How can I bump my 4a child into a 5 for science?

[Baudelaires]

I have been told that the DC is at the very top of a 4a - but not quite into a L5.

How big is the jump? What can I do at home with a child who won't use a computer and is very resistant to workbooks/worksheets? I dont think the school has been selected for external assessment so only talking teacher assessment here. Can I bung the teacher a tenner and hope that sways it

It's a bit like saying, "My child measures 145cm tall. Shall I bung the doctor a tenner to make him 150cm".
Your child is where he is. The Teacher Assessment reflects that and he will progress to that "hallowed" level 5 when he gets there and not before. If you truly want to "support his learning," then do what others have suggested and undertake some fun activities that will foster a love of enquiry and how things work.
A "level 5" is sometimes more about status for parents than anything else.

Of course it should be about deepening a love of science & learning more broadly but OP I sympathise & for what it's worth think there's good reason to want to increase the actual level.

These levels are seen as being largely synonymous with academic ability. Whilst that's the way things are it's better your child is seen as high ability rather than middle ability if possible. That's how primary teachers view the cohort - high, middle & low ability. My view isn't a popular one (I think it's mainly about exposure & practice as regards how far children go, especially in primary) but the elephant in the room sadly is cognitive bias abounds.

In our area KS2 scores are used as indicators of academic ability if you decide to appeal (11 plus) a 4a wouldn't be seen as a marker of great academic potential etc. They even take KS1 scores into account.

In some schools KS2 results predict GCSE grades. How many parents have told me their son is predicted a 'B' or has their ability capped at a 'C' and I sit there head in hands? In an imperfect system I've found it's a good idea to get on the best 'predicted trajectory' possible early.

How I'd have loved a parent who'd 'bumped' up my ability at school by helping with school work & developing my intellect. In our school those predicted a low level 4 at the end of KS2 in maths for example are assumed to be permanently less able at Maths than others. I don't see it like that but appreciate the majority disagree. If the child had ended KS1 at 3a all would assume they had enormous potential that should be nurtured, etc, etc.

"it's better your child is seen as high ability rather than middle ability if possible."
What, even if they're not high ability? So they're constantly striving to prove themselves beyond their scope? If a 4a isn't seen by selective schools as being a "marker of great academic potential," then maybe a grammar school isn't the right environment for sunch a child.

Clam a child aged 10 at level 4a in science 'could' have limitless potential that's my point.

A '4a' 'might' be potentially the same as that G&T buddy of his in science at level '5a'. The 5a's parents live & breathe science and so he's had enormous exposure through the years.

'Beyond their scope'. These words are scary & why I hate the system. Ability isn't capped & we're talking about 10 year olds.

I appreciate most believe academic potential is set to pre-determined limits & obvious & apparent when a child is still very young.

Please remember that level 5 is the expected level for 14 year olds

Cortina to progress from 4a to 5a between now and the summer is a massive leap for any child

Sadly yes, higher sets get better teachers and better behaved DCs.

My school tended to swap worst two in set one with the best two in set two once or twice a year.
It's easier to avoid being in the bottom two than come constantly at the top of the set below (unless you are well and truly in the wrong place.)

Even if you do go up a set it's hard to cope if you had a poor teacher and/or a rowdy class. Even in a perfect lower set you will have gone slower and not have covered as much.

It may not matter in a grammar school or a independent, but in a State Comprehensive a decent education is extremely difficult to achieve below the top couple of sets.

Yes, it's too late, due to the system.

Yet perhaps the child had the potential to be a 5a? If they'd been accelerated early - with interested parents behind them etc - their trajectory & final level could perhaps have been different & thus more advantageous to them?

Personally I think a level 5 - if we are talking levels is a dismally low expectation for a 14 year old. If you have an average intellect (whatever that means) you can achieve enormously through hard work. Look at Asia. I believe intellect can develop. When I see what our local non selective prep achieves & expects it actually makes me angry. What one child can learn, most can learn.

Bang goes the Theory are doing 3 free roadshows (not all SE) if anyone wants science to seem a bit more exciting. DS has been bored to death studying rocks this term....

Maybe "beyond their scope" was the wrong choice of words. I meant will struggle to cope. I've seen it time and again, where children have been tutored and hot-housed to pass the 11+ and then floundered once at an academic school.

I disagree that "higher sets" necessarily "get better teachers." Define "better teachers" for a start. Better results, possibly, but then they have more academic students. Any teacher who can inspire lower ability, or disaffected pupils to achieve is a damn good one in my book.

I agree clam. My son was in the top science set so got the senior teacher who just didn't connect with some students including my son

We should perhaps be more concerned about the children who have massive potential but not the support at home. As Cortina has hinted at these children could be brighter than many hothoused children but most will not fulfil their potential unless huge efforts are made to spot them and support them at school. Ain't gonna happen... so lets not pretend that any bright / able child can do well in the current system whatever their background. [Off thread I know!].

Another teacher here wondering why it matters
It's simply the level your child is currently working at. Ask your Childs teacher if there is anything you can help with to aid improvement.

