KS1 results for maths :(

[Belloc]

DS3 (6) is superb at all things numbers. He knows all of his timetables and can add, subtract, divide and multiply complex strings of numbers in his head. He understands measurements and volume. He's basically brilliant at maths. His older brothers are also very good at maths. DS1 did A level maths and got an A. DS2 is awaiting his A level results and expects to get A in maths and further maths. Both older sons received multiple gold medals from the UKMT and DS2 has been to follow on rounds, the Olympiad and Kangaroo on multiple occasions. And DS2 is going on to study maths at university. So I know what a good mathematician looks like. DS3 is much much better than either DS1 or DS2 at the same age, and they both got level 3 at KS1. (They went to a different primary though and at the time the results were an actual test not teacher assessed, iirc.)

I know it's petty as it doest actually matter, but I'm really sad and disappointed that his KS1 result for maths is 2a. Meh.

Do you think I should say something? It will make me look a bit deranged won't it?

[Jinsei]

spaniel, that was me at primary school, to a tee! I excelled in maths and was way ahead of my classmates but couldn't stand anything to do with shapes and space. I think that bit of my brain is missing. Have no sense of direction either!

[Belloc]

He doesn't do Kumon or any organised maths outside of school. But he often plays around with a calculator at home or does some domes on an iPad or on my laptop. And he's always working stuff out in his head: how many seconds a plane journey is, how many minutes until his birthday, how many square centimetres in our garden. Just for fun. (He probably won't be someone you'll want to go to the pub with when he's 18, but I am certain his maths will be superb.)

And I've never so much as looked at a SAT paper. Perhaps that's where I've gone wrong.

[spanieleyes]

And he sounds fantastic! But everything you have mentioned is part of the number strand of maths and the teacher might perceive that he needs to be just as secure at spatial awareness, symmetry, shape properties etc.

[Belloc]

spanieleyes - yes true. I probably should look into whatever the national curriculum involves. I'm very likely viewing his abilities too narrowly.

[Catmint]

Good lord, you haven't gone wrong!!

I've never looked at a SATS paper either ( I probably wouldn't be able to answer the questions, but DP and DD are both maths boffins, DD also leaving KS1 but we haven't been told levels).

[LittleMissGreen]

We are in Wales so a little different, but DS2 was working at a good level of numeracy that could have scored him an outcome 6 (equivalent to a level 3) but he struggled badly with word problems so his teacher though he would only get an outcome 5 (equivalent to a NC level 2), especially as to be awarded the higher level they have to show all areas of the higher outcome (ie be at least a 3b not a 3c).
He was 'lucky' and the problem solving clicked in the last term and he got outcome 6 unexpectedly. We get national standardised test marks from year 2 and although they show him as above average in general numeracy his results in the problem solving were in the average band.

[Bonsoir]

Primary school is a marathon not a sprint and I am increasingly dead against singling out DCs' talents and achievements when they are young. All DC need to make progress across the full spectrum of developmental criteria and focusing on one thing, like maths talent, is unnecessary at this age and may be detrimental to other areas where more work is required.

[DeWee]

I have a summer born ds, who is also amazing with numbers.
We had to chuckle looking at his maths book this year as in the part where they could make up their own sums, he'd decided to use negative numbers. I could hear the strain in the teacher's voice (not a natural mathematician) where she'd written "Well done, you can use negative numbers +/-/x/divide" I wouldn't be surprised if she'd had to use a calculator to check.

However I wasn't confident of him getting a level 3 because he's quite capeable of deciding half way through a test that he can't be bothered and not concentrating properly, and making silly mistakes.
They also said that to get the level 3 they have to show that they're working with level 3 concepts (so if they ask for 3 x 4 writing ooo ooo ooo ooo then counting the dots, that is not demonstrating that they've got it at a level 3, they need to know the x tables) and he tends to write very little working down.

However in your situation, I would gently query it. Perhaps more in a "what is missing from his knowledge that would get him up to a level 3?" type way. I don't think it is unreasonable to say you'd expected him to get a level 3, as long as you do it in a bewildered way rather than an aggressive "must be the teacher's fault" way.

[Belloc]

Bonsoir - but I'm not singling out a particular talent. I'm merely wondering why his maths SATs level is lower than his other subjects. He's also musical, an excellent tennis player, a fine sailor and enjoys acting.

[Belloc]

Kittlemissgreen - thanks that's interesting.

