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Secondary education

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Original poster

Can someone reassure me about dd's end of term report?

12 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 19/12/2013 12:55

I'm a bit clueless about whether its ok or not.

She's in year 8. She got level 5s at end of year 6. I'm sure in her Year 7 xmas report she was getting mainly level 5s and the odd 6. I know that at Easter parents evening her maths teacher said she was doing Level 7 work as did her science teacher.

             Current levels are.       NC end of year target level

English. 5b. 6b
Maths. 5b. 6c
Science. 5b. 6c
Art. 5c. 4a
Citizenship. 5c. 5b
Dt. 5a. 5a
Drama. 6b 5c
French. 4c. 5c
Geography. 5a 6c
German. 4a 4a
History. 5a. 6c
Ict. 5b. 6c
Music. 5c. 5c

I'm a little worried that she doesn't seem to be making much progress. I'd like to think she's a bright kid, she passed her 11plus but didn't go to the grammar school. She's below her end of year targets in a lot of subjects but that's two terms away so how likely is it that she'll get her targets by the end of the year? Is getting her targets enough or should I be worried about the lack of progress?

OP posts:
prh47bridge · 19/12/2013 13:30

Average progress is two sub-levels a year. It is expected that pupils will be level 4 at the end of Y6. If a pupil is, say, 5c in a subject at the end of Y6 you would normally expect them to be 5a or 6c in that subject by half way through Y8 and 6b or better by the end of Y8.

If I understand your post correctly she has already met or exceeded her target in Art, DT, Drama, German and Music. She only has to go up one sub-level to achieve her target in Citizenship, Geography and History.

She has to progress two sub-levels in Maths, Science and ICT which is definitely achievable. That leaves English and French where her target is to move up 3 sub-levels by the end of the year. Challenging but not impossible.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 19/12/2013 13:45

Thanks. I guess I'm not too bothered about French as she can drop it next year and concentrate on German which she likes better.

I was surprised at her maths and science as last year she seemed to be doing so much better. Howver she is on her fifth science teacher since Sept so maybe its not a surprise that she's not doing well there.

English is a worry and always seems to have been her weakest subject. Not sure why, she reads loads at home. Her hand writing is awful though.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 19/12/2013 16:54

Teachers will have come up with the current sublevel by licking their finger and sticking it into the air.

Look at her effort grades, if they are good then hold off worrying about levels until the end of the year.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 19/12/2013 17:36

She gets 1 (the highest) for effort in every subject. So really pleased with her for that.

OP posts:
NoComet · 19/12/2013 17:50

noblegiraffe you are as cynical as me Grin

I often suspect, hats or Bingo machines, although the HT claims there is a highly scientific system Hmm

I used to hope it would get better, DD1 is dyslexic and not the easiest child to place, but no DD2's are just as mad.

DD1 has had two different sets of projected GCSE grades right in the middle of applying for sixth forms and will no doubt get different ones, when the mocks come out, we have give up worrying!

Blu · 19/12/2013 23:21

Hmmm. If she passed the 11+ and got all level 5s at the end of Yr 6 I am surprised that she isn't working at a higher level and been given higher targets in English, Maths and science.

I have noticed that DS's (Yr 8) levels are lower for most of the subjects new at secondary than for those subjects.

Is it just that the class as a whole is working to a level and she doesn't have the chance to work at a higher level?

I would ask to talk to her Head of year or Year tutor if you are concerned.

Although I am also sure that a fair bit of wet finger sticking goes on, too!

takingthathometomomma · 19/12/2013 23:27

noble lol if only it was as simple as that, my PGCE year would be a hell of a lot easier!

OP I wouldn't worry too much. She's on target for most, perhaps could do with some focus on English and French.

noblegiraffe · 19/12/2013 23:35

taking I'm a teacher! Sublevels are bobbins, they really are. There's nothing objective about the assessment of them and they don't even officially exist.

takingthathometomomma · 19/12/2013 23:38

Ahh apologies noble! My placement school has been drilling them in and showing me different ways of assessing them, it's taking me bloody forever! Perhaps I should start putting random letters next to the numbers if they don't really count for anything...

noblegiraffe · 20/12/2013 09:21

Wait till you get to your next placement school and find out that they do everything differently :)

MillyMollyMama · 20/12/2013 23:47

Is this the difference between a secondary modern year 7 and a grammar school year 7? The non grammar (I am guessing secondary modern) will be slower paced. This is what you wanted presumably.

NoComet · 21/12/2013 00:04

You don't need to change schools, I've had ~12 secondary school reports (DDs in Y11&8). I don't think we've had the same style twice.

Spending the last year in special measures means yet another couple of systems to keep the HMI quiet, it's nuts.

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