School don't seem to care

[king1001]

My son, aged 10 is just finishing year 5. He has just had to redo his maths paper. He did a lvl 6 paper and got 4 questions wrong 96%, which gave him a 6C, so I made him it sit a paper at home. The lvl 5 to 7. Which he scored a 90/120 without doing the mental maths section. He took it to school and showed his teacher who, asked him to sit a different lvl 5 - 7 paper at school. Which again he managed a 90/120 already giving him a 7C without the mental maths. He is gifted in other subject, too.

I am slightly concerned that without my having him do the higher level test at home, then he would have got the 6c with nothing more being done.

We have tried to contact the school and was waiting for a phone call or an email but nothing. They seem to not care about this.

I am not sure how we handle to situation we try with the school to get him on education trips with the year 6s but get told that its unfair to others in his class. We previously asked for him to go up a year which was denied. We are looking to move school but where to? Another primary school that takes the same approach? A private school that would offer better tutoring perhaps but with that comes a cost we can't really afford.

Where do we go from here?

I already has a scholarship for a selective private school.

......Waiting to be shot down ;)

But it the post was about options. Obviously private school brings its own issues and might not be the correct answer for him.

I have also spoken to a super selective grammar school and he will sit his exam for that in September.

I guess I'm just looking for general advice, sure there's thing we can do but we do a lot of sideways work with him, not just maths. He is very social, friendly and has no hang ups.... seriously, he's a good all round bright child. I just want whats best, I don't want to be questioned.

It's human nature I'm going to feel like this and human nature that I won't agree with everything.

Sorry, He already has a scholarship for a selective private school.

But what do you want advice about? Everything looks perfectly fine from where I'm sitting!

If routes towards education at the right level for him are already prepared, and he is happy and fulfilled right now, then I really do not know what you are agonising about. Just keep on doing what you are doing with him. Are you members of Potential Plus?

Your first posts did come across as somewhat angry and pushy. I think if you had explained the situation more clearly in the first place, perhaps there would have been a bit less hostility. Trickle-feeding rarely works well on MN!

It looks like you already have it sorted then kingswife, he has a scholarship and will be going for 11+ which I assume means you've already looked at school options and found some you like the fit of? what exactly do you want advice on? or were you just ranting?

Excellent...he has a scholarship, that's brilliant. All you need to do now is ensure that he is getting appropriate work in his current school to keep him happy and to meet his academic needs.

When does he start his next school? Can he go there in September or is it a senior school?

Obviously if it is a senior school then i can see your issue, you have another year to cope with.

But I still say that having read through the thread nobody got abusive and snippy except your husband/partner. Perhaps a session at the local Charm School would help!

Thanks jakebullet. It is good, I just find it all quite overwhelming, a massive task to get things right. I don't know anyone with children in private school - right now so am I doing the right thing?

Yes, both him and my dd have a place for this September. I've been weighing up taking him out of his primary school at the end of year five but there are other considerations too that I have to think about. He seems like he'd prefer to stay in the primary as he says he'd miss his friends, teachers etc but I'm thinking about the overall picture and what's best for him (and my dd) and how new friends at the private school will potentially be more suited for him....I think a social fit is important too. That's not to say he doesn't want to, he's really keen, it's a change isn't it.

Why do you keep not answering the questions about what you want to happen that doesn't- and what you would like the school to be doing

And what the school "doesn't care" about?(

Oh gosh you are 'one of those parents'.

Wtaf do you want the school to do?

They can easily differentiate for his ability, particularly extending his thinking sideways. You really don't want a child that is all about procedure and not understanding. Make sure he can apply his knowledge to problems, not just standard questions.

A 7c is a one off result that could have been achieved with knowledge up to a 6a.

The state school can't wave a wand and magic up a group of children at the same level as your DS who they can put in a special class and teach Latin, Greek and Philosophy to and take on a myriad of mind expanding trips. It just isn't going to happen. You are not going to be able to make provision like that appear by complaining.

If you want that you need a prep school with a Scholarship stream.

I don't know anyone with children in private school - right now so am I doing the right thing?

State to private is quite a change, the education isn't necessarily better but the teaching methods can be quite different, DS is at state and DD is at a prep, the expectations of them socially and independence wise are very different, the atmosphere in a small school is also quite different so it might be quite an adjustment for him, not saying don't do it, just giving you things to consider.

As you mentioned 11+, if the prep goes to 13 they often won't do 11+ prep so that's worth considering as although his maths is high enough the reading and writing are borderline for superselective. Also obviously if it goes to 13 the chances are not many will be going to the grammar at 11 so he'd be moving on his own.

king1001 if you didn't have the next level paper waiting at home how on earth were you able to 'strike while the iron is hot' your words and give him the next level to do?

Quite odd that a parent would actually have access to this anyway I would say.

Now I would have been delighted like you were with the result your son got. Instead of making my child sit another paper I would have been off out for a treat and reward for them. An evening of fun for the family. You know if you don't do this but just present him with the next level and the next level he will burn out and kick back eventually.

