Is Year 8 a 'lost' year - Advice and Information needed

[minesawine]

Hi all. Year 7 is nearly over, with all the trials and tribulations that went with it!

It has been a year of change and settling into a routine that is so different to primary school, but it has been mostly a good experience for my DS.

I have been told that Year 8 is a bit of a lost year, where not much happens, but nothing is new. They said it is the year when the kids are most disruptive, get bored and drop their grades and standards. Hormones kick in and school is way down on the list of priorities.

I find that a little bit worrying. Is it true? What happens in schools in year 8? Is it onwards and upwards or just a filler year before GCSE's start?

[Madsometimes]

A good year for my dd. She was the only one from her primary school at this secondary, so year 7 was a bit of a settling in period. Academically she plateaued, and had mates at school but not very good friends.

In year 8, her secondary school feels like home. She has made some good friends and her NC levels have increased quite a bit. I would say that year 8 is a happy year for my dd, so I'm pleased with how this year has gone.

[BigBoobiedBertha]

That's interesting because my DS's homework definitely went up this year. I don't think he did very much at all in Yr 7 although he did quite a bit of it at school in the lunch breaks (he has AS and isn't 'troubled' by friends so whilst that generally worries me, it did at least allow him to spend lunch getting his homework done). In Yr 8 he doesn't have time to finish much in his lunchbreak.

They have had the same assessments and target setting this year - maybe one more formal level report, I can't remember now. They still have end of module tests every few weeks.

Schools are so different, aren't they?

Pointythings - "I actually welcome the move to more linear exams, can't imagine what it must be like to never have a break from assessment"

That is exactly how I feel about it. DS has to take his first GCSE next year (Gen. science) and then it is non-stop until 18, assuming he does A levels. It is too much.

[CeliaFate]

This is spooky. I just came here to post exactly the same thread title! My dd has just finished year 8 and it was completely different to year 7. Much less homework, far fewer tests, very little pressure.

I think after the setting, testing and juggling sets they did in year 7, year 8 is treated as a "breather". We've been a bit disappointed in the lack of "push" year 8s seem to get.

[gazzalw]

I am hoping Y8 won't be a lost year for DS. He has failed to knuckle down this year at his super-selective and knows that he needs to up his game next year....fingers crossed....

[bigTillyMint]

Y8 was OK for DD, both academically and socially. Y9 has been much more tricky socially, fine academically as they start their 3yr GCSES courses/

I am hoping that DS might settle a bit more in Y8 after a horrendous surge of puberty hormones over the last few months! And he will be a Gove guinea-pig.

[minesawine]

I have just got back from the end of year pupil achievement evening and was told by head teacher that at the start of year 8 parents will need to attend a session where they are advised of the targets and expectations for the year. They said they are going to really push the children. This will all be monitored on FROG. My mind has been put at rest. Bring it on....

[pointythings]

I hope his hair unravels around his ears.

I actually welcome the move to more linear exams, can't imagine what it must be like to never have a break from assessment. But after 3+ years of this I wouldn't believe Gove if he said the sun was a little warm.

[Talkinpeace]

"Gove levels" are not real .... check the AQA details ... its all unravelling around his ears .... not much is changing from what already has

[pointythings]

talkin I meant 'new old' style GCSEs as opposed to the 'Gove' levels which are coming in starting 2015. Who can keep up with it all? And who knows what's actually going to be in them? On second thoughts every child between the ages of 4 and 16 is a guineapig for the man's grandiose ideas for a return to the 1950s.

[Talkinpeace]

iGCSE are nothing to do with Gove.

I'm yet to work out who DOES set the curriculum standards for them as its not the AQA

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

For Biology, Chemistry & Physics, DS1 is due to do iGCSEs with CIE. They are already linear and have no coursework. Not sure how much Gove is planning to change them.

[Talkinpeace]

If he's Yr8 this year then he will be doing old style GCSEs
What do you mean "old style"?
Modular went last year, the new linear ones are already well underway for year 10 (hybrid) and year 9 (full linear)

Gove's syllabus change is all hot air as the NC only applies to LEA schools and there are not many of those left

[pointythings]

If he's Yr8 this year then he will be doing old style GCSEs. As opposed to my DD1 who is one of Gove's Guineapigs.

[minesawine]

Thank you everyone, this was a really interesting discussion.

It is good to benchmark him against others, as he is low Level 7 and top Level 6. So academically he is doing really well.

I am still confused as to whether he will be the first year of the horrible new style GCSE's or the last year of the current style GCSE's. Does anyone know?

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

DS1 is due to finish the KS3 course in Science, Maths and English in the December of Y9 and will then start the GCSE courses in those subjects in the January. So I can see why Y9 would sometimes be described as KS4.

In case Meow75 is interested, the Science course seems to be based on 'Exploring Science'. He has completed 32 out of the 36 units.

[CatsAndTheirPizza]

Thanks Meow - that's helpful to know.

We get given targets for each subject - reviewed three times a year. However, like I said, they are not benchmarked in any way so are pretty meaningless unless you have insider knowledge.

[Meow75]

Sorry, UNOFFICIALLY ...

[Meow75]

Also, I officially, many schools including the one where I work, are now classing Year 9 as KS4 not 3. According to gov't and NC, it is KS3.

Still not sure how this works, but have been doing it for 2/3 years.

[Meow75]

Catsandtheirpizza,

I know this because I have taught Science for 15 years, and it gets rammed down our throats. The students are also supposed to know the level they're on and their end of year and end of KS targets. Most, of course, don't know their arse from their elbow most of the time, even when you mark work and give targets for improvement.

I am not aware of parents being told of requirements for reaching any given level - I think most senior managers feel that this would overwhelm many parents, particularly if their own educational level isn't great. Only the short term targets given via verbal or written feedback are shared at my school.

As for other subjects, my good friend is a French teacher. It seems to be fairly normal for Y7 students to finish that year around Level 2/3 or 4 if they are bilingual or considered to be particularly talented at the subject.

Not being my subject I may have got this wrong, but this is my grasp.

HTH

[CatsAndTheirPizza]

Sorry Meow another Q - is that the same in all subjects (i.e. even languages they have only just started?). Also, how do you know all this - is it written down somewhere?

Thanks.

[CatsAndTheirPizza]

Googled - KS3 = yrs 7,8 and 9, yes?

[CatsAndTheirPizza]

Meow75 when does KS3 end?

[Talkinpeace]

My DCs went to a small primary so were climbing the walls with boredom by the end of year 6.
One term of year 7 and they realised that there were other people like them (bright) and who were better at sport and music and computing.
So year 7 was a whoosh of getting used to the (very) big school
Year 8 consolidating
Year 9 slogging guts out to get grades good enough to have choice in options
Year 10 - first half of GCSEs

May I join the queue to subject Gove to medieval treatment - properly researched of course

[pointythings]

Meow and the pound of flesh nearest to their heart as well... If I won the Lottery I'd start HE tomorrow just to get my kids out of the clutches of this lunatic.

[Meow75]

A student achieving a Level 5 at end of KS3 would be expected to get a Grade C at GCSE, Level 6 = Grade B, etc, etc.

But of course, Dickhead at the DofE is fanning about so by the time current Y7 students get to end of GCSEs, they might be expected to give a kidney too!!!!