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Original poster

Nat 5 tracking report grade help pls

27 replies

DumplingsAndStew · 14/12/2020 16:30

Daughter in S4, just brought home first tracking report of this year.

Grades are 1-9 instead of the ABC of the actual overall course grade (I think?)

She's come home worried and stressed as she's got a working grade of a 6 and a 7 in two subjects, which she was told is a fail. Am I right in thinking its not? I thought it was 1-2 = A 3-4 =B etc, so these two grades would be a C and D in these subjects wouldn't it? So not the best, but still a pass?

Also I'm a bit confused, one of the subjects she's been marked as Excellent for both Behaviour and effort, On track for progress, yet only a 6 working grade and a 5 target grade. Why is the grade so low if all feedback is positive?

OP posts:
Cismyfatarse · 14/12/2020 21:28

1 and 2 are A
3 and 4 are B
5 and 6 are C
7 and 8 are D
9 is no award.

Hope that helps.

Original poster
DumplingsAndStew · 14/12/2020 21:49

That's what I thought @Cismyfatarse thanks. Not sure why her teacher told her that a 6 and a 7 is a fail then, maybe a failed attempt at trying to encourage her to do better.

I've suggested she speak to one of her teachers tomorrow who is an SQA marker.

OP posts:
WaxOnFeckOff · 14/12/2020 22:48

Just to answer the last bit, I guess the fact that they are working hard and behaving well doesn't necessarily mean that they will do really well in a subject they maybe don't have an aptitude for? So essentially the optimum would be a 5 because she is trying hard and without that would be a fail?

I think it's important that they understand that for some people getting and A is easy and for others hard work and dedication will never get more than a B or C. That B or C should be valued much more in terms of an achievement than it likely is.

And surely a working grade at this point in the year means that there is plenty time to work towards a better target grade, I mean they've not got much more than half way through the syllabus.

I think she needs to continue her excellent behaviour and effort and that will get her to her optimal achievement. This might also help her to focus in on subjects where she is most successful for Higher choices?

LizzieMacQueen · 14/12/2020 23:14

Is a D a pass? Thought that would be < 50%

DowntonCrabby · 14/12/2020 23:16

D isn’t a pass but gives them some acknowledgement on SQA certificate.

Original poster
DumplingsAndStew · 14/12/2020 23:28

Thanks @WaxOnFeckOff

She has additional needs and has had an absolutely horrendous time since starting secondary school. She has gone from thriving and excelling in primary school, to not being supported in any way and only managing a partial timetable with only four National 5 subjects. (Not behaviour related, she's no bother at all)

She just needs to do well enough to keep the small amount of confidence she has in herself. She plans to go to college next academic year, so I just need her to do well enough that it doesn't completely destroy her, as I'm not sure how much more she can take. I am so, so proud of her and everything she accomplishes, I just need her to be able to see some sort of result, some sort of reason to believe these last few years have been worth it.

OP posts:
Original poster
DumplingsAndStew · 15/12/2020 16:50

Just to further add to my confusion, she came home with the grade of a test they did yesterday in one of her subjects.

She got a 2. She got around 75%

This is the same subject she was marked as a 6, with a target grade of 5.

OP posts:
WaxOnFeckOff · 16/12/2020 13:29

It sounds like your DD is doing everything that she can @DumplingsAndStew have they given a way to contact them on the back of the tracking report? Do you have a (virtual) parents night soon?

I think in terms of maintaining motivation for your DD, it would be good to get some clarity.

Original poster
DumplingsAndStew · 16/12/2020 14:24

@WaxOnFeckOff

No parents evening at all expected, just these monthly 'tracking reports' that are starting now, with the caveat of 'get in touch if you need anything'. I need to have a good chat with her PCS teacher at the start of the new term anyway about arrangements for prelims, so I'll drop her a line beforehand and ask her to find out some more information for us.

OP posts:
WaxOnFeckOff · 16/12/2020 14:30

That sounds like a plan :o DSs school never did tracking reports and all previous reports were just about Effort and homework.

ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas · 16/12/2020 16:41

Why is the grade so low if all feedback is positive?
Because you can have lovely, hard working young people who simply don't have the skills for that subject - maybe it's essay writing, or something mathematical they just can't grasp - they put effort in but it doesn't lead to a high level of achievement

ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas · 16/12/2020 16:42

There should be some kind of explanatory notes with the tracking report? Not good if there aren't!