What makes me laugh is that these Sats are nothing to do with individual children anyway they are purely done so the schools can rank against each other. You see what reaction you get if you suggest next year that your son is going to be off for Sats week because he is ill!!! They will do everything in their power to get him in, if only for the test all dosed up. Why? because his results are good and if he is off their overall results will drop and so could their place in the rankings. They don't care as such about your son as long as he is doing well. Sats also don't really count for High School because the HS will carry out their own Cats Tests sometime in the first term anyway.

Papers are freely accessible on t'interweb adp73

Its quite sad how judgemental a lot of you are. I wonder also, how many of you actually have T&G children yourself.

Call me strange, call me weird but I am in the one in this position.

My son is in year 5, he is a level 7B in maths. Its not a one off result, its not a glitch, it is his level. And it is not usual.

We are very proud of my son, he is extraordinary.

Thank you CharlesRyder, the internet is an amazing resource :)

see what reaction you get if you suggest next year that your son is going to be off for Sats week because he is ill!!! They will do everything in their power to get him in...because his results are good and if he is off their overall results will drop

That's not how it worked in my experience; DD was ill, HT didn't even know DD was put in for the L6 tests, was only worried that she complete the statuatory L3-5 test on correct day so that HT didn't have to beg for a timetable variation. I don't like HT much but she's quite competent overall. HT made it clear that the L6 tests were a very minor concern for her. 45 in the yr group, maybe one L6 result* wasn't enough to affect any league tables (?)

*DD reckons she's the only child who got any L6 results.

It is his level according to the tests you gave him at home ?

Sorry but tests can by their very nature contain only a fraction of the content of the actual curriculum so only provide a snapshot of what a child can achieve on that day with that set of questions.

I never know wether how seriously to take what level a child is placed at. Dd was only tested to level 5, as far as I know none of the children in her class were tested at a level 6 or 7, we were told at parents evening that the level she was placed at may not be accurate due to what papers she sat. She scored 5a's, 5b's and 5c's, her teacher says she may be scoring a 6 in literacy but wasn't tested to that level. Should I be asking for her to be tested with a higher paper? How accurate are the tests they sit?

We have already chosen a secondary school for dd and this choice was based on class sizes, size of school ( it's a small school ) and how well the school copes with special needs ( dd has Aspergers ). I think if we had the option of a scholarship we would probably not except unless dd felt comfortable with being in a different environment. At the moment dd is working at the top of the class, in a private school she wouldn't be so we feel she will feel more confident not being in a private school.

Well done to your ds though, you must be very proud, I hope what ever you decide that he is very successful xx

'Never know how'

I wonder also, how many of you actually have T&G children yourself.

I have a G&T child. Maths is his main strength but he is very good at all academic subjects. So far he has always been far more able than any other child in his class. He moved to a new school a couple of years ago (private prep school with the help of a generous scholarship).
I moved my son to a new school because he wasn't learning anything in class at the state school. The teacher refused to provide differentiated work. My son was working at level 5c in maths at the end of year 3 but he had taught himself misgivings and the rest had come from me. He was progressing by more than the average 2 sub levels each year so was probably 6a/7c at end of year 5. I can't say exactly what level he was because the prep school don't do sats. I do know that he was progressing at a good rate and was being challenged sufficiently by his teacher.

OP- where has most of your sons learning been achieved? Does he learn most things at home or at school? If he is learning most things at school then clearly they are challenging him appropriately as he hasn't got to level 7c by accident. If he has learnt most things at home then clearly you need to discuss this school and ensure that they provide for him appropriately next year.

Moving from state to prep was not a big deal for me. There was no huge culture shock. My finances are a lot more stretched but my child's learning is also more stretched so it has been worthwhile.

Maths is one of those subjects where learning and ability shows little limit for some children.

Not 'misgivings' - most things. Damn autocorrect.

nigerdelta - I don't know exactly to be honest, but it has to look good for the school, I would think. I know when they had ofsted in, they sat DS in a room with them to talk about the school! Thought that was a bit cheeky but they didn't ask me lol

mrz - no, they gave him a level 5-7 paper at school so the result could go in this school record. He got the same level with the different paper at home.

marne2 - I think all schools will be different in terms on what papers are sat, we are not pushy but we are conscious of DS and making sure he doesn't get bored. We also had a contact at NAGC, now PotenialPlus, I believe, who was very helpful with suggestions and coping with T&G in the primary schools, limited resources etc. Do what you feel is right for your DD - personally, I wanted a handle on how far my DS could go. Obviously it doesn't mean he knows everything, but it does answer questions for me, and DS too. He is so amazed by his achievement and his classmates can't believe it. What year is your DD in? Funnily enough my DS commented that some in the new class didn't know their times table....which made me concerned that maybe its not as elitist as I thought it was....still not sure what the best decision is to be honest, massive pressure to get it right.
Thank you, yes, very proud, he continues to learn at an incredible pace but is so good about it all - he helps his other classmates to grasp more difficult maths too :) x

If they haven't been as rigorous in the his assessment, at least they got him to an ability where he could score a 7c. They must have challenged him to help him achieve that result. Doesn't mean he is a level 7c though. I think you're right to query the assessment process a little, but being a little to harsh on the school.

Why do you say that the school doesn't care? And what do you want the school to do that it doesn't?