Sats tests v. teacher assessment question (end of KS1 maths)

[km17621762]

We have parents evening soon and I have got a question but would like some background information for this. This is a little hypothetical but here goes.

I am fully aware that teacher assessments and KS1 tests don't always match and the tests are a snapshot etc which inform the teacher assessment over a much longer period but...if a child scored very well on their maths KS1 level 3 paper could they still only be a 3c on their teacher assessment at the end of year 2?

What sort of reasons could there be for this other than a good day on the test. Surely if they can very well in the test in maths, it means they have covered the L3 work and must be beyond a 3c as with maths, you can either do it or you can't?

Sublevels of 3 were not reported to parents in our school at end of KS1. My dd got 3's and that's all we were told. Sublevels of 2 were reported.

Also I believe the KS1 level 3 paper does not even include level 3b questions, just level 3c questions, so a child not be higher than 3c even if they got them all right.

A teacher may come along and tell me I'm wrong but this is my understanding after my dd just finishing year 2 last year.

Also if they are not taught any subjects beyond 3c in class, they cannot be assessed as being above 3c.

I know they don't officially report L3 sub-levels but they must have this info from the TA for planning and presumably have assessed the children's levels now for the start of this year.

Tiggy, no I'm not querying that. I want to know what potential reasons there are for a child who is able to perform very well in the L3 test (and appears very comfortable with L3 work at home but please don't leap on me about that as yes, I know they don't always do things as well at school etc.) might only end up a 3c in the TA.

So perhaps, they don't perform so well in general classwork, are using different methods to the ones the teacher tells them to which wouldn't matter if the answers are right in a test paper but might matter in class or something like that.

IIRC the KS1 Level 3 paper only tells you that a child is working at L3 or not. No sublevels.

If I understand your posts correctly, you think that your child is actually working at 3b or 3a but has been assessed as 3c? As you say this could be down to them not performing as well at school as at home. Equally it may be that the teacher just doesn't have enough evidence to show that they are working at the higher level (so they have done it at school, just not enough). Or it is possible (whispers) that the teacher has erred on the side of caution to show value add up the school.

Are you concerned that they are not being given work that is appropriate to their level? Because otherwise I'm not sure that whether they are 3c or 3b makes a jot of difference. Wouldn't think it would make much difference to the work they were set either (assuming your child is start of Y3?).

If you do not know, ask the teacher what paper the child sat.

They could have been given the end of KS1 (ie year 2 paper). Which is most likely, if so refer to answers given by posters above.

However it is possible (my DS did this_) that the teacher gave out end of year 3 papers instead to children that had been working well above KS1 for a while, even though techically they were chronologically in the Year 2 year group at the time.

If a teacher well knows that the child is good at maths, they may well have been stretched into covering much of the year3 syllabus, in which case the teacher would learn more about the exact capabilities of the child by giving an end of year 3 paper than by using a KS1 paper that the child would have found a breeze.
If your child was given a year3 paper, then a 3c isn't great, for a child in year 2 to be confidently handeling year 3 work our school requires a minimum 3b. Therefore I'd say that your child is probably in the right class for age and one of the brighter ones but not one that needs advance learning beyond his peer group.

Yes, I am concerned about the work being significantly too easy.

It's more 3a versus 3c (if they are being currently assessed as that and I'm yet to find out) which is quite a big difference. Then again I suppose maybe they still cover the same level 3 material whether 3c or 3a.

This is all still a suspicion based on homework and what dc is saying they do in class - all will become clearer at parents' evening but I want to be prepared if my suspicions are correct.

The school has been criticised for not challenging brighter children but also I am concerned there is an issue with underperformance at school a bit beyond the normal 'it's just they tend to do more, better at home'.

That makes sense. Would the same still apply to 3a vs. 3c out of curiosity? Not that I necessarily think they are a 3a or would know the difference for sure between a 3b and 3a.

Thanks - that makes sense and is helpful info.

The KS1 (SAT) tests can be administered at any time during Y2. They are only to confirm the teacher's assessment. Technically sub levels don't exist.