Is your school giving level 6 SATS to some year 6 children?

[CheesyWellingtons]

A friend's school is doing this - asking the brightest children to sit level six as well as the normal SATS. Not sure whether I think it a good idea or not - it seems to put them under a lot of pressure.

I do feel that our school is putting kids in for this just to show off to ofsted, and to justify the new y6 teacher. I have no problem with it, as it is certainly true that some children move beyond standard primary education in the 3 'r's by this time, but surely they could be extending them by teaching them science or something else instead.

It does smack of elitism, too. I have only mentioned it to parents whose dc I know are taking the L6 tests.

Got a letter home today saying DS was sitting L6 reading and maths

IndigoBell Why now do you think? Have his teachers looked at his tests papers done this week and made a decision based on them? Is that even allowed??

No, they would have had to register him before February.

Not according to the TES forum, Feenie.

I just asked my DD, she said no.

Really? What does it say? I registered our Y6 and had to say if we would need level 6 papers.

I quote "despite everything we've read on the DfE website, STA and TTFN it seems we can enter more unregistered children for the L6 reading, writing and maths tests. Our papers arrived, and in the administrators guide it stated that any child who hadn't been registered before the 4th May deadline could do one of the extra papers they'd sent and we'd just have to fill in their names on the pupil register"

Gosh, I didn't know that.

My ds isn't doing level 6 papers, I think the children who are doing it were told a few weeks ago. But my ds said that his teacher is going to look at the SATs papers today and then decide who will be doing level 6 on Monday and Tuesday next week

Maybe they didn't want kids who got too stressed this week to sit another exam?

He was asked ages ago if he wanted to sit them. But this is the first time I've been formally told.

Who can tell me this:

• do all children registered for L6 have to sit the paper?
• are the teachers allowed to look at the L3-5 papers before sending them off?
• can I refuse to let ds sit test given that my permission to do so was never sought in the first place?

My ds has been doing well but seemed to go blank at maths B paper and may, therefore, have missed out on a L5, making a L6 unattainable. I want to discuss with teacher tomorrow, but want to know how things stand if possible.
He has also been entered for reading, which he really shouldn't have been imo.He is just about above average, but not exceptional.
I feel that the school is setting him up to fail just because they hope for a couple of L6s to make them look good.

My friend feels they are being set up to fail too - I think it is more about massaging the head's ego than anything else, as it is him the results will reflect particularly well on.

It depends on how the school approach it really - I think if the children are clear on how high a leap it is from one to the other and have been given support and know that it's an amazing thing if any do get a Level6 but no problem if they don't , ie a Level 5a is a brilliaant acheivement too - and no teaching to the test - then there's no harm. IN DSs class a few have been taken put for extra numeracy but they have been doing challenging maths not practice test papers till the last couple of weeks just so they know what they're in for, and they know they're in with a chance. I know that in DSs school they have been working with the secondary school too and there's no problem with them - they will test them again, they always do, but there's no issue with them being taught more than the primary curriculum - DS has enjoyed doing 'harder' work and 'more fun stuff'. and not having to sit through endless repetitions of the work he can do . I think if the level 6 paper hadn't been an option he wouldn't have had the extra lessons and not been challenged so it has been good for him - of course if he had been taught according to his ability throughout it wouldn't have needed the level 6 option to get him the challenging work

We were told he was doing it but don't have an issue with it as he is happy doing it - I think if he wasn't happy about it we would be able to say no - but the school has only chosen children who are keen to have a go, there are only 4 of them I think in all who are doing it.

It can depend on how it is sold to them, though. Ds and his set felt that they were the chosen few and thought it was great that they were doing a bit of extra maths in place of a more dull lesson. It's only now that it is hitting home how hard this test will be. They only had a few extra lessons and the first of those was them doing a past paper to see how they got on. Ds got through that by the skin of his teeth, but I bet she chose the easiest past paper.
In these extra lessons ds said that he didn't understand some of the topics and was assured that he did really. The thing is that he can do the stuff in class but needs reminding/pointing in the right direction.

Will L6 papers taken but failed be reported in the results?

I am curious, these children doing L6 and with a good chance of getting it, what levels did they get at the end of year 2 and mayne year 4?

I don't think many children get a level 4 at the end of year 2 so it seems strange so many are taking level 6. Or do these children make more than the expected two levels of progress?

maybe not mayne.

I am not asking with an agenda by the way - simply interested in the trajectory the children doing L6 have gone on.

Schools used to be targetted with making average progress of 12 points progress from year 2 to year 6, each 3 points represents a level, so a child at 2b was exppected to achieve 4b, a 2a child get a 4a and a level 3 child a 5b. But now we are expected to achieve "good" progress, which is 15 points. So now a child achieving a 2b is expected to reach a 4A+, a 2A child should be a 5C+ and a level 3 child needs to be a level 6!
This is because Gove thinks every child should be above average!

honestly can't remember, says it all, doesn't it? Mine has made fast progress in past yr due to better teacher.

I remember at primary school not been allowed to do joined up writing until we were 12 now my 7 year old dn uses joined up writing and i cant read a word of it. When did this become the norm?

I was taught joined up writing at 7 and I'm 35!

Isn't the whole 2 level progress a minimum target expected progression in the same way that a level 4 is a minimum target level for end of year 6 - as in they can do better if they want to?
Its like saying people are expected to have a minimum of a C at GCSE( or equivaent) for English and Maths so why are they getting Bs and As and even A*s.
It is OK for some to do better surely - and it is OK for some not to aswell - if it's an average expected surely you are going to have some on both ends of the spectrum -
I'm sure the delightful Mr Gove probably doesn't know enough about thet kind of maths to figure that one out- I bet he wouldn't get a Level 6.

Maths yes, reading possibly DD thinks she is. School haven't told me

I just asked DS at bedtime whether he would be upset if he didn't get a Level 6 and he said 'yes' but then he said, 'well no, but I would if X Y and Z did but I didn't' - so if they pass as a group they will all be OK , if one doesn't quite make it then they will be upset, but I guess that's just the same in anything there will always be a cut off- I have told DS - who incidentally thinks he got ALL the questions right on the Maths SAT this week ie no self confidence issues, only over confidence - that a 5a is an exceptional achievement as it is. Should we never allow them the opportunity to extend themselves just in case they don't quite make it - I think in DSs case it might be good for him to learn how to deal with not getting a top mark in something- to learn that it doesn't mean you have 'failed'.

DS performing at top end for maths along with quite a few others in his class, but nobody was offered L6 at his school...just as well really as Year 6 are going on their residential trip next week!