National Curriculum levels

[Idratherbemuckingout]

I am assuming a level 4 for end of Year 6, but what level should children be throughout secondary school?

In particular for Maths.
a) the average child (from a level 4 age 11)
b) the more able child (from a level 5 at 11)
What about the child who is already working at level 6 at age 11? Obviously unable to achieve a level 6 as this is no longer tested for.
During years 7 to 11?
I hope this is clear enough. Reading it back it sounds a tiny bit muddled.

Does this help?

In English -

a) L4 at age 11 = L5 at age 14, GCSE C/D
b) L5 at age 11 = L6 at age 14, GCSE C/B
and L6 at age 11 = L7-8 at age 14, GCSE A/A*

Obviously a blunt tool and takes no account oof how children's development can vary due to external factors etc.

HTH

They will also drop to lower levels in new subjects, so a 4a at the end of year 7 can be quite good.

Teachers also complain that what a child is supposed to show for a level doesn't match between Primary and Secondary, so at the beginning of year 7 levels can drop down.

For KS3 we now set targets of 2 levels of progress (English and Maths).
So L4b at age 11 -> L6b at age 14 -> Grade B at GCSE.

These are steep targets, but it's what Ofsted FFT are looking for these days in terms of good progress. Certainly the higher ability children (who've had a steeper learning curve in primary) should achieve this:
L5b at age 11 -> L7b at age 14 -> grade A/A* at GCSE

Just re-read your op:

My boys' school set very high targets for able students and they make good progress.

eg: ds1 got 5a from primary (Eng/Maths/Science) and has targets of L8 for end of yr9. He's in yr8 now and is achieving or exceeding his targets in these core subjects.

Obviously with the relatively low ceiling of 5a at primary, students who are effectively functioning at L6+ in primary will appear to make big strides of progress in the first year.

ds2 (yr7) has achieved the ceiling of all maths tests so far - often with full marks - currently L7.

In some subjects the level descriptors are pretty vague and different schools and even teachers will mark quite differently. My current school expects me to rocket the kids up the levels much faster than my previous school, but the students' work is actually no better.

LOL qumquat