Difference between KS2 level 6 and KS3 level 6

[Idratherbemuckingout]

Hi, I saw on another post that if your child has got a level 6 in the KS2 age group, he may well not get a level 6 when he goes up to secondary.

I wasn't aware there was a huge difference and had assumed that level 6 meant level 6 all across the board. So, if my son, who is HE, is a very good level 6 at KS 3 level, that would mean he is PROPER level 6? He is Year 6 by the way.
I ask this, because for his entrance exams the maths teacher (on open day) said they expected Level 6 from the children for the entrance exam.
But this must mean KS2 level 6, mustn't it? I think.
So if your child is level 6 KS3, he must be higher than level 6 KS2?
Am I right?
To be honest, he's level 7 really, but I only need him to be level 6.

"I don't know about an impromptu sheet of arithmetic - I would expect all children to be able to easily perform the methods we have practised, and regularly assess if they can do this via their individual whiteboards, where I can see instantly. I may try an impromptu sheet though, you have got me thinking. "

I would be interested in the results if you did :)
Although if you are regularly assessing long multiplication I don't suppose many would have forgotten. I am pleased to hear you do this as I was under the impression that it was a topic that was dedicated only as much time as any other. Perhaps our feeder primaries aren't as hot on it and that's why so many of our students seem to forget how to do it so quickly.

IMO the reason that our education system is in such disarray is because of politics, politicians and the fact that the education system is subject to the whims of a series of short-lived education ministers with an eye on making their party look good short-term (and to hell with long term impact) and also with 'leaving their mark' (so introduce sweeping reforms and then bugger off to better cabinet positions).

Totally agree.

Oh, so do I, completely!

And I would add that these ministers also make these decisions based on very, very little understanding of the system they find themselves in charge of.

hear hear noble

Because at parents evenings I've had teachers take a slow considered look at their mark books and assign DD1 a different and logical level.

Instead of her English grade going from 7 down to 5 in six months.
5u is about right, why the teacher put a speaking test grade on a report without explanation is a mystery (DD is dyslexic and this simply wasn't a representative mark).
Maths got adjusted upwards at parents evening too. Science too.

I just get the feeling reports get done in a terrible hurry, because DD1 is a real mixture of strengths and weaknesses, cut and paste comments are stupidly easy to spot.

They'll be delighted to get DD2, she'll work neatly through the levels and any bland conscientious worker comment will do fine, but DD1 doesn't fit neatly into any box. Other than the one marked awkward

Noble
I should have added that in person DDs teachers are all great.
The marking and reporting system is clearly mad.

This thread serves to confirm what a lot of utter tosh the levels are and that the reports are tosh recurring. Thank you teachers for confirming the veracity of the information parents are fed by the education system. One should expect better, one really should. Good to see it palmed off as the fault of ministers - they don't work there - you do. Their advisers aren't ministers they are ex educators. The profession needs to start telling the ministers what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

Gosh, marriedinwhite, you seem to pop up everywhere with what you perceive to be a tell-it-like-it-is opinion for everything. I've explained very painstakingly all the work that goes into moderating levels to ensire the opposite of what you think occurs. But I expect you know best, you usually do.

And blimey - never thought of telling ministers what they need to hear! Wow, what a revelation - and so easy!

ensure

Back to your classroom Feenie - you can tell the little children what to do. This thread has reassured me that removing dd from the state sector was absolutely the right thing to do.

After a term and a half her teachers are quietly filling the gaps they have identified in the education of a top set child - all 6as and 7cs on arrival. Maths - ouch, that has required an extra hour of tuition a week. French, where she was in the top five was sadly lacking too.

Another year and it would have been too late. Far far too late.

And all this is reason to pop up on a thread that you have so far not taken part in and be unpleasant to random people you've never met because......?

I haven't told anyone what to do. YOU have.

I don't think that trawling MN threads and the views of total strangers to reassure yourself that you've done the right thing in real life is terribly healthy, but obviously you should just go ahead if it makes you feel better.

Feenie - I made a general comment having read the majority of the thread and having observed the disagreements between some of the teachers on here and the comments about the inaccuracy of much of the grading and how some teachers bump it up, etc..

