Year six SATs

[RoadRunner123]

Are parents generally informed about which SATs tests their children are entered for?

My son has been taking part in extra maths lessons for level six, but we have not been told if he has been entered for it. Likewise, he has been getting 5bs recently for the grammar tests, but my son says it still hasn't been decided who is taking the level six paper.

Is this usual?

AmbertheCat the level 3-5 paper HAS changed, and what you describe was the correct procedure for that paper, just not for the level 6.

I would guess that most schools will have used the 10-50 timings, because as PiqueABoo says that's the usual L6 procedure. But if there were any that didn't, you could argue that their children were at an advantage.

Well when if DD fails L6 Reading that will be my explanation.

I think she is a genuinely credible contender, but given the minute pass rate it feels like there is a lot of random luck in a pass e.g. her record score on a practise test just happened to involve some text about an activity she knows quite well.

That is quite a difference. Will ask dd in the morning what they did.

Guardian article on it here: www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/13/headteachers-raise-concern-sats-test-error

A page missing from the L6 SPaG paper? (mentioned below the line, if it is true!)

DD2 said her group went with the 10 minutes reading time then 50 minutes answering time.

Didn't get a chance to ask dd this morning - she was too worried about her maths! The Guardian article is very damming, rightly so.I've emailed our Head about it.

Pointythings - do you have any more information about the missing SPaG page?

nuru no, I have no more information - someone mentioned it below the line, it's very worrying as SPaG is DD2's best thing.

If the page has been missed out, they are simply going to have to adjust the pass mark, aren't they? The incompetence is mind boggling...

My dc is also sitting the L6 papers and mentioned that he was the only one who finished the reading paper on Monday. I didn't want him to do the l6 papers but he was keen to go ahead. I'm shocked about the discrepancy on the l6 paper.

I think primary teachers and children are under a lot of pressure this week and I personally feel the te should be spent learning, teaching core subjects, preparing for transition, and having fun. I will be glad when its over.

Sorry I meant to add that it is just ludicrous that there was a missing spag page.

Please may I ask if anyone knows why? DD took the level 6 papers on Tuesday (did not know she was doing them and she only got told when they asked the kids to go for the test that she was doing it, so 2 second warning that she was doing level 6 paper and no practice leading up to it, no indication at all about doing level 6 English) but she did not do the level 6 reading paper on Monday. Apparently some of the kids only did the Monday paper, not the Tuesday papers and vise versa. Only one has done both days. Is this normal as I would have thought you need to do all for English or are they marked individually and not grouped together for an overall English grade?

That's right, cear, they're separate - so Monday was reading, and Tuesday was SPaG. You can get different levels in each.

Thanks Amber for confirming that, was a bit worried that it seemed wrong but should trust that the school knows what it is doing more. It is a good school and they have not been pushed to get level 6 unlike another school I know of in the area. I know she struggles with comprehension so makes sense not to do the level 6 reading but also nice to know that they can acheive on their strengths without their weaknesses affecting. Can they split the maths as well? as I know of some kids who are strong in some areas of maths but weak in others and this would benefit them.

Maths is just maths. All will do the 3-5 paper and some will also do the level 6 paper.