How much notice to take of Year 7 minimum target levels?

[brentwoodgal]

My year 7 DD now has minimum target levels for the end of the year. She has 5+ for most subjects apart from English which is 6-. They are already streamed (apart from in Art, DT, Drama) and she seems confident she will hit these levels.

How much notice should be taken of them at this stage do you think - especially as this cohort will be the first lot to take the Ebacc, so converting KS3 levels into Ebacc grade predictions is not going to be straightforward I would guess?!

I have every confidence in the school and my DD is happy and feels likes she is being stretched but not overly so. Therefore no complaints so far

idon't understand what you mean.it's called a target grade because it's a target for her to aim towards , not a prediction of a gcse/ebacc grade

Yes, you're right - not helpful to mix the two things up. They are a target nothing more. Thanks.

Don't pay them any attention, they are pretty worthless. Sublevels are made up, levels are supposed to be used to measure progress between key stages. She should have a target for the end of KS3 which is generated from her KS2 data, but that only gives the average expected progress for the average child who has the same social profile and KS2 data as your child.

And as mentioned, it's all meaningless in the context of the mysterious new exams anyway.

My daughter's school are giving aims for KS3 so she's got a couple of years to try and achieve this. We only have English at the moment predicting 7.25 not quite sure how good this is, so I'm focussing on the fact that she's getting things like A, Good for work, plus for effort depending on how the teacher marks. Anything above an average comment is brilliant and with so many new subjects being taught it's a lot for them to think about at the moment. I'm trying not to worry about how the new system will work!

Targets are stepping stones to appropriate overall progress. Whatever the new ebacc looks like appropriate progress will still be a 'measurable ' quantity based on their ks2 levels. So targts for students are important to give them focus for progress throughout their school life to get the best qualifications they can.

Levels are being scrapped at KS2 so who knows what the targets will be based on in the future.

I didn't know that KS2 levels were being scrapped- I must have missed that! When wasnit announced?

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9324726/Primary-school-grading-system-to-be-overhauled.html

It was announced in June with the primary curriculum review. I assume it's going ahead, but don't know when.

Which brings us back to the op asking about their child who does have ks2 levels and whose progress will be gauged against them. Even if they do scrap ks 2 levels they will still have some kind of assessment, which may not be better, against which they will be judged when they take the ebacc, if that comes into being. Do not doubt the government will create a system which they can hold schools accountable against.