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Primary education

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KS1 results

46 replies

dazedandconfused12 · 03/07/2017 20:34

As the username says I am feeling dazed and confused... Please anti SATS people don't flame me .. I didn't write them .. I'm just trying to understand what the results mean.

DS1 is in year 2. Last term we got a school report and for maths and english subjects he had the end of year goals as two 'GDS' (working at greater depth) and one 'EXS' (working at the expected standard). Son is in all the top groups in his class, he is a vociferous reader and good at maths so this seemed reasonable (we know his spelling could be better).

However we have just been to parents evening. Outcome post SATS is he got 1 GDS for Reading and EXS for maths and spelling/grammar.

Now I know lots of people will say why do you care, he is only 7 etc etc. Fine. But we do care and what I don't understand is how could the prediction last term have been so 'out'. Did the KS1 SATS goalposts change since last term? The parents evening is only 8 minutes so there was no time for further discussion.

For reading he got test score 108 (GDS)
Maths 106 (EXS)
English (splg and grammar) 102 (EXS)

Has anyone (teacher / parent) seen their results and has there been some change since last term?

Many thanks.

OP posts:
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CrazedZombie · 05/07/2017 09:10

OP- as a mum of 3, I've learned that their educational achievement comes in fits and starts.

The prediction and assessment process (created by politicians) assume that kids progress in a 45 degree straight line. None of my kids have learned like this since being babies. If you plotted my kids, it would have lots of horizontal bits (seemingly not learning) with huge jumps at random intervals. Think about your child 12 months ago. How much progress has he made this year? Learning is a long term process and humans have off days.

With regards to other kids doing better- how much did you do at home? Some parents may have tutored/prepared for the test (they are available to download online and in shops to buy and can't be just for the home school market)

Being in top group is no indication of how your child is nationally. At our school, most people in bottom group still meet expected standard in y6.

grasspigeons · 05/07/2017 09:30

I think there have been changes in that it used to be best fit (so the teacher picked the category they best fitted into) and now they have to be secure in every single box.
It is frustrating when you feel the report is out of kilter with what you were led to believe but it might help to ask to look at his profile? My sons teacher had all the goals listed and highlighted what he had done in one colour and then in another had the missing bits highlighted in another. (This was at parent evening)

dazedandconfused12 · 05/07/2017 09:57

Thanks for your messages. It helps alot. When I feel more rational about it Confused I will ask to see his profile.
I'm well aware our school is below national standards and that's why we've done so much at home...

OP posts:
WombatChocolate · 05/07/2017 11:05

I think you are asking reasonable questions. When the outcomes are based on teacher assessment, a fairly accurate indication of likely outcome should be possible just a few weeks before.

Of course the main thing is he is progressing and doing well....and he is. However, I remain amazed that a number of parents cannot see that if a parent is told one outcome is likely, and then another is the actual outcome, that this isn't a bit surprising and disappointing, when these are the levels that mark outcomes at the end of 3 years in school. It isn't the be-all-and-end-all, but it is an official and recorded outcome, which goes forward the next stage.

My DS is quite a bit older, but I had a similar thing a few years ago. At the end of Yr 1 we were told the levels he was working at and the teacher suggested what was possible by the end of Yr2.
Part way through Yr2 we had a parents meeting. I asked if he was on track for L3 in all areas. Teacher was very confident that he was.

We had the same conversation at Easter and it was confirmed again.

When SATS results came out, he did have L3 in reading, writing, maths and science...but only L2 for speaking and listening. No-one in the year group got a L3 in that area.

So I went in and asked about it. Yes, it was prob the least important on paper, but I found it odd. I asked how this had happened when twice I had been told he was on track for L3 in all areas and this area was totally based on teacher assessment and didnt even have tests to inform it. Teacher and the Head couldn't think of any answer to give - he had done fantastically well etc etc - they couldn't give a reason for why they had said he was on for L3 for all areas or why this hadn't been achieved, nor why no-one in the class had it, despite a decent number of L3s in other areas. He had never had a target in this area and it had never been mentioeend specifiacally at parents evening. I know, I know that a KS1 level for speaking and listening is neither here nor there.....but the point is, that if a system is to be used and reported to parents, it needs to make sense, be understandable and explainable. And often parents don't understand. It is not unreasonable to want to understand and to expect to be able to ask and get an explanation.

