these levels.... what is a 6c?

[ChuppaChups]

my dd got good sats results, but on her report today they science teacher has said her target for next year is 6c, this is really high and am proud but what age group does this really belong too- year 8? or higer?

It depends what her KS2 results were. Has she just finished Yr 7?

no just finished year 6 hence confusion. dd really likes science too

I found a rather crappy graph here - surely theres a proper table somewhere, I've only found a primary one which doesn't go beyond 5.

I think its safe to say that 6c for next year is good - well done your DD!

But if she is just finishing year 6 why is her teacher giving her targets? That's got the teachers at her new school to do, surely?

6c is about what a clever child who got level 5s in year 6 would expect to get at the end of year 7, I would say.

this is a better table.

We were told that the science SAT was being dropped next year - don't know if this is just KS2 but its a shame. This will lead to some schools concentrating yet more on Eng and maths sats instead.

I am a secondary science teacher. At the end of yr 7 some of the brighter pupils will be working at a 6c/6b in science. These students would then be likely to achieve 7b or 7a at the end of KS3. Most schools don't bother with the extension paper for level 8 now as it really tests KS4 work, so level 7 is highest at KS3 on the whole.
It is quite difficult in science to give a truly reflective grade until the end of KS3 though, as earlier work isn't demanding enough to be at level 7 standard.

DS#1 is on a level 6 at the end of yr7. He has a 5 in his yr 6 SATs. Science is his best and favourite subject.

The new school will set targets for her based not only on her SATS results but her CATS tests and how she performs when she gets there.Several of the children at out school (out of a very small year group) got full marks on this years science paper so I think KS2 science does need to be made more challenging.

well we are in a three tier system so dd at middle school and wont leave till end of year 8. Level 6C does seem high but it must be appropriate as it reflects the set she is in (set 1) and after chatting to another mum, her son got a similar target level for next year.

I think it would be unfair to suggest that science tests need re-jigging!

We are pleased as she loves science second to playing the violin and eating sweets!

'I think it would be unfair to suggest that science tests need re-jigging!'

Surely if children are finding the work too easy ,then they need to do something a bit more challenging ?

Why is it too easy? If a child gets full marks it shows that some children are v good at it. Unless all children are getting full marks it is still doing it's job ie finding out how well the school is teaching children of all abilities.

only a small percentage and i mean small got this as a target level next year as i spoke directly to dd teacher today.

Sometimes, kids are really good at something!

In our LEA (which I would think is pretty average) 50 % of children got level 5 for science last year.Judging by our school this yrs test was easier (all but 1 child getting a level 5) .Given that they are supposed to go up 2 sublevels a year i don't think a low level 6 in Y7 is that special.
I am pleased that your DD is doing well and don't want to take anything away from that, but on the other hand don't want you to be deluded !

katiestar, i am not deluded, i just wanted advice, in future i shall stick to asking the professionals as your strange comments are unwitting testomony to doing otherwise.

Katiestar - are you a teacher? (Just interested )

That table is really useful, thank you Grimma. I find all the SATs stuff really confusing, but that table is pretty much the clearest explanation I've seen.

well, if they do move up 2 sub-levels per year (good progress!) then one can assume

yr 6 5b
yr 7 6c
yr 8 6a
yr 9 7b

Whilst not evidence of a genius, it is 'top set' calibre - for an average two band comprehensive school.

I don't think Katie was saying that you're deluded at all - just placing your child's achievement in the context of other children's achievement.

Her target level is less important than her current level. So: if she is currently level 5 at the end of Year 6 (ie above 'average' performance and not forgetting that average performance is only average because of those above and below it!) she will be expected to make two levels of progress over the whole of KS3, thus ending up with L6 in Year 8 and L7 in year 9, then another two levels progress in KS4, thus ending up with A or A* at GCSE.

what about music exams, do you think they are made easier these days? is there an average i only ask as the violin teacher called us today and dd achieved 141 for grade 4 which is a "distinction" - dd thrilled.

oh and janeit,

yes, i do think the target level is important as it shows what dd "is capable of achieving". Her science teachers words, not mine!

I know a few Dc's on level 7 in science in year 7 including my DS. He got a 5a for his ks2 sats and the top mark in his class,however 66% of his class got a level 5 that year.

I'd have thought music exams would be relatively easy to keep the standard fixed for - the repertoire is fairly fixed, so easy to keep tabs on any 'grade inflation'. I suppose examiners could be getting more lenient in awarding higher marks for slightly less musical performances, but I doubt there is much of that happening to be honest.

So well done to your dd Chuppa - anything over 140 is considered to be an exceptionally good result.

For the science thing, I don't really know how accurately the levels are measured (we didn't have them except for the end of KS2 at my dcs school), but as there is effectively a cap on achievement of 5 at KS2, I'd expect there would be a (small) number of kids who are above level 5 at KS2 but who are only given a 5 as that's as high at the year 6 SATs go.

I find it odd that people ask for an opinion they are given varying opinions all of them backed up with evidence.

Katiestar gave imo great advice.

unless you just wanna hear your dc is a genius!!

trust me when they get to secondary school competition will be much higher.

But a target is only ever a target: the current level is a record of ATTAINMENT and of course is therefore more meaningful.

I wish I'd not bothered spending time explaining all the grades now because it seems that all you want to gain from this thread is people congratulating you on having created a genius.

Imo too many kids received level 5s - at ds's school anyway. They were given the percentages, and 80+ out of 100 resulted in a level 5. Some children got 100% in maths, and many more got in the high 90s. So someone with 20 fewer marks than the top maths person still got a level 5.

No wonder they can't sort the wheat from the chaff at GCSE if it's the same marking system.