Level 6 maths son starting to get fed up

[MaryKatherine]

Hi,

My 11 year old boy is due to sit his level 3-5 maths and level 6 maths next week (Thursday). He has always been very good at maths...very quick to work things out. There are 4 others in the class also due to sit level 6. They have worked though past papers and a secondary maths teacher (on maternity but helps out with the year 6's) does intervention work with them once a week.

Since January he has been getting a massive amount of homework to do from his own teacher and the intervention teacher. They do a level 6 paper every week and mark it (teacher marked). I go over it (as I like maths and want him to do well) and show him how to do any questions he got wrong (in a gentle, non-pushy way). I try not to over burden him and will only spend 10-15 minutes every other day trying to refresh his memory. Some of the questions are hard though and certainly not what I had to do when I was his age!

For the past week he is becoming increasingly tired and fed up with it all. I know it is almost the end and all the children have worked hard (and the poor teachers). Any ideas how I can encourage him during the last week before SATS? We are taking him abroad for a nice holiday at 1/2 term.

To be honest, I would leave him now. It sounds like he's already done masses and masses of preparation already.

DD is taking Level 6 Maths, Reading & SPAG. And she's only done a few past papers for prep' and then a bit of individual work with her HT on the SPAG. Nothing on the scale of your DS.

And, really although it's a feather in their caps to get a Level 6 in something, it only really benefits the school's reputation. DD starts at a grammar in September and they take no notice of their Yr 6 levels and instead set CAT tests for them in the first week of term. It's these CAT tests which they pay attention to.

Wow is fascinating how different schools approach this. I heard of one school near me where they had an Easter SATS 'club' during the holidays. Bonkers. My ds has had an after school booster club once a week. More homework since Easter, but still only one piece per week. This weekend nothing at all. I cannot get excited about it at all and am glad the school is being sensible about it too.

My class have been told to rest and relax and hopefully be ready for next week. I have not done that much preparation with my L6s (or any of my other pupils, to be honest). The ones sitting the SPaG paper haven't even done a practice one (there was no time), but they consistently reach the 5a in the 3-5 papers. "Booster" sessions have taken place during lessons, not in their free time. They've done a L6 Maths paper at the beginning of the year (half of them got it then, we'll see how the other half do next week...considering that none of mine have KS2 targets higher than a 5c, we don't stress about it). Out of 5, 3 have achieved the L6 in the practice reading paper...one was a mark off. We've done about 3 booster sessions for that, one hour each.
I've spoken to some of mine about how they'll approach the L6 Maths next week, considering that we haven't covered all of it (I wanted them secure on the Level 5 stuff) - and they are adverse to using calculators. The quite cheerful response was: "If it's something we don't know, we'll just have a go and try it anyway. No point worrying about it." True.
If they can do it, great. If they can't...oh well, there's always secondary school. (Although, considering what some of the current year 7s have told me about what they are doing in lessons, most of mine have already done harder work in Year 5. )

Our school sent home a big homework pack over the Easter holidays, for the whole class, with extra differentiated work for those taking L6.

DS is taking all the L6 papers, but there's no stress or pressure from us, although I know the school want him to do well as it reflects well for them. He has weekend homework to do, and this has ramped up since the Easter holidays.

He had the 11+ in Sep, and that pressure and stress was insane, so SATs and the prep for it seems like a walk in the park tbh. DS is however competitive and driven so wants to do well. He is tired, and bored of Y6 and just desperate to get to his secondary school. Be glad when next week is over and they can focus on the leavers do, sports day and the residential trip.

Yr2 DC is oblivious about SATs.

Yr6 kid (emotional basket case in rest of life) is unbothered. Just 4 things that are different:

1. The dinner ladies will be nice to yr6s.
2. Emphasis on turning up for the tests
3. Heaps and heaps of fun things to look forward to afterwards.
4. Some of the exams are in the afternoon, not just mornings all week like usual assessments were in last 4 yrs.

that's all.

dd is thoroughly looking forward to next week. She can go to school early, where she'll be fed bacon sandwiches. She was a little concerned... not about the SATs, but whether tomato ketchup would be provided. The school kindly reassured her on this important point.

I completely agree with TheoreticalOrder - living in a selective area means that exam stress in Year 6 is heavily focussed on the 11+. By the time the SATs come round, parents and children are past caring. Probably makes it harder for the teachers.

My dd is sitting level 6 in maths, reading and SPAG and does not appear to be worried, despite the constant pressure from the school.