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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

Ks2 sats week 2015

483 replies

Catbat77 · 11/05/2015 12:03

I have a very nervous dd this morning, wanted to hear other parents thoughts or experiences this week!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

var123 · 14/05/2015 22:35

proudmama2772 - where do you get these ideas from? Have you seen examples of this in practice?

I can't see sooo many faults in the current system, but I don't recognise the dystopia you describe.

var123 · 14/05/2015 22:36

sorry typo ... "I can see many faults", not "I can't".

Feenie · 14/05/2015 22:36

No, not you, proudmama - having trouble with the won't report but will blame one bad apple for the wrongs of an entire system and jump ship mentality of the previous poster.

proudmama2772 · 14/05/2015 22:41

var123

some of them came from mumsnet and many of the came from a job I had. Don't want to say too much about so as not to reveal myself.

Some of them came from my 3 kids and my experiences. I love my kids and want to do the best for them but can't seem to do any better than the 2b - 4b trajectory - Until recently with my oldest

proudmama2772 · 14/05/2015 22:42

oh ok sorry Feenie

JemimaPuddled · 14/05/2015 22:57

After reading todays posts I'm very pleased we refused level 6 ds2 would have struggled to fit in the L6 booster classes with his sporting and music commitments outside school, and we knew he was level 5 in year 5....as perverse as it sounds it would have been a futile exercise to put him in for L6 as it would have deprived him of things he adores in order to do yet more school work. Am I alone thinking this?

Feenie · 14/05/2015 23:07

If a child is a good level 5 in Year 5 then level 6 should have been part and parcel of everyday teaching in Year 6. There shouldn't be a need for boosters - it's not an intervention, it's part of that child's normal progression. And yes, that's what we do at my school.

The testing system is also at fault - a level 6 child should be able to sit one 5 to 6 paper. Making them sit 3-5 on top of 6 is mean and unnecessary.

At least that won't be a problem next year.

JemimaPuddled · 14/05/2015 23:35

Harumff · 15/05/2015 06:23

I think that's the fault of your school Jemima, they're not all like that. DD did level 6 across the board (50/50 chance of getting them) and the only booster session was one after school maths session a week for 6 weeks. Other than this the level 6 stuff as been taught at school plus one piece of homework a weekend. The booster class wasn't just for level 6s either, they had a couple aimed at children on the cusp of getting the next level up which I think worked well.
She hasn't been stressed at all this week - confident in the level 3-5s and had a 'let's give it my best shot' attitude for the level 6s. She's actul quite enjoyed the week and how they were made to feel special. It's all about how the school handles the whole thing and I have nothing but praise for ours!

lljkk · 15/05/2015 06:28

Ours doesn't narrowly drill either, the L6 boosters (math only) were half hour/week during a PE-lesson for the rest. DS got a bit grumpy about missing PE but then again he's grumpy about most things at school.

TheoreticalOrder · 15/05/2015 06:41

DS said both L6 papers were fine, and they were both easier than the 11+ Maths paper he sat in Sept. He's isn't a mathematical genius.

var123 · 15/05/2015 06:43

The way I see it is that all the DC have to learn the level 6 stuff eventually, and its great that they can access it in primary school these days if they are ready for it. Its a lot better than just going over the previous level again as that is sure to turn kids off the subject.
The exams are neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned, except without them there would not have been the opportunities to do more challenging work at primary school for my children.
I suppose though they teach exam technique though and they begin to familiarize children with exams before the exams really make a difference to their future.
I'm not sure I see the point of extra curricular booster classes for level 6. My children's school only offered those extra classes to the children struggling to get off L3.

SugarPlumTree · 15/05/2015 06:44

No L6 boosters here either, all in class plus one piece of homework. When DD did them 5 years ago there was a breakfast club for Maths she was invited to but that was because they were trying to get her up to a Level 4.

