Level 6 Reading and Numeracy

[RnB]

I was wondering if anyone knows the percentage of children who achieved Level 6 in BOTH reading and numeracy last year? I can't seem to find the stats... Thanks

In the SATS, I mean

Just reading or in literacy in general?

Just reading - my sons school only enters pupils for reading and numeracy...

Or perhaps he was only entered for the two, not sure.

The National figures are 7% achieved level 6 in maths and 0% level 6 in reading (not sure what this equates to in actual number of children)

Out of interest, mrz, what's the percentage of level 6s achieved in literacy?

Sorry, I mean writing

Thank you MrZ

Hi RnB for the 2012/2013 school year the full national statistics are presented in Appendix 2 (P. 107) of the Sheffield Hallam study on provision/ results L6 testing: www.shu.ac.uk/_assets/pdf/ceir-investigation-key-stage2-level6-tests.pdf

55,212 pupils were entered for L6 Maths of which 18,953 achieved L6 - 34% of pupils enetered for L6 Maths achieved L6 Maths.

46,810 pupils were entered for L6 Reading - of which 942 achieved L6 in Reading. 2% of pupils entered for L6 Reading achieved L6.

The actual data including L6 performance nationally since 2012 is available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2012-to-2013. Where a score of 0 is posted for NC L6 - read that as

Thanks so much Past and Tiggy.

I wonder why the literacy is so hard to achieve...?

My son has been predicted level 6 in both numeracy and reading but I can see it will be very unlikely from those stats!

Both my DDs have L5 English, both are, in very different ways, clever children, who have well educated MC parents.

Despite this neither of them, not even top of the literacy class through primary, DD2 wrote with the maturity needed for L6 until well into senior school.

The levels were designed with an average child's progress through school in mind, they took maturity, time in education and amount of curriculum covered into account.

A good Y5/6 mathematician can cover more curriculum in school, in Maths club and with a mathematical parent. A good English pupil can't grew up any quicker.

I can only think of one DC (who got offered two very nice private school scholarships, without any tutoring at all), who might have got L6 English SAT had she been a few years younger, but she really is the exception who proves the rule.

Waiting with interest for this year's results. I have volunteered in my kids' primary school this year, and have tried to prepare just six carefully selected children for the Level 6 reading paper. My hunch is that two of them will get it (all very able, but they really struggle with the lack of time), but we shall see! I agree, it is really asking them to respond with an emotional maturity that most 11 year olds simply don't have, even if they are very bright.

Thanks Tiggy and everyone else. It's all very interesting. Yes I suppose maths is one of those things that even at a higher level can just be taught to able pupils...

I look forward to the results, I only hope he isn't disappointed if he doesn't get L6. As nice as the school is about it I'm sure he does feel a certain amount of expectation and pressure.

Just to add DD2 has brought her report home tonight and it gives her 6a at the end of Y8.

This will be pretty much the top grade anyone in her year is given. (We are on the edge of a Grammar school area, so we lose a few of the most GT pupils).

That said, DD2 will get an A for English if she does no work and an A* if she actually reads her set texts. That is how daft worrying about L6 at primary actually is.

That said, DD2 will get an A for English if she does no work and an A if he actually reads her set texts. That is how daft worrying about L6 at primary actually is.

Perhaps it's me ElaphantsNeverForgive - but that's precisely why attaining as high a KS2 SATs score in English (Reading/ Writing) as you can really is important - because that result will be the measure on which progress will be judged - therefore the school will be expected to get your child 2 full NC levels above that measure over KS3 (Y7 - Y9)

source: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/182413/DFE-RR096.pdf

NC L4 KS2 - NC L6 KS3
NC L5 KS2 - NC L7 KS3
NC L6 KS2 - NC L8 KS3

(now that's just expected progress) - schools are under increasing pressure to not only make 'good progress' (achieve expected full 2 NC Levels progress between KS2 results to end KS3 results - although no formal SATs I think) - but they are now under increasing pressure to demonstrate more than expected progress.

At GCSE (end Y10) that achievement at KS2 really makes a huge difference toward academic options: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/222084/DCSF-RTP-09-02.pdf - see page 8

42% of pupils achieving NC L5+ at KS2 SATs achieve A/ A grades at GCSE - only 5% of pupils who achieve NC L4 at KS2 SATs go on to achieve A/ A.

Those statistics make stark reading.

