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Primary education

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Teacher assessment or optional sats?

1 reply

Whichisreliable · 21/07/2013 10:41

Hi
Dd is Year 4 and at a very poor performing school - think lowest quintile for progress for all subjects. She has also had no consistent teacher the whole year and I think 20 supply teachers.
She has taken 2 lots of optional sats papers during the year of which results have not been put in her report but verbally given to dc when marked. Her teacher assessment levels were decided using a combination of three of the longer term supply teachers notes.
Her teacher assessed reading level matches her test level but all her other test results are 2 sub levels above her teacher assessed and thus reported levels.
The reason I am keen to understand the discrepancy is that I am thinking of her trying for a superselective and want to get an accurate idea if she has a reasonable chance or not.

I assume teacher assessment is usually the most reliable but is it in her case considering how much the school are under ofsted's spotlight and they haven't been able to put in place a teacher who has stayed around for very long. Dd has spent a lot of the year reading or helping others when finished her own work.

The trouble is there is no one to ask at school as no one "knows" her.
Fortunately next year should be better as she will have one teacher who seems very good.

Which would you go by?

OP posts:
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ABofDoncaster · 30/07/2013 18:28

Teacher assessment is usually more accurate than optional SATS. Optional SATS papers very often give an inflated level - the only ones really worth their salt are the statutory ones in Y2 and Y6.

What I would advise is have a meeting with her new teacher fairly early on in the year to discuss her work so you get an accurate picture of what her level actually is.

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