TheoreticalOrder · 15/05/2015 06:45

var - I guess the booster classes for L6 are more about the school attainment. Did I read somewhere schools get extra funding for the number of L6s achieved?

var123 · 15/05/2015 06:51

like Feenie, ds2's teacher didn't run booster classes either. She just taught l6 in class with the result that about 1/3rd of the class did all the L6 papers.
The teacher last year was really out of her depth so the current teacher really has made an amazing transformation.

Together though it makes me even more certain that ofsted have it wrong in rating schools because it all depends whih teachers your child gets.

var123 · 15/05/2015 06:58

@theoreticalorder I didn't know that (about the money). I wondered whether the school had any inducement to get children up to L6 (beyond professional pride).
The results get published but it took me a while to find them when I looked. They aren't published everywhere like the L4 league tables, so there's not much kudos for the school

Feenie · 15/05/2015 07:08

Level 6s bring no financial reward!

I think cancelling PE is terrible - what a dreadful message to send children. It's an entitlement that should not have been taken away, nor should any of a broad and balanced curriculum. We don't change the curriculum at all, although Literacy starters in lessons were a lot more SPAG heavy than the Y6 teacher - and certainly the children - would have liked this year.

lljkk · 15/05/2015 07:56

DD used to miss PE to go to (school) violin lessons. I guess that was sending wrong message too?

About 2 dozen reasons I wouldn't be interested in a MN-style free school.

lechie · 15/05/2015 08:12

Jemima, no you're not alone. I asked for my daughter to be withdrawn from the L6 too.

However, I withdrew her because A) she's a stress head at the best of times and B) as a secondary teacher, I know they're a complete waste of time... So what's the point? I was not going to put my daughter (or myself, for that matter) through it!

TooManyHouseGuests · 15/05/2015 08:36

I'm glad it is over. My DDs school has taught all the children without much differentiation along the way. They wouldn't "set" the children at different tables by ability or anything like that, reasoning that the whole class working together was really the best way for all. I have no way of knowing whether this helped the children "in the middle" and those who have been struggling.

I do know my DD has been bored and embarrassed for always knowing the answer since yr4.

I didn't think this system was working particularly well for my individual child, but I respected their point of view. Then after Xmas of yr6, the hypocrits laid on extra level 6 booster classes and ladled on huge amounts of homework for the more able to catch them up to level 6 in 3 months! My DD missed out on things like art, DT and IT for months. It all would have been so much more gentle, if they had been learning at their appropriate pace from the beginning.

It very much looked like a case of: we don't like setting, we don't believe in setting, BUT when we are under pressure to be effective we believe in setting.

lljkk · 15/05/2015 09:11

DS said this morning that he hated the L6 test because it was so hard.

I'm well pleased he found it hard. Fantastic that he was challenged.

proudmama2772 · 15/05/2015 09:28

as a secondary teacher, I know they're a complete waste of time

Lechie, that's very interesting perspective from someone who is in the know. Why do you think they're not as valuable as some? As a parent it is good to hear you view.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 15/05/2015 09:31

There's no financial incentive, but unless the children getting level 6s got 4s at ks1 then any child getting level 6 will have made better than the expected 2 levels progress across ks2. Which obviously makes the schools progress data/value added look very good, which in turn will keep ofsted happy. But the same could be said of children going from level 1 to level 4, or level 2 to level 5.

HowDoesThatWork · 15/05/2015 09:43

..but when the gubmint does analysis there is a heading 'percentage making better than expected progress'.

A child getting L3 at KS1 will add to this percentage only if they get L6. Having a low figure for 'percentage making better than expected progress' may attract attention.

There is an expectation that there will be a decent percentage making more than expected progress.

It is all a bit doublethink.

var123 · 15/05/2015 09:43

Lechie - which subject do you teach, or are you referring to?

I'd feel very let down by the school if my child arrived at his secondary school with secure knowledge of everything within level 6 and had to do it all again in year 7. By all means test again and evidence for yourself what the children know, but don't automatically assume that they would benefit from doing it all again.

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