NC Levels - aren't they a bit mad?

[Hullygully]

I have been reading up on them as we are just embarking down this joyous path (DS 13), aren't they just a little barking?

Oh good, nobody disagrees, I knew I was right, but then, I always am. How satisfying and marvellous.

What are they? Genuinely interested...

Far far too long to explain, if you are really interested, they nestle on the net in amongst the govt info stuff.

Completly agree.

Bonsoir they are descriptions of progess made in each subject taught - National Curriculum Levels

Yes, and totally unrealistic in how they are applied when setting targets. The words dart and board spring to mind....

I personally think that if they are done correctly they can be useful...do I need to duck?!

But they can be a bit last minute and guesswork..

But the Year 9 SATS have been abolished. What do you mean by NC levels?

I think national curriculum levels work well when used well. They have improved my teaching. Any took is only going to be as good as the person using them.

I've actually found NC levels quite useful as my children go through school (currently years 5 and 10)

They are abit of a blunt instrument, certainly, but they certainly give you a rough idea of where your child is in relation to where they should be.

Not sure why the OP his only coming up against them now - surely they start in Reception and go on to the end of KS3?

Whilst they make some kind of sense and show progress reasonably well to the end of KS2, they do become more confusing at secondary school.
To some extent, once they get into yr7, previos levels do not get taken. Into consideration, and kids can easily appear to have gone backwards.
And they appear to only go as high as the level that subject teacher is Currently teaching to. And some subjects are new at this stage, so it seems to be a bit of guesswork at which level they start at.

Pehaps that's why the OP is questioning them at this stage.

I think it depends on the subject, I found them very difficult in RE, but I'm not an RE specialist. I also think they get over inflated in ks2 making it really difficult to set targets in KS3.

Seeker - coming up against them now because school was an indep before (now ds at grammar), and the only mention of them was a passing one post yr 6 SATs.

I started reading about them because I didn't know how they worked, the thing I thought so mad was particularly in English were it seems that the differentation is virtually made up just to try and create enough levels.

(I have no vested interest btw re my ds's achievements!)

where, even