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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

your Y8 top set children - what levels?

93 replies

kitnkaboodle · 29/12/2014 00:29

... in maths, English and science? ? Finally dug son's Christmas school report out of his bag. He's been coasting since starting secondary and is happy to do the minimum to get by. He did great at primary and got the academic prize when he left. Did level 6 ks2 sats etc. Current levels according to report are English 6a, Maths 7b, Science 7c. I know these are all really good, but I would have predicted him being a real high flyer and I think these are not exceptional for top sets. Please don't flame me. I can't exactly go around his peers' parents asking what they got - so trying to get a perspective on it here. He is very bookish n bright n I just want to be sure he's fulfilling his potential

OP posts:
Hulababy · 29/12/2014 22:34

No idea! School doesn't use NC levels - they no longer match the NC requirements so are pretty much useless on the whole.

clairewitchproject · 29/12/2014 22:36

My Ds is top set science at a grammar - currently 7c. In maths he is middle set 6b and bottom set for English at 5a/6c (writes well, but not enough).

Idiotdh · 29/12/2014 23:37

Well just checked out ds levels
Maths 7b
Science6b
English6c
From teacher comments and test results he appears to be doing well pretty much at the top of his class and he finishes work quickly and easily.
However I can see some levels above are quite a bit higher than this..maybe the school doesn't push things v much as he seems to find the work v easy, is given extension work and gets above 95 % in most tests and exams. Difficult to tell what's going on to some extent.

Kenlee · 29/12/2014 23:49

My daughter is in bottom set with 6A English. She has passed the PET so we aren't really worried. The teacher said there is nothing to worry about it.

Idiotdh · 29/12/2014 23:52

Well that's a bit worrying..I have been led to believe ds is doing really well. He has done some pieces of work in English at level 7 but has level 6c on his report . Haven't had parents evening yet .

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 30/12/2014 00:07

DS3 is in top sets for maths, 7a, science, 6c and second set for English, 5a. These are based on probably one or two end of topic tests, so I'm not too worried. DS1 was similar and managed A*s in maths, further maths and the triple sciences at GCSE and As in English language and lit.

DrownedGirl · 30/12/2014 00:09

My son is in y7 and got 6s at ks2. Has been assessed at 7a in maths, 7b in science and English. He is one of the top for maths though (large comp, 210 students in y7)

Picturesinthefirelight · 30/12/2014 00:17

Dd didn't do SATS

She is in year 8 & is

6B English (target 7b)
6B Maths (target 7a)
5B Science (target 7B) However her October report said 6c for Science & it seems funny when the new level was given just after dh at dds request raised concerns she wasn't being extended/was doing a lot of work she had done before)

There are no sets, it's mixed ability but she is in a maths extension group.

Hakluyt · 30/12/2014 00:26

"Well that's a bit worrying..I have been led to believe ds is doing really well. He has done some pieces of work in English at level 7 but has level 6c on his report . Haven't had parents evening yet ."

That is more than fine for the first term of year 8. Honestly. The people on here are absolutely not typical. My DS is in year 9 and is only now scoring consistent 7s in most subjects and he is doing very well and predicted As and A*s (or whatever their equivalents will be) for GCSE. I'm not saying that anyone on here is doing this,obviously, but I find in real life that quite often, one piece of work with a very high level is translated by proud parents as "working at".

Is your child being given work that they find challenging most of the time? If yes, all is well. If not, time for a word with the teacher.

Picturesinthefirelight · 30/12/2014 00:36

Hakluyt- dd felt that she wasn't in science & after the quick word with the teacher her report has changed from on target to below target & down a whole level.

She had already taken matters into her own hands though & registered on Khan Academy.

Original poster
kitnkaboodle · 30/12/2014 00:58

Thanks all y8 parents. I know these are good levels even for the MN worldWink and especially so in the real world. It's not so much that I m worried - more I want to keep an eye on his levels at this particular school. We sent him to local - good - comp when others were bussing their kids miles to a grammar or breaking themselves financially over private schools. Seems good to know that other posters here from grammar schools think his grades are good n heading the right way. Not a conversation I could have with other parents IRL

OP posts:
summerends · 30/12/2014 06:04

kitnkaboodle from reading this and other threads and IME it seems to me that individual teachers and schools will vary in how they award levels (probably based on very few pieces of marked work and topic covered) and predict top GCSE grades. I suspect schools with staff that are able to consistently achieve the top GCSE grades with their able pupils or selective schools will be more realistic with appraisals of pupils' achievements in relation to their peers and may mark with relatively lower levels. Higher levels and predicted GCSE grades would seem meaningless if given to quite a few pupils but only a small number do very well at GCSE for that subject (particularly if also in some cases that is achieved by outside help).

