Levels for grammar school/top set comp' in Y7.

[LynetteScavo]

What are higher ability pupils achieving in Y7?

I know I don't need to be too concerned about DS, as he is achieving between 5A and 6A in academic subjects(apart from Spanish which he's just started).

The school he attends don't stream in Y7 and I'm trying to get an idea of where he might be compared to the rest of the year. He was always in top sets in Junior school, but he's in a much bigger pool now!

What do you mean by "achieving"?

I think you'd need to ask your school where he is in relation to the rest - do you get a parents evening next term?

By achieving I mean at what level they are working.

There is a parents evening in July...I've had a recent meeting with the head of year, and generally his teachers see him as ablet, but as he seems to put in minimum effort into everything I'm wondering if this is going to affect which sets he's in.

Hard to say, will obviously depend on the intake for the school. However, given that the majority of grammar schools will be taking in children working at a good level 5 at the end of year 6 I would imagine most will be working at 5A/6C by now in subjects they have studied previously. Top sets will probably be even higher.

I'm not sure knowing what level Y7 kids at other schools are assessed at would help you with where your DS is - I don't think there are national papers until Y9?

Not sure either how such information would help you; if you're just concerned about his performance right now, speaking to his school (as you are doing) is your best bet.

If you are saying that you can't really tell how your son is doing, especially with the new marking system, I feel the same as you. I wish they gave them A's, or B's etc, then I feel that I would know if my daughter was doing well or not. She has 6c for maths and english, and 4 something for geography and history - the 4 doesn't seem very high to me, but I have no idea how it compares and whether it is considered good.

Oh blimey do different schools assess differently then? And do they still do SATs in Y9?

I'm not concerned about him now....I just want to know if he might not be in the top sets next year.

I was told by school (grammar) that the target levels are set by the government based on KS2 SATs results. I assume that is how they calculate value added.

DS got 5A in Science and Maths and 4B in English at the end of KS2. His target levels for year 7 were 6B in Maths and Science, and 5C in English. He was given additional support in year 7 at the Grammar in English, along with about a dozen other boys, so he exceeded his target.

He is now in year 8, and the highest levels he has been actually given for work (as opposed to his targets) is 8 for the Physics component of Science and 9 for Art.

A really exceptional girl who was at Primary school with DS and is now at another Grammar has exceeded her targets and finished year 7 with all level 7s or 8s, as far as I understand from what her mum has told me.

I was under the impression that the Government set SATs exams had been abolished nationally for KS3.

Having said that, I must admit I don't understand it, because as far as I can work out there is no such thing as a level 9, and I don't really understand the point of an 8. But my Dad, who teaches Maths, says his school would have level 9, which they made equivalent to GCSE grades, but would report to parents in KS3 as a level to avoid confusion. But it has simply confused me further.

I also think the whole thing doesn't matter too much, and as soon as you start on work towards GCSEs the whole national curriculum will see unimportant.

Thanks MillyR, that's helpful.

My Yr 7 DD got her report before Easter and it has
English: 6c
Maths: 6a
Science: 6b
Every other subject is 4s and 5s

She is in the top stream at the moment