Original poster
DumplingsAndStew · 16/12/2020 17:12

@ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas

Why is the grade so low if all feedback is positive? Because you can have lovely, hard working young people who simply don't have the skills for that subject - maybe it's essay writing, or something mathematical they just can't grasp - they put effort in but it doesn't lead to a high level of achievement
Its computing science she got the confusing grade in (totally accept the low grade in English, thats definitely a struggle for her) She excels in computing, is often a week or so ahead of the rest of the class, does the homework (correctly), passes assessments and tests. At primary school, she was pretty much the school techie, the head teacher would call for her if anyone was having an IT problem. This class was oversubscribed, the teacher was trying to encourage pupils at the start of the year by telling them in a jokey way some of them would have to go. My daughter was actually told "you're staying, there's no way I'm letting you go!" She's also doing Graphic Communication, so another computer based subject, and is on track to get a B by the next report due next month. I guess I need to speak to the teacher as something is going wrong - whether it's the grade, or my daughter's learning.

The info with it explains difference between the working and target grade, and what they mean by effort/behaviour/progress stages. This says she always works conscientiously, always behaves well and has made excellent progress to date.

I know it sounds like I'm giving her more credit than she is due, but she's good at the subject, and confident in her abilities, and works bloody hard as its something she is very interested in. If she's falling so far behind at this point, there's an issue we need to tackle.

OP posts:
ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas · 16/12/2020 17:16

It could be that with the work they've done so far it doesn't cover enough of the course and so they are saying 6 rather than anything higher, just yet. It could also be that an actual mistake was made, lots of students/lots of columns of figures - definitely worth her or you emailing in to ask. The target grade is quite often just one up from the working grade, so a 6 today? Aim for a 5 next time type of thing.

Aurea · 16/12/2020 17:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas · 16/12/2020 17:27

Ffs.

Lidlfix · 16/12/2020 17:56

Agreed. FFS

Aurea · 16/12/2020 17:57

This is my experience from my elder son. A 5 at Easter turned into an A1 for the actual exam for higher English. He'd consistently been working at a higher level as well.

ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas · 16/12/2020 18:09

I can't explain that, not knowing your son or his school. But that's one experience. It's never happened with my students and that's 30x around 25 years of teaching.

WaxOnFeckOff · 16/12/2020 18:24

I'd worry that these tracking reports would be used by a teacher as evidence of any grade they submit. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case.

CS teaching doesn't have the best reputation as there is a lot more money to be had in IT outside teaching. Not saying all teachers are poor, just that it doesn't attract the best and schools often struggle to fill vacancies in this area.

This is subject where being able to sit the exam would be an advantage for most in terms of accurately assessing their progress.

Lidlfix · 16/12/2020 19:23

When you look at teacher salaries and progression opportunities from the point view of an ambitious Computing graduate it's not an attractive prospect.

Some of the CS teachers I know have side lines that make staying in teaching viable financially because they love their subject and teaching it.

WaxOnFeckOff · 16/12/2020 19:33

I think sometimes lidl that the personality traits that make a good IT specialist don't always make a good teacher. Although the project management/change type of IT bods are very different to the programmers/software engineers/data analysts.

The ideal would be a good teacher who trained themselves in IT. Or as you say ones who are willing to teach as they love it despite the lower financial rewards.

Teachers who are passionate about their subject are the ideal :)

Original poster
DumplingsAndStew · 16/12/2020 22:01

I didn't see that post before it was deleted, but I really, really hope that given the details I've given about her struggles over the past few years, it wasn't anything negative about her and her ability.

Thank you everyone else for your advice. I will contact her PCS teacher and have a chat. It's always best to know if there are problems, so we can work towards a solution Smile

OP posts:
Lidlfix · 16/12/2020 22:09

It absolutely wasn't . The post is deleted and I respect that so won't paraphrase but nothing regarding your DD.

WaxOnFeckOff · 16/12/2020 22:12

I don't think it was anything negative @DumplingsAndStew I think it was maybe an example of something that happened but maybe too many personal details? Don't know for sure but I must have read it as there wasn't a deleted one earlier and I don't remember anything nasty and I don't think Aurea is like that anyway.