I did not start off by making a personal comment about anyone in response to anything. If you can't take it darling, kindly don't give it. In the real world when one deals with adults rather than with little children they are entitled to challenge you and they are entitled to have their own opinions - they won't always be the same as yours but if you start something personal then you can expect adults to challenge you. You can't send me to the head so try to argue nicely rather than getting personal.

Anyone reading will be able to see that you've made it personal - even your justification for posting was for personal reasons regarding your dd.

Your very first post berated teachers for having a professional discussion in the first place, and for not telling ministers something which you think is very easy indeed. That isn't challenging - it's an observation which is pretty much useless to the discussion.

Your style of making observations is far from adult - it's rude and unnecessarily aggressive, including the revolting passive aggressive use of 'darling'. Yuck.

^They explore the effects of changing the variables in an ICT-based model.

They use ICT-based models and simulations to explore patterns and relationships, and make predictions about the consequences of their decisions.^

are just 2 different descriptors within 2 different levels for ICT - there is no right or wrong and we have several meetings to moderate what is the difference between the 2 and how it can be evidenced as there is no black and white between them.

sorry still have sleep in my eyes!

I meant to say that the difference between the 2 levels are not clear cut and therefore to accurately state what level a student is working to can be difficult; there will be areas of conflict between professionals as to what level is being evidenced

Help I've had my first cup of tea and I've still no idea what that means.
But having tried to do English practice papers with DD1 I know it's the sort of language teachers are inflicted with day in and day out.
How a teacher, is supposed to find the time to work out if each pupil just can or just can't display the skills necessary, I just don't know.

What was wrong with a simple exam at Christmas and in The Summer? the marks from which decided sets and went on reports.

Surely we are all making it rather personal? We all have our own opinions etc and can't help but make it so. It's natural to draw on our own experiences and quote them, isn't it?

I agree with gazzalw. DS1 is very able in maths and went to an excellent primary school that gave extension lessons to DS1 and a couple of other pupils. DS1 was then assessed by his teacher to be level 6 when he left (he apparently scored 100% in his Sats paper so officially was a L5). DS1 moved onto a high achieving comprehensive school. He was then assessed at level 6 in his first term in year 7, and his second.. and his third and then his fourth term in year 8.

I have looked at his work and up until now he is still covering work that he first learnt at primary school. As an interested parent I can see little or no difference to the level of maths he is doing in the top stream of his comp compared to the additional work he did at primary school.

DS1 has just started with quadratic equations which is the first new mathematical topic he has been introduced to so far in this school.

Hi thatisnotanoption. Just read your post with interest. Like your ds, my dd is very able especially in maths. I am surprised that your ds is still on level 6 in year 8 and is in top set. My dd got 5a in her sats in primary and was also assessed as 6 but was not able to take a level 6 sats test. She was given a lot of extra work in year 6 and yes some of it was done again in year 7. She was put into set 1 for all subjects except for pe and now in year 8 she is still there. But her first maths assessment was a 7c and now she is up to 8a. If I were you i would have a word with the maths teacher or the tutor as your ds does not seem to be getting challenged and is coasting. And i am also surprised that you say he is at a high achieving school. Dd's school is just a normal high school but seem to push the top set quite well. Dd has just picked her options as well (nightmare). German, history and psychology. Psychology was the best of a bad bunch - there was nothing in that "box" that was any good for an able student. Has your ds picked his yet?

Hi ibizagirl. We get another progress report early next month followed by parents evening. The maths teacher will be at the top of my list. DS1 is definitely coasting and loosing interest (last term he did 3 "pages" of on-line maths homework which was all correct and managed to log on, and off completely from start to finish in one advert break).

I was told last year at parents evening that he would be involved in maths challenges etc but no sign of anything so far.

At his school, options are selected in year 9 but we have already looked through the details and they seem ok - he even seemed willing to do latin in his lunch break! Still there is another year to go.

DS1 seems to be challenged more in other subjects just not maths.

Junior Maths Challenge is on 26th April. If you go to the UK Maths Trust page you can find information about this. The school might have past papers that they would be able to give out for practice or you can find questions on the internet.

If you email [email protected] they email out sheets of challenging questions each month with solutions to help prepare.

Otherwise, extension maths materials are available at the nrich website