does not put a ceiling on what they can achieve.

Mine is not 'the proper way of using the tests', however. My Level 1s and P level children shouldn't access the tests at all (I don't have a problem with this, in fact - but they feel very 'singled out' by being the only ones not doing 'booklets'), the Level 4 children should be given an artificial ceiling of 4c by only taking the Year 3 papers. However, luckily my school sees no earthly point whatever in a test which doesn't allow everyone to show exactly what they can do.

That said, the child at the end of the year gets my teacher assessment level - based on my knowledge of their everyday Maths work. Their mark on one day on one test just doesn't compare, in terms of validity and robustness of data, with that whole year's worth of intensive observation and understanding of each child.

Devexity is there any way of accessing that data without PDF? Thanks.

Just had a look at Paper A. Is it supposed to be so easy? Doesn't seem much of a test for an average yr 3.

Iamnotminterested
Free pdf to doc or rtf converter here.

The papers are for the whole country, some children will be significantly lower than national expectancy. Paper A in Y3 and 4 is for all pupils, if they score a certain mark they'll do paper B. The papers are only a guide. I give levels on my own judgements as well as the test paper.

Don't panic and their learning journey has just begun!