It's the school holidays - the kids should be outside playing

I was very glad that my DS2 was in the second science set-the top group got a teacher who was very uninspiring.
DS1 got A's in science at A level and went to a RG university and has a degree in a science subject-I don't even remember which level he got in year 6-it really doesn't matter!

Clam, I believe it's possible to become intellectually smarter. I also think if a child can apply their knowledge to do very well on a test then they have an intellect worthy of further development. I do appreciate most think 'you can't get out what God didn't put in'. This is something I've seen far more since I've been in the UK for some reason. Is it almost a peculiarly British attitude I wonder?

I've read about this apparent 'over tutoring' meaning children struggle but surely those with the superior innate intellect (if you believe in it) who mess about, distract others have no work ethic etc are also going to 'flounder' over time. They likely won't reach their potential in public exams etc. Grammar schools usually have sets etc too.

In my experience the top sets usually get the best teachers. This is another elephant in the room that we are usually too PC to admit. It makes sense the best resources (in a situation where resources are limited) go to the children who are going to have an impact on the league tables. We need as many as possible to be grade C and above. That's why that maths teacher, who really is a computer science teacher, takes the sets we've written off etc. I completely agree a teacher who can inspire the disaffected etc is worth their weight in gold and there are many dedicated teachers out there who want pupils to achieve highly. However, that's the way the cookie crumbles, when resources are limited we give our best to those who are worth the investment as the school sees it. Results are very important.

In my school, we pretty much share out the sets, apart from the middle sets, who are the most challenging IME. They get the teachers who are best at managing a class.

Higher sets doesn't guarantee good behaviour. You can get classes of lively bright students who think they're so bright they don't need need to bother and sneer at everyone else. You can have lower ability sets who work with everything they've got. And every other possible permutation.

They Key stage 2 to 3 expected levels make no sense anyway. One level expected rise in three years.

Levels of achievement

The National Curriculum sets standards of achievement in each subject for pupils aged 5 to 14. For most subjects, these standards range from Levels 1 to 8. Pupils progress up the levels as they get older and learn more:

most 7 year olds are expected to achieve Level 2
most 11 year olds are expected to achieve Level 4
most 14 year olds are expected to achieve Levels 5 or 6

www.education.gov.uk/performancetables/ks3_04/k3.shtml

NFK -IMO generally speaking I am afraid the behaviour in the bottom set/s tends to be worse than the top sets. Again, it may not be PC to admit this. There are lots of reasons why. There will be exceptions but broadly IMO I am afraid this is true.

Hi Baudelaires:

I don't think your question is outrageous as some of the harsh answers imply. I am interpreting here - but I think you're asking how to encourage a child who is interested in science and you thought it might help the end of year SATs (which in fact mrz is right will be in May and in science most likely teacher assessment). You also aren't alone in thinking it will make a difference for next year's move to secondary school (this has come up elsewhere).

So first off - it's probably too late to make a major difference.

But what I think you're asking is how to foster that science learning and help it progress between now and when your DC may be reassessed (and that is likely) at the beginning of Y7.

So you've had all sorts of suggestions:

Science documentary videos (Brian Cox, David Attenborough, Ian Stewart, etc... etc...)

Museums

Home-spun experiments

Go out and observe nature/ geology/ etc....

BBC Bitesize KS2 www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/

BBC Learning Science Curriculum info KS2 www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/keystage_2/topics/science.shtml

You could also consider science camp this summer - mad science has some in several parts of England register.madscience.org/east/

I agree with several that have posted - get out there an explore & experiment. That has the makings of being a lovely summer for your DC.

HTH

Great post - sensible and inspiring advice Pastmysellbydate.

...and books. Simple and effective!

Do you know how - or even whether - your son's secondary school set for Science, and using what information?

It has been clearly stated by my son's prospective secondary that they set for Maths in year 7 (using raw SATs scores initially) but re-assess at Christmas, and that ALL other subjects are taught in mixed ability 'class' groups until the end of Year 7 assessments.

So what my DS gets in primary science is irrelevant - what matters is the progress he makes in his first year at secondary, in the same way as for other 'non SATs' subjects.

BAUDELAIRES I have been following these posts with interest since you first posted and thought i would join iin.

First i smilled at your slipping a tenner...i could sense it was light hearted banter!

2. you have not said what other levels your ds is at ..are you concerned because maths and eng are 5 and science is not ?there fore you feel he is under achieving?

3)At my ds parents evening, science was not mentioned with a level only that after SATS they would be doing "fun" experiments as an intro to 2nd school.
Emphasis was really on maths/eng.

4. but what i have been waiting for others to say but haven't......why is he reluctant to use a computor(unless i missed it somewhere...sorry if i did)

Fantastic things to do on comp...mental math games have speeded up ds2(yr4) mental maths ability no end.....It's not homework you see it's PLAYING on the computor!!!!!!!!!! So i am sure there must be fun science things to do as well.

I personally dont think children have to be the same"level" in all subjects...there was always something we had to do at school that we had no interest in and hated.

Leave him at the science level he is otherwise he will be even more disinterestd in it ..but try and get him more familiar/use to ? the computor.

HTH good luck.