Also amazes me that parents are getting these results of KS1 and 2 SATs home, but have no idea of what the numbers mean. Is it that the figures are sent home without any form of explanation about expected, greater depth etc...or is just that people don't read them? If they do come home without any explanation, why is that?

dazedandconfused12 · 05/07/2017 12:06

I literally got 4 lines of text telling me the outcome. I had to request the test results which she seemed reluctant to give me, knowing I would have a heart attack I guess.
It's a 10 min meeting so there was no time for discussion and the I was too shocked.
I just find it hard to understand when you ask regularly how things are going what you can work on etc and you ate told all is tickets boo and no the school does not believe in homework the kids should be climbing trees etc. But we have done extra work and DS is v good at maths and yet the results are not great.
I just think the teacher had LOTS of opportunities to be more straight with me and didn't take them. ..

OP posts:
DanaRD · 13/07/2017 23:04

My daughter got in Ks1 SATS:
Reading 110 (EXS)
Maths 110 (GDS)
English (spelling and grammar) 105 (GDS)
Is that a very good result or just good?

user789653241 · 14/07/2017 09:46

Dana, if you can't work out getting GDS(above expected) is very good or just good, you are not as bright as your dd. Grin

DanaRD · 14/07/2017 14:26

:) Thank you. This is brilliant!
How come:
Reading - 110, Effort excellent, Attainment Excellent
And
Math - 110, Effort Excellent, Attainment good?

Spelling, Grammar... - 105, Effort Excellent, Attainment good.

DanaRD · 14/07/2017 14:33

Sorry is hard to understand this points system. I am used with marks from 1 to 10.
Here if you have 2-3 correct you get 85 points.

DanaRD · 14/07/2017 14:38

My mistake in my first post. Now is realized what
'GDS' - working at greater depth and
'EXS' - working at the expected standard
means.
I translated them last evening as 'GDS' = good standard and 'EXS' excellent standard.

brilliotic · 14/07/2017 15:12

Dana,
the reason why the same score (110) is associated with a EXS in one case and a GDS in the other, is because they are separate assessments, rather than translation of a numerical value into a describing word.

So your child achieved a scaled score of 110 in the SATS tests in both subjects.
Your child's teacher assesses your child as working at expected level in one subject, and at greater depth in the other subject.

Your child's teacher will have taken the test scores into account when making her assessment judgement, but not only; she will also have taken your child's work across the whole year into account. Even if your child had had a really bad day and scored terribly on a test, your teacher could still choose to assess them as EXS or even GDS if she had evidence throughout the year that your child was working at that standard. Vice versa, even if your child scored brilliantly in the test, the teacher might assess her as 'only' EXS as the rest of her work does not provide the evidence needed for a GDS.

Ifonlyoneday · 14/07/2017 15:24

Does anyone know when the national ks1 sats averages are published?

DanaRD · 14/07/2017 17:59

Brilliotic
Thank you for your comprehensive response to my questions and for your help to understand this system.

userblahblahwhatever · 14/07/2017 18:10

Look, under the new system I'd only be worried (not worried as such but wondering how I could help) if my child got WTS.
You have quite a lot to get this and even one tiny thing your child can't go can make a difference between a level.

The kids are 7. Fine you got the scores. It come on test for 7 year olds?!

mrz · 14/07/2017 18:18

The test scores don't relate to GDS in KS1

Blossomdeary · 14/07/2017 18:19

Is he happy?

ShinyTamatoa · 14/07/2017 18:53

My ds has come home with a teacher assessment of gds for reading and maths and exs for writing.

How much would this correlate with how well he did in the tests he did?

whoareyou123 · 14/07/2017 19:04

Shiny, The two are not linked though they may say the same thing.

Read Brilliotic's response for a better description.

mrz · 14/07/2017 19:33

"How much would this correlate with how well he did in the tests he did?" The tests are a single piece of evidence towards the teacher assessment. GDS is based on the Interim teacher assessment framework not the test results. A child could score very highly on the test but not meet the criteria for GDS.

ShinyTamatoa · 14/07/2017 19:44

Just rtft which I should have done in the first place and i get it now. I'm not bothered, it was just out of interest seems as they don't give out the test scores and I'm not going to ask for them.

hazeyjane · 15/07/2017 07:05

I am dazed and confused as to why you seem to be demoralised with those results!

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