DeWee - yes the being summer born thing does change things. Your son sounds lovely. Ds3 knows all of his times tables off by heart (and they are all v quickly accessible to him). But it's highly possible his technical mathematical language lags his application for maths. So he knows how to multiply 43 x 58 (in writing and in his head) but he doesn't perhaps (i don't know) understand that the 4 represents 4 x 10 (I'm sure if i explained it to him that it would take him about 3 seconds to get it mind!). I might ask in the gentle way suggested - what was missing?

[rocketjam]

He may just misunderstand one concept (shapes, good example, spaniel). Or, what I have found, is that if the school doesn't ask the same questions as you do at home, he will not 'perform' well at school. In KS1 he is not expected to multiply strings of numbers in his head. It might be a good idea next year to speak to the teacher and find out exactly what your DS will be doing in maths, and work on these at home.

I am only saying that because DS2 is also very good at maths, but what he is naturally good at (fractions, percentages, decimals, negative numbers) have not been covered yet at school, so although he is very advanced in maths, what they do at school is different from what he is actually good at.

In the same token, DS1 is excellent at writing stories but his spelling is poor, so he gets average grades in literacy, even if I know that he can do much better than what is expected at school.

[rocketjam]

Oh yes, forgot to say, sats papers have a lot of questions written in words, longer sentences - ie. George's mum gives him 1.50 to buy sweets at the shop. He would like to buy gummy bears, which are 0.50p a pack. How many packs will George be able to buy?...

So if he is used to say, 1.50 / 0.50, he might struggle with problem solving something in a sentence. I hope that makes sense.

[Kimaroo]

Agree, a lot of what we do in year 2 is problem solving and working out what operations to use and when to use them.

[Marcelinewhyareyousomean]

We had two levels; sat results and teacher assessment levels. Ds got 2a on his SATs paper and was assessed level 3 by his teacher.

We had a table of results with national and school levels. It states that 23% achieved level 3. I'm surprised your school gets 50%.

[PiqueABoo]

Summer-born DD has just finished primary school with a solid 6A teacher-assessment and a near-perfect L6 SATs score for maths. It could have been much higher but the school prefers off-piste 'fun' maths rather than chase further up the levels ladder because they know the upstream secondary will make them repeat any such curriculum work.

We had the same scenario at the end of KS1: level 2a. I know for certain that was too low, but it self-corrected by-and-by. Primary maths isn't very subjective and it would take a run of unlikely teachers not to recognise that a child has consistently demonstrated competence with X, Y and Z. I would wait and see what next years teacher reports in the autumn term.

[Belloc]

Marcelinew -


Teacher assessment ks1
Mathematics All School 0 0 4 9 36 51 0 0 0

4% level 2C, 9% level 2B, 36% level 2A, 51% at level 3, 0 at level 4, 0 disapplied, 0 absent)

And this is the end of KS2 tests

Test
Mathematics School 0 0 24 53 22 0 0

(24% level 4, 53% at Level 5, 22% at Level 6)

[Belloc]

Sorry the formatting has gone a bit awry.

[Marcelinewhyareyousomean]

I wasn't implying that I didn't believe you.

The national figure of 23% level 3 ks1 was supplied by school, I haven't verified it anywhere.

[Marcelinewhyareyousomean]

I believe level 4 is possible but unusual. Our school doesn't list anything higher than 3 (no levels).

I hope Mrz or Teacherwith2kids come along with advice.

Hopefully your new teacher will understand what your DC is capable of. I'd give it a few weeks and ask for a meeting with the new teacher (if you don't have a parent's evening).

[JustRichmal]

There is a vast spectrum of things they learn in maths in KS1. The easiest way to find what they should know is to get a Letts or CGP revision guide for KS1. If he enjoys maths it could well be that he would enjoy working through these and the related workbooks with you at home. Letts also do a Mythical Maths series, which dd loved doing when she was younger. Khan Academy is worth a look at if he likes computer learning. Also if you have older sons who have done UKMT, I suspect you will already know of the Nrich website for fun puzzles in maths. Also there's the Primary Maths challenge which is like UKMT, but aimed at younger children.

The next problem is, if your assessment and school's assessment of his maths differ. It may be worth getting him to do a level 3 test at home if he's the sort of child who does not mind them so you can gauge his level yourself. If you are confident he is level 3, it really depends on the school as to what response you will get. I spent year after year talking to teachers about dd's levels in maths, just to be persuaded she was not as advanced as I was claiming. Eventually, not learning anything new in maths lessons did begin to bother her. I hope you have better luck.