Coaching Y2 DD to Level 3 in Maths - should I bother?

[fatfloosie]

Got collared by DD's teacher this morning who said that DD and a couple of others in her class who were the best at maths had done a level 3 paper but all were still 2A and this was what she was expecting as there was stuff on the paper they hadn't been taught. She suggested giving me DD's paper so I can see what she cannot do and potentially fill in some gaps myself if I want to.

This is all on the teacher's own initiative. I have only spoken to DD's teacher about maths twice all year, as follows:

(1) At parent teacher meeting in Autumn I was told she should get 2B at the end of the year but might get 2A if things went really well and I said I would like to think it was possible she could get to level 3.

(2) Earlier this year I became aware that the teacher was discussing maths paper results with other parents so asked for DD's and was told "2B which is exactly where she should be" and I was perfectly happy with this.

Frankly I'm a bit baffled how the above two interactions could have marked me out as some kind of tiger mother who is going to be so brassed off if my daughter doesn't get level 3 that I'm willing to coach her myself. This leaves me wondering if teacher herself thinks DD should be level 3 but is not able to teach her to that level in class.

WWYD? Does getting a level 3 matter? Is it unusual for there to be no child working at level 3 in a Y2 class of 30? (school is ofsted RI on a council estate but we love it very very much)

Thanks in anticipation. I am going to post and run to the shops but will check back later.

The level will matter more to the school than to your DD. If she gets level 3 at KS1, the pressure will be on to achieve a minimum level 5 at KS2 (in old-speak).

I think it is entirely up to you - your time, your energy, and your opinion of whether she would really benefit. The teacher could use differentiation in class or set up a special group.

Frankly I'm a bit baffled how the above two interactions could have marked me out as some kind of tiger mother who is going to be so brassed off if my daughter doesn't get level 3 that I'm willing to coach her myself.

I think you are reading too much into this!

The teacher clearly thinks you might want to give her some support at home. If you don't-don't do it.

Is it an infant school only or infant and juniors? I ask as infant school are only judged on progress to KS1 and may well push harder at that stage. The higher the levels at KS1, the harder it can be to show the requisite levels of progress to KS2 .

It really doesn't matter if she gets a L3 or not, but I think it is unusual for a school not to have kids working at L3 if they have the ability, so that's what would concern me. I'm not a teacher just a parent, but from memory I think our primary gets around 30% to L3 in KS1 and that's inner city v.run down area.

KS1 results reported are based on teacher assessment and the actual SATs 'test' makes up only a small part of the overall mark. If the teacher cannot evidence a level 3 with classwork, then the level reported with be a 2 (with sublevel). Thus coaching your daughter would be pointless.

I am surprised that, in a class of 30, there are no children working at level 3. Nationally, in 2014, 24% of children achieved level 3 in Mathematics.

My dts1 was levelled at a 2A for maths at the end of YR1. He will probably end YR2 with a 3B or above. He just gets maths, on the other hand for dts2 it takes a little longer for the penny to drop.

He is not alone in these levels within his cohort and not even in the top set, so I'm sure that there will be children in your child's year group that are working around the same levels as your dd.

I helped my daughter get her level 3 in Maths at Sats level. There were a group of about 9 children who were on target for a level 3 and she fell just outside of that group. As I saw her maths improving I asked the teacher if she could push her in class and let her sit the level 3 paper, which she agreed to. I went over the class work with her at home to consolidate the knowledge. She is now in Year 3 and is in the top group for maths, like her other subjects.