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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Should dd2 do the level 6 maths sat or not?

52 replies

18yearstooold · 02/04/2015 06:51

Dd2 is able at maths but really lacks confidence in the subject -this has been the ongoing position since she started school

Her older sister is a bit of a maths whizz and she compares herself constantly and feels as though the teachers are too -I don't think they do

Anyway she's had a fantastic teacher this year and is now consistently getting 5a on the practice papers they do -teacher wants her to do the level 6 paper

Dd has gone into a blind panic about it

Do I let the school put her in
If she passes she may actually start believing she's good at maths
If she doesn't then it may provide her proof that she's rubbish -in her mind anyway

She just can't see that a level 5 is a good result

What do I do?

OP posts:

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Miele72 · 06/04/2015 22:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ThatBloodyWoman · 06/04/2015 23:03

I am completely ambivalent about dd sitting L6 as is she.
I cannot get why she wasn't taught some of the stuff that is tested in the 11+ at school,but suddenly heaven and earth can be moved with extra input given to children to achieve at SATS.
No scrap that,I know why -I'm just disgusted at it.

Original poster

18yearstooold · 06/04/2015 23:03

She's done 3 past reading papers and comfortably got a level 6 on all of them, she's really not concerned about the reading -other than the fact it means she's doing extra tests when the others will be doing fun stuff

OP posts:

Miele72 · 06/04/2015 23:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 06/04/2015 23:07

My DD has too but school have warned that no one in the entire borough got L6 reading in year 6 last year - papers were marked very harshly apparently.

Original poster

18yearstooold · 06/04/2015 23:30

Yes I've pre warned her about that and she's said she'll be ok with a 5 for English -so why it's not good enough for maths, other than the fact that some people in her class will get it, is beyond me

She gets pp too

OP posts:

Waitingandhoping2015 · 07/04/2015 08:19

In some ways DS school seems quite low key about the SATs yet they've had 2 weeks of mocks this year and from what he says about school it always gets mentioned along the lines of 'working hard or you won't do well in SATs etc.

Likewise he came home with the most homework ever this Easter with worksheets and revision booklets etc. Told him he could do what he wanted with them (after I fished them out of the bin) and I don't think he's done anything yet.

I think he's doing L6 as he did these in Sep and Jan but I have no idea if he is entered for them. There's no stress from him about them and none from me, SATs have no relevance anyway.

petalpower · 07/04/2015 08:28

She will already need to have been entered for level 6 if she's going to do it. The cut off date has passed now.

Original poster

18yearstooold · 07/04/2015 09:01

So presumably if they want her to give it a go they've entered her?

What happens if I say no then?

OP posts:

spanieleyes · 07/04/2015 09:07

The Head has a legal responsibility to enter children for the appropriate tests. The only way you could "say no" is to remove her from the school for the period of the tests.

pourmeanotherglass · 07/04/2015 09:31

Your DD2 sounds quite a lot like mine OP. My DD1 loves maths, and did the level 6 paper last year. DD2 lacks confidence, and doesn't enjoy maths. It may be an age thing (DD1 October birthday, DD2 June, I think it does make a difference).
My DD2 has grown in confidence in year 6, and is probably one of the best of the group that haven't been tutored for level 6. She and a couple of others had a go at a level 6 paper before the holiday, and one of them (not DD2) did quite well and decided to join the level 6 group, but the other 2 didn't score very well so haven't been moved up. I think DD2 was a little bit disappointed.
I know this means she won't get into the top group at secondary (DD1 is in year 7, and she says everyone in the top set got level 6). However, this may suit DD2 as she may have struggled in a top set.

ragged · 07/04/2015 09:57

I don't think that's true, Spaniel, I reckon that she can say no. Ime (DD was ill during her SATs week) the head etc. will be very unbothered about the L6 test, only the L3-5 test are they pushy about.

spanieleyes · 07/04/2015 11:56

if a child achieved a level 3 in KS1 SATs, they are now expected to achieve a level 6 to show good progress, a level 5 would only show expected progress which isn't good enough ( as a certain percentage of children in a school now have to achieve good, rather than expected progress!) So Head's are increasingly "bothered" about level 6!

redskybynight · 07/04/2015 12:09

DS (and all of the top end of the top set) has been entered for Level 6 maths (to get in before the closing date). It's still up to him whether he sits it or not, and I'm having a similar dilemma to the OP.

