SAT's and Setting in year 7

[Tommorrowisthedayaftertoday]

My DS is starting a high performing comprehensive where 85% of children get A-C at GCSE including English and maths in September which sets for everything from the start of year 7. The school have 3 sets and decide these based on SATs and CATs which the children have already done. He is currently a level 6 at maths and a 5b writing and 5a reading. He is taking the level 6 maths paper but, his primary school which is failing, has only entered 4 children out of 60 for level 6 reading and none for SPAG. I'm aware that the other primary schools which feed into this school have entered significant number of children for both. Given that most children are entering the school with good SAT levels how likely is it that he is going to be disadvantaged set wise by not sitting level 6? I'm not sure that he could do the level 6 reading but he definitely could have managed the SPAG.

I appreciate that generally SATs are relatively meaningless but this school does take them seriously. DS has really not been challenged at primary school and has got these levels with minimum effort, I really would like him in the top sets, which are not fluid at year 7, not because he is a great genius, far from it, but because he really needs a bit of a kick up the bum and a realisation that coasting isn't going to cut it in secondary.

"900 pupils achieved Level 6 in the KS2 reading test and 19,000 did so in the maths test."

remember Level5/6 is the expected level for 14 year olds

I'm sure if he achieves 5a for both English he'll be in top set, and obviously he has the opportunity to achieve a 6 in maths.

I've worked ina grammar and a high achieving comp since the level 6 tests came back out and they both retested the dc in the first few weeks and say that only a small percentage of those given level 6 (in English) genuinely are. About 4-6 kids out of the whole cohort.

Sounds like your primary school is using the level 6 tests properly: for children already genuinely at those levels, not just to 'have a go at'. (Though I agree he could probably have sat Spag. It's easy enough for those who instinctively understand it.)

Hi tomorrow:

My DD1 is in much the same position as your DC. She's going to go to a good & highly oversubscribed state senior school where the vast majority of pupils have come from an outstanding primary and have had far better teaching/ challenge all the way through primary (I'm also saying this as a parent with DD2 at this outstanding primary now - so not just from rumour mill - it's genuinely a much more ambitious primary school academically).

My approach to this is to take advantage of the fact that for most pupils all school work will cease after this week. Most schools drop homework entirely - it's about a business project, class plays, field trips, special parties, special church services, etc.... for the next few months.

So at home I'm going to encourage DD1 to keep playing maths video games and reading to keep things fresh. Writing is a bit more tricky - but we're encouraging writing post cards for trips away this half-term & this summer and I suspect there will be some project for incoming Y7 pupils at the new school (usually fund raising related) that will require some writing on DD1's part as well. I'm not going mad but 30 minutes or so a day cummulatively will keep things fresh and ensure that returning to school in September isn't a total shock.

Bear in mind that there will be a new round of testing at the start of Y7 and around now in Year 7 (for each subject) - so there will be other bites at the apple, if you see what I mean.

Like me, it sounds like you're not entirely pleased with your primary schools academic rigour or achievement generally/ specifically with your DC - but try and enjoy that fact that in a few weeks that chapter of your life is closed and you can move on (hopefully to a brighter/ better situation). Your DS has done very well if he leaves with NC L6 in maths and NC L5s in Reading/ SPAG. And I suspect the new senior school will be very pleased to have him and keen to continue that academic progression.