It's only my personal observation but it is KS2 where 'the game' is won or lost. Those parents/ teachers that really push kids to higher achievement (2012 achievement NC L5 nationally stands at 48% for Reaading & SPAG/ 41% for Maths - the proportion of pupils achieving NC L5 has been steadily >40% for several years now: source The Guardian: www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/sep/19/sats-results-key-stage-two - data at end of report.

I'm sure parents don't want to hear this/ teacher's don't want to say this but NC L4 and schools that relied on just scraping past that line in the sane (so barely achieving NC Level 4c) just doesn't sufficiently prepare your child for senior school. Indeed that is why from this year school performance tables will also include the data on how many pupils achieved 4b or higher - source: www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/download/Statement_of_Intent_2013.pdf - see Achieving a Good Level 4 on page 4 of this document.

My DS was one of the children who achieved L6 last year and has just got his Y7 grades this year. He is at a 7a or b for English, maths and science. But talking to his teachers they say to expect this to plateau out in the next year or two.

I agree with some of what tiggytape is saying:

attitude/ hormones/ teenage angst can all result in negative attitudes toward doing homework. However, the trend (which I can only track from publically released data) has it that for pupils scoring NC L5 or higher at KS2 SATs - roughly 50% of that cohort go on to achieve A/ A* at GCSE. Only 5% of the cohort attaining NC L4 at KS2 SATs go on to achieve this.

Whether this is pigeon holing by senior schools - you come in on that score and we put you in a set with similar children & only teach you to 2 levels above that entry level...

or environment - you're put in with a class of pupils also struggling a bit in English/ Maths and not enjoying that one little bit and the chemistry of that situation is to hate the class/ not enjoy homework in the subject/ and possibly just not do that homework - because you are receiving a lot of feedback from peers that X or Y subject is rubbish.

I totally get that teenagers can rebel against school work which can feel like they're being forced to do against their will. I get that wanted to study/ work hard for school is deeply uncool with many teenagers.

I think the reality is there is a point where this stuff gets hard - and getting kids through that stage isn't easy for parents, teachers or the children concerned. Schools aren't big on trends like work ethic (which would necessitate doing homeowrk regularly) or perseverance (which would necessitate a student to keep working at something they're struggling with). I can only speak for our school, but I think it is the absence of instilling these values in pupils (oddly absent at our CofE school - where one would naturally expect to see some form of Protestant work ethic), it may not be a surprise that children fall by the wayside.

One thing I do totally disagree with tiggytape is the attitude that 'children have their level'. It's discriminatory. It avoids any effort to see if a bit of help when they're struggling might result in a breakthrough of understanding. And frankly it's a negative feedback loop - child isn't doing particularly well - teacher presumes this is God's way of telling them that child will never be a high flyer - school then leaves them languishing on bottom table/ set and doesn't bother much - oddly enough child doesn't achieve much.

I personally think it is possible to help a child who is struggling - it's more a case of school's avoid that particular responsiblity - possibly because it's too much like hard work.

L6 is maths is a straightforward progression from L5 and definitely achievable within primary school. L6 grammar and spelling is achievable with rote learning (and you can be a poor writer and still bag this one). L6 reading requires a different skill set from that which is sufficient to achieve L5 - there is more need to consider the imapct on readers, more sophisticated knowledge and ability to comment on language choices. This is teachable as a progression from L5, but few children have the maturity of reflection/empathy to score enough marks in a short time. L6 writing is a completely different matter. I have taught my best ever writer this year. His work is astonishingly good for any age. Some was of a standard above much of what I saw while working in higher education. We couldn't give him a L6 because there was insufficient evidence of consistent L6 use of certain features across a wide enough range of genres. I now think I will never see a L6 writer in primary school.

What is awfully sad is the way that the chase to make exceptionally good levels (ie L6) the new 'what the top 10% should get', and above expectation (L5) 'what at least half should get' means that those who are struggling probably are having to compete a bit harder for time and attention. At the other end of the scale, children who would previously have been given freedom in Y6 to explore other subject areas, write creatively, read for pleasure and have fun, have their noses stuck firmly to the maths and English grindstone until SATs are over.

Unfortunately, until HTs' jobs and the identity and ethos of schools are not constantly under threat if they slip below increasingly challenging floor targets, schools will feel forced to play the numbers game and focus on children whose progress will make most difference to the stats.

Agree with every single word!

Yes, Partystress. You hit the nail on the head.