So I presume OP's DD is also entered but still has the option to back out.

Box5883284322679964228 · 07/04/2015 12:17

I think you tell the teacher the problem and let her give DD any reassurance about her intelligence. Secondly let the teacher decide wether or not to enter in for level 6.

Lastly, your children have skewered priorities. They need to learn there are more important things in life then intelligence. There will always be someone more intelligent then them and they should not base thier own personal worth on how intelligent they are. They should equate worth with intelligence at all

Endler32 · 07/04/2015 12:28

My dd is in the same situation, she's scoring 5a and 5b in both maths and English and has been to.d she will be sitting the level 6 papers. She wants to sit the papers but is getting very stressed about it, I have been tempted to tell her teacher not to give her the level 6 but dd is sure she wants to do them. It does seem a lot for them to take on as this means sitting extra papers.

I have told dd not to worry about the level 6 and just try hard on the level 4-5 papers, look at the level 6 as a kind of bonus but doesn't mater if she can't do it, we will be pleased if she gets level 5's as that is still very good.

mrsruffallo · 07/04/2015 12:35

In my experience they don't ask your permission. They have a booster class once a week, maybe more often in the run up to the test. I absolutely drilled it into my dc that level 5 was respectable and it really didn't matter whether they got it or not, and that there was plenty of time to reach level 6 once they were in year7.

If your DC is already stressing I would ask that they remove her from level 6.

mrsruffallo · 07/04/2015 12:39

Pourme- My dc sat level 6 but achieved a 5a and is in the second set for maths which she says is just right for her. I think all of the top set got level 6's in her school, too. She is happy with it though, that's the main thing.

Springisontheway · 07/04/2015 17:10

I think the ideal situation would be, if you could help her to take a more casual attitude to the tests. Hard to do, if the school is hysterical, I know. It would be great to just have a go and see what happens. A bonus If she gets level 6, but still happy with a 5.
School is a "test rich environment" so it pays to get as comfortable with them as possible.

Feenie · 07/04/2015 17:34

Spanieleyes is correct - legally, it is the head's responsibility to enter the children for the correct level of tests, and they decide what that may be, not children or parents.

Of course, in practice t would be counter productive to
make that kind of decision without the consent of either. But legally they don't need it.

I can't link on my phone, but google the 2015 KS2 ARA - it's very clear.

neolara · 07/04/2015 17:47

I think that if the thought of "failing" if she doesn't achieve a level 6 is putting her into a massive spin, I would absolutely recommend she does it. It's a fantastic opportunity for her to learn that the outcome isn't really that important, but the process of learning is. If she does get a Level 6, you can talk to her about what she did to achieve that goal (e.g. you worked hard, you asked the teacher when you didn't understand, you didn't give up). If she doesn't get a level 6, you can talk to her about what she could have done to get a level 6 (e.g. not got into a panic, practised particular problematic areas more etc.)

High achieving girls are the group who are least resilient when they experience failure. It's really, really important for them to learn that learning is meant to be hard, "intelligence" (as demonstrated by being good at stuff) is not fixed and there is lots they can do to influence how well or otherwise they do. Challenge is good. If they aren't getting things wrong, they're not learning stuff - they're just practising what they alraedy know.

My dd is taking level 6 this year. I think it will be a brilliant experience for her, especially if she doesn't achieve it. Academic work is easy for her. It's really important for her to learn how to cope when she doesn't get everything right.

ragged · 07/04/2015 20:27

I guess it was different in 2013. The HT had no clue that DD was even entered for L6 tests or that she'd only get expected progress if she didn't achieve L6 (which DD didn't achieve across the board but HT was obviously still very pleased).

spanieleyes · 07/04/2015 20:50

When the level 6 papers were reintroduced, schools had a couple of years when they weren't measured on them, there was no pressure to achieve them, no-one was really taught the content, children just "had a go". Now unfortunately schools are set targets as to the number of level 6 children they need to have, the number making 3 levels progress etc. So the pressure is on!

Feenie · 07/04/2015 23:25

I said the head was legally responsible. Realistically, he best person to know would be the y6 teacher. The head should at least have an idea though.

Springisontheway · 07/04/2015 23:27

Very insightful post neolara. I see this risk averse, perfectionist tendency in my own DD.

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