If you are concerned about him underachieving in relation to his ability Hakluyt's comment about challenging work makes good sense as does the previous post about looking at the quality of work in his exercise books (and expectations from the marking comments). You might find it helpful to have conversations with parents of older able DCs in your DS's school (year 11 upwards) as retrospective experience can be useful information to be forewarned if needs be.

Marmitelover55 · 31/12/2014 00:43

Read this just out for interest - my dd is in the third (middle set) in year 8 and her latest grades were 6a in maths and 6b in English and science. I wondered how well the top set at her school might be doing, so interesting to read this. Sounds like she is doing ok. She is in a good comp where about 90% get 5 GCSEs A*-C inc maths and English.

Chimchar · 31/12/2014 00:55

Can I ask..... What are the a, b etc after the levels?

My ds is in year 9. I've not seen these before. They do a +/- after the level. Is that the same thing?

I'm in Wales if that makes a difference.

Thanks.

TheFirstOfHerName · 31/12/2014 09:06

B means they are at the middle of that level. A means they are nearly working at the level above.

Chimchar · 31/12/2014 10:33

Great.

Thanks The first. Sounds the same as the +/- thing then.

My ds is in Yr 9. I have found that his grades seem to be played down, but over the year build up to the higher levels. This must be to show the progression and the difference that the teaching is making.

He'll start at a 6, then go to a 6+, then a 7- then a 7, etc.

PointlessResolutions · 01/01/2015 23:03

DD1 had almost identical levels at the same time point in Yr8 (is now in Yr9) and was top of the top sets. So your DS is doing well. However, I would be looking at what his teachers have to say about his effort and input in class to get the full picture. DD1 isn't just bright, she's also thorough, ambitious and diligent. The ability to put in the hard work really matters going into GCSEs and beyond.

PointlessResolutions · 01/01/2015 23:05

And Hakluyt ir right about parent translations - DD2 is in Yr7, did a test on something in science which really engaged her and scored 7b on it. Great. I am under no illusion that this is the level she is working at, though. The bigger picture is what matters.

ByTheSea · 01/01/2015 23:11

Just asked DD2-12. Not as high as many here but top sets English and Maths. Maths 6b Science 6c English 7c

KittiesInsane · 02/01/2015 10:58

Marmitelover, that's not just a 'good' comp, that's bloody amazing. DS's genuinely outstanding comp gets about 80 to 85% through the 5 A*-C mark each year (slightly more get both English and Maths but not enough other GCSEs to count for the benchmark). They are renowned for their hard work with both very low and high attainers, including SEN at both ends of that range.

Hats off to any fully comprehensive-intake school that does better than that.

TarquinMoriartyGruntfuttockII · 02/01/2015 11:35

My DC1 is YR8 and is 8a in English, Maths and Science and 5c to 7a across his other subjects, except PE which he hates.

He has extension groups for the cor subjects as well as normal lessons and they are tackling GCSE work. In Science ( which is his first love) he also goes to a G&T after school club where they look at all sorts of topics and regularly discuss university topics.

We live abroad though and the DC's go to a private school, no other options for us.

Marmitelover55 · 02/01/2015 12:35

Kittiesinsane - it is fully comprehensive but has a fair banding entrance test, so in that sense I guess it is sort of selective, as only the more motivated families will play the game. The intake is very diverse and multicultural though.

KittiesInsane · 02/01/2015 12:43

Could be right -- I've certainly heard it said that it doesn't matter what the entrance criterion is (fair banding, catholic upbringing, sports prowess, knitting ability...), you will still eliminate families who can't or won't play the game.

I thought Level 8 was only applicable in Maths?

Hakluyt · 02/01/2015 13:21

If it has fair banding it's not fully comprehensive.

Marmitelover55 · 02/01/2015 14:02

I think it is fully comprehensive in terms of ability range, but parents must be a bit more motivated/organised re application.