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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

Unsure what to do ...

13 replies

LucyLocketLostHerPocket · 04/09/2015 20:17

DS is just starting yr8 and having read his report, appears to have finished yr7 on a lower grade (3a) in English than he got in his Yr6 Sats. The school was recently marked as inadequate by Ofsted and there are lots of changes being made but good teaching staff has always been an issue at this school unfortunately.
Would you email his new English teacher now to let them know you're aware there's a problem or wait till parents evening in October to see what they say?

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 04/09/2015 20:21

What did he get in his SATs? Does it look like he has just gone a bit backwards, or is it completely unexpected and might just be a typo?

redskybynight · 04/09/2015 20:51

The curriculum changed last year - not sure you can directly compare with previous year's results!

Original poster

LucyLocketLostHerPocket · 04/09/2015 21:20

He got 4a in his Sats and to be honest we were really pleased as he struggled with literacy all the way through primary.
So you wouldn't be too concerned with a level of 3a at the start of yr8? It just seems so very low. I have thought about helping him at home but I have absolutely no idea where to start. I can't even remember what I did in English lessons, it was over 30yrs ago.

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 04/09/2015 21:34

I would be very concerned with a 3a at the start of Y8 especially if it represented a whole level drop from SATs.

If correct, I'd be concerned that low literacy levels was affecting ability to access the curriculum in other subjects, which will have a knock-on effect throughout school. I would be expecting some sort of intensive intervention on the part of the school to help him catch up.

The drop also suggests something has gone wrong in Y7. Students sometimes flatline in Y7 because of inflated levels from primary, but I think it's reasonable to ask for some explanation for this assessment from his teacher. I wouldn't wait for parents' evening.

Original poster

LucyLocketLostHerPocket · 04/09/2015 21:39

Thank you noble, there has been no concern shown by the school at all. He seems to be doing fairly well in everything else. I think I'll try and meet his teacher as soon as possible and see what they have to say.

OP posts:

Sallyhasleftthebuilding · 04/09/2015 21:48

3a is low, 4b is average y6, and the target for the majority of pupils. It maybe that say lack of capital letters, or punctuation are letting him down, and the teacher cant improve his mark unless he bucks up, so writing at level 5 but cant be graded as that. You need to fins out why first, then you can help

knitknack · 04/09/2015 21:54

Levels don't exist anymore! This is the second year they've been scrapped by the Gov so it could be that this is done new grading system the school have designed themselves (as we've all been told to do).

What is his writing like? Is he using a variety of punctuation? Complex sentences? Paragraphs? I'd look in his books and see what YOU, as well as asking the school what assessment system they're using now that levels are gone.

knitknack · 04/09/2015 21:54

YOU think, I mean,

noblegiraffe · 04/09/2015 22:03

My school still uses levels. The government told us to ditch them, but didn't tell us how to replace them. It has now realised this might have been a mistake

I would expect that the 3a means a national 3a level. I'm surprised that the school isn't concerned, he is significantly behind expectations and would be expected to fail his English GCSE. What support is he getting?

Sallyhasleftthebuilding · 04/09/2015 22:16

You have to ignore content to some degree. Levels will be based on, say a formal.letter ... so usual capitals, punctuation, date, address, signed, rather than what is in the letter. Factual needs dates and time lines, stories, need good beginning middle end, twist, suspence, build up, short sentences, complex sentences, blah. So unless you know what hes doing wrong you cant help.

Original poster

LucyLocketLostHerPocket · 06/09/2015 09:07

Sorry I had to ignore my phone for a bit. The idea of writing anything sends him into a cold sweat tbh. I'm not sure he'd know how to write a formal or a complex paragraph. His school haven't sent any books home this last year for English so I hadn't really appreciated how behind he is. The teaching at his school has been very poor and I wish I'd never sent him or my older DC there but unfortunately I can't change that now.
They still show levels for targets and achievement on reports. He has had no extra support at all. They've been totally unfussed.
I've really taken my eye off the ball with my older DC's education. Had a lot on my plate with an elderly parent. No excuse though, I need to talk to the school. Just hoping they've actually got qualified teachers this year.

OP posts:

Original poster

LucyLocketLostHerPocket · 06/09/2015 09:09

I've decided to investigate tutoring for both DC in the subjects they're having most difficulty with but no idea how I'm going to find another £60 or so a week.

OP posts:

Yellowpansies · 06/09/2015 09:17

I got some private tutoring for my DS with his English and it helped hugely. If you can find someone privately it's cheaper that via an agency. I also did some work with him at home myself focusing on handwriting and spelling. Once DS wasn't finding those basics quite such a mountain, he got better at the more advanced elements of writing.

But I would definitely ask to meet his English teacher to ask what help they can give him. A 3a is the level of an average 9 year old - they should be flagging up that he needs help.

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