KS1 Sats results - apparent discrepancy between comments and mark on maths?

[slummymomma]

We got the end of year reports on Friday for DS1. Very good report and really pleased with him.

It included very detailed information about his Sats results and I wondered if anyone could shed some light on what this means...

"...DS1 is a very talented mathematician and has an excellent understanding of the concepts taught this year. His knowledge and understanding of numbers is particularly strong and in areas he is working at a level 4. He does need to broaden his understanding of shape and space and measures to be consistently working at a level 4."

So great comments but he has been marked as a secure level 3.

Does this mean that he is doing well (level 4) but because he is a little 'patchy' he was marked as 3b?

Slightly confused because he got high 3s for literacy with no mention of a 4.

Am going to talk to teacher next week but would welcome any views about what it means. DS1 says maths is his least favourite subject...

In KS1 SATs the highest level possible to award is 3.

Was the 3 a teacher assessment level or a test level score?
The KS1 test can usually only grade up to a level 3, so maybe she gave hgim a different paper?
We often have children arriving in KS2 who are excellent mathematicians but can't do the using and applying bit to the same level. So they need breadth and more experiences at level 2 to push them into a secure 3, or at 3 to make them a secure 4.

Thanks Goblin Child - that sounds a bit like DS1. He has lots of ideas and 'knows' a lot but getting him to see how to apply what he knows can sometimes be a challenge.

His teacher is the maths co-ordinator for the school so I suspect the secure 3 is the test score and the '4' comes from her observation of him? I will ask when I see her. I don't think he did any papers beyond 3 - from what he says there were a small group of who did an extra paper - the 3 I guess.

The KS1 teacher assessment will have been collated using lots of evidence, a small part of which would be the SAT test results.

The highest score possible in the test is a level 3, but for an exceptionally bright child who is working beyond that a teacher assessment of level 4 could be awarded.

Mathematics is assessed over 4 areas - Using and Applying, Number, Shape and Space and Data Handling. Although Number has a heavier weighting that the other areas, if a child is working at level 3 in the rest of the Maths curriculum then the Level 4 shouldn't be given. Your ds is obviously working at a very high level in Number but isn't yet consistent across the Maths curriculum. I would ask about Using and Applying as well, since it's often a trickier area to understand.

He is extremely talented as a mathematician if he's working at a level 4 in year 2.

level 4 is the average grade expected by the end of year 6

Don't get hung up on the SATS scores because they're bollocks designed for the bean-counters and hopefully they're disappearing. Listen to the teacher. He is obviously very bright.

I wonder why he doesn't enjoy it though. That would be the thing I would focus on with the teacher. Children with a talent for maths usually enjoy it, maybe school need to think through the work they're doing

Thanks for all your comments. Thought I was going to be shot down for a) raising the issue of SATs and b) 'boasting'.

I think he says he doesn't 'like' maths because he is very literate, he reads constantly and loves history (our summer holiday has been designed to include trip to d-day beaches because of his love of world war 2). I don't think it is an active dislike, just he prefers english. His GD (paternal) is a mathematician so perhaps there is a gene thing coming through.

He's changing schools in September so perhaps a new style of teaching will encourage him.

Really appreciate your input.

One of the sad things about having a very bright child is that when you talk about them and their achievements, others might feel you're boasting. And you are not. It's also hard for the child, if you are able it's difficult to cope with other people's negative reactions to you just being you.
Having a very able child is no picnic, in my daughter's case it came with a very inflexible attitude, reluctance to try a different approachs because she knew what she wanted to do, and limited social skills.
She's now a delightful, able, popular 18 year old with friends and an enormous intellect. But the journey wasn't easy for either of us.

Thanks Goblinchild. If truth be told both DH and I were high achievers at school and this colours my parenting of DS1. I had a truly miserable time at a sink comprehensive for being a 'boff' whereas DH lead a charmed life at private school.

So DS1 is off to a selective prep where i'm hoping it will be cool to be clever. undoubtedly they'll be something he'll get picked on for at somepoint but I never want him to feel embarassed to put his hand up in class.

Wierd how typing that makes me remember desp wanting to put my hand up but not, sniff...

My daughter has just got her SATS results and has a 4 for Reading on Teacher assessment, but is says in her report that she sat the KS2 reading paper and acheived a strong level 5.

Have talked to the teacher and she says that the highest they can formally give her is a 4, but that she is clearly working at a strong 5.

This SATs stuff is very confusing!

Haven't had any SATS results for my child yet but need to know how the grading works any websites you can put me in touch with? DS sounds like a really bright child encourage him all you can as he needs to be challenged at school to keep his interest.