KS2 teachers: criteria for sitting a level 6 paper?

[Iamnotminterested]

Given that there will be such little time between the standard 3-5 SATs and the optional level 6's for marking, would a child be chosen to sit a level 6 paper based on their continual TA though the year?

My dd isnin year 11 now and she certainly got a level 7 in something in year 7- can't remember what. And her friend got several- so either things have changed or your school got it wrong? Or ours did?

I don't see it as being about the tests. The tests help because they are going to be included in the league tables and so give schools an incentive to differentiate more effectively than some have done in the past - sad but true on both counts!

The child would need to be working at level 6 before the tests.

Agree with mrz - the teacher assessment should be a level 6 beforehand. Sitting a level 6 paper in case they fluke it does not a secure level 6 make - no wonder secondary schools get fed up.

Feenie & Mrz - what should happen, and what does happen though are very different things.

Level 6 tests in English reading, writing and mathematics now form part of the suite of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests. These tests are optional and are aimed at high attaining children. Headteachers should take into account a child?s expected attainment prior to entering them for these tests as they should already be demonstrating attainment above level 5.

The level 6 English reading and mathematics tests will be provided to schools who have registered children for these tests and must be administered on the dates specified in the test timetable. Completed test scripts should be sent for external marking. Marked scripts and results will be available to schools on Tuesday 10 July 2012 and a reviews service will be offered for these tests.

media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/k/assessment%20and%20reporting%20arrangements%20key%20stage%202.pdf

Head teacher will have already identified children taking level 6 tests

To be awarded an overall level 6 in a subject, a child must achieve both a level 5 in the end of Key Stage 2 test and pass the level 6 test for that subject.

Schools can refer to the 2011 level 6 test papers in order to inform their assessment of whether to enter children for the test.

So if a child has done that 2011 paper, and done well on it, school can enter them for L6......

No they can't
The should already have identified the children who will be sitting the level 6 (prior to sitting the level 5)

But if they are given a 2011 level 6 paper, that would be because they are working on level 6 concepts in the classroom. Therefore their TA would also be a level 6.

The level 6 English reading and mathematics tests will be provided to schools who have registered children for these tests and must be administered on the dates specified in the test timetable

I have to say that as a secondary school teacher, I have not yet come across a child who is actually at what we would grade a 6. I can see it might happen in maths occasionally, but not reading or writing.

It's really not being done like that at my school.

We 'ordered' a number of L6 papers ages ago, but only this week are identifying which children will sit.

And we're identifying it based on how well they did on that mock paper.

As far as I can tell all L5 children sat the mock paper.

This is why secondary schools get pissed off - when schools send them children labelled as a level they are not working at securely

That's terrible practice, Indigobell, sorry.

I've sent a quite a few level 6 readers to secondary, BorntobeRiled, and mathematicians also. It was based on rigorous teacher assessment though, not a scraped through test.

But equally they could fluke a L5 in the SATs test when their TA is only a 4.

Feenie - I agree it's not right.

But I'm not going to complain about it :)

Which is why the TA is there - it shows that the child is a very secure level 4, with elements of 5. Secondary teachers would be more likely to look at the teacher assessment than a snapshot test.

And this, I suspect, is why the level 6 paper was taken away in the first place!

Equally I know kids who were TA at L5 in writing, but only got a L3 on the test........

None of it's fair, or right. But it's the way the 'system' works.

Secondary teacher's probably don't look at SAT results - but the league tables VA do.

I think they are very, very rare outside of maths. A solid level 5 for most high achievers in teacher assessed work IME.

Well, Science levels are by TA only and are dreadfully unreliable IME. The issue of KS2 to KS3 levels is a tricky one. And yes, one which impacts severely on measures of achievement for secondary schools.

Yes, I think it was probably the wrong thing to do bringing back the L6 paper.

Lots of schools use the system correctly and fairly though, Indigobell. What use is it to the child moving up to high school with a barely scraped level?

In the classroom we don't consider DAYs much, but our target grades are based on KS2, so it has to be correct. Especially as Ofsted is based on progress not attainment.

SATs not DAYs.