Year 3 Parents Evening - NFER/CAT tests?

[WalnetCake]

We had just had DD's parents evening which was really positive and she has settled into Juniors really well, which is great.

Her teacher told us they had done CAT tests at the start of the year, but were a bit puzzled by DD's scores. Apparently she got 140, 110, 110, and this is unusual because there is a bigger difference between them than they would expect. However, we didn't get a chance to talk about what this meant as there wasn't time. The teacher also said she personally didn't like CAT tests, but it was school policy to do them, so she sort of brushed it off.

Is this difference in scores a problem/unusual? Is it set in stone? The teacher explained it was sort of like an IQ test?

The high score was in verbal reasoning and DD loves anything to do with reading and writing so no surprise there! We have been left a bit worried that DD's maths isn't too great. Not sure what the other test measured .

Can anyone offer any advise?

Any teachers/Education experts not too zonked after World Book Day to offer a view?

Hmm - suggest you move to Bucks as the 11 plus there is just verbal reasoning - your DD sounds a sure fire bet.

Other than that, can't add much except to say that my Yr 2 came home the other day and told me they had done 'tests' at school. As we had been told about SATs next term I was puzzled and asked the teacher whether the tests were part of SATs, only to be told they were NEFR tests. Am no wiser (and have not been given any results) except to say that they seem to flipping test them all the time, with a range of incomprehensible tests, and erm, am I old-fashioned in wondering why they just don't teach them at that age? What on earth are all these tests for? (again - any teachers out there?)

I work in secondary but assume cognitive ability test results read the same way whenever they're taken. 140 is literally off the scale: too high to be accurately measured with this particular assessment tool. 110 is not that low at all, just low in comparison.

My school is a Bucks grammar, so I see a lot of high end Y7 CATS results. We don't get that many 140 results in any category, and I haven't seen a pupil score 140 in all 3 areas in the four years I've been at the school. Your DD's level of discrepancy would be relatively unusual in the KS3 cohort we deal with, but not by much. I assume (big assumption) that uneven development is a much more common feature of KS1/2 testing.

140 is full marks (but be warned this is NOT THATt unusual in the Y3 tests IME ,both my DC and other children were getting some full marks in Y3 and 4 (although we only do VR and NVR) and then dropped in Y5 and 6. The 'average' range is supposed to be 90-110, moderately high 110-130 and extremely high 130+
HTH

Thanks for those messages. I have had a look on the net and it seems a bit clearer now. I understand that the results are just what dd got at the time, not her IQ, so the fact that she got lower in maths isn't necessarily a problem as it may improve. I am still a bit unsure as to why the teacher said her profile was unusual - from what I have read it is normal to have strengths in one area more than another .
We don't have grammar schools round here btw, and I never did CAT tests, so it's a whole new world to me.
The good thing is that dd is loving school in Year 3 - I think the fact it is more formal suits her and apparently she gets to read LOADS at school (which is the best thing in the world to her!).
Ta for your help.

I would have thought it was completely normal to be stronger in one area than another. DD1 (about to go to a Bucks grammar) is rather stronger on maths than english (although I've never been told a CATS score - bet they do them, but like NEFRs they don't reveal it) and I suspect that DD2 is stronger on the english/reading side. There again she's only six, and I'm willing to bet that, as another poster has said, things are a lot more variable and subject to change as they get older - DD1 only really 'took off' in maths in the junior school.

Thanks bellissima. No reason for concern then . Just a bit strange DD's teacher should mention it like that. It just shows how much we parents read into things that maybe aren't that important! Thanks for your replies

Very interesting, Spiderpig would you mind telling me the average, moderately high and extremely high NFER bands for English, Maths, VR and NVR? DD (yr 3) did very well in all 4 but this is all new to me and I'd like some way of relating her scores to national averages.

Many thanks in advance

I meant English and Maths as well as the VR and NVR you have already given...:-)