GCSE predictions and FIsher Family Trust

[madmummad]

can anyone explain what data normally goes into the FFT model to predict GCSE grades. DS has got his predicted grades but as he didn't take KS2 SATS I'd be interested to know what academic info is relied upon to predict his grades.

ooh that's interesting. I thought prior attainment was the biggest one. That said, I think Fischer type A is the forward looking one and I have not as much knowledge of that

here: Type A: pupil progress the same as all pupils nationally, (taking account of each pupil?s prior attainment [test marks and TA levels*], subject differences, month of birth, and gender).

Glad to be corrected though

does anyone use FFT a though - we use FFT b and D.

Is it b that's forward looking? Fairly sure D is retrospective

Does FFT not use ethnicity and post code?

Mine used CAT tests ... both my sons got identical predictions, wildly out for No 1, remains to be seen for 2. They are just a guide ...

It's all total bollocks that govt/schools use as a marker.

Parents get given the FFT grade and tehn get arsey that their darling is not achieving it. It's total shite and most teachers hate it cos they are (frequently) unreasonable.

I thought FFT D was all about averages for groups, so useful for schools to see if a cohort achieved targets overall. However, our school use them for individual tragets and that - to me - is not what they seem to have been designed for. But who am I to know. SLT still use term even though all 3 are Maths specialists and really ought to know what averages are about!

my DB says the formula they use at their school for grade predictions includes child's home postcode and parents' occupations. I think that is VERY unfair because lower expectations should not be attached to children just because they come from a poorer background.

they will use the levels the teacher deems your child to be working at inlieu of sats results i would imagine

The social indicators they use as part of FFT annoy me the most. I have a large proportion of my class targeted As even though some of them just aren't clever enough, no matter how hard they work. So they'll end up feeling like they've failed purely from data based on their parents' job and postcodes! Is ridiculous IMO.

At our school if children come in without KS2 SATs mark, they do baseline testing early on in yr7 and use that instead. (A lot of our current yr8s didn't do SATs because of the boycott that year.)