qn for Y9 parents

[Var123]

If your DC is in the top set for English, what level are they working at, and have the school told you what your DC might get at GCSE?

DS1 seems not to have improved all year. He's 7b / 7a. He's not happy, but I am not sure whether to reassure him or ask his teacher for her view?

I wish I could answer but my DC's school doesn't use national curriculum levels any more. I think they now use the new GCSE levels and I think she is a 6. My understanding is they expect them to make one level of improvement each year, so by GCSE maybe she will be an 8. I think this might equate to the old A/A* but I may have got this completely wrong

7b should equate to an A/A* equivalent if he carries on working hard.

Thanks Marmitelover55 and RedHelenB. The lack of progress is bothering DS1, especially as he appears not to have got better since this time last year.
Maybe he's just consolidating his skills? Or maybe the teacher last year was a generous marker and this one isn't? Or maybe he hasn't improved at all this year? Who knows?!

I do know that level 8 used to roughly equate to a B at GCSE though, but that was before the GCSEs got harder and the new 1-9 scoring came in.

TBH I'd just like to be able to either reassure DS or, if he has stalled, find out what the problem is and help him over it.

All that matters is the grades they ACTUALLY get. And working consistently and revising for his exams should mean he'll do fine. I know schools who give oput all sorts of levels that don't then seem to equate to GCSE success.

7b. I see she was also 7a earlier in the year. Never mind, she's fine.

Did they really tend to give 8s to year 9? DS certainly never got one (and his English grade was his sole A* in old-money GCSEs).

he got 8c once last year, so it must be available this year.

I don't want to bother the teacher unless there is a problem and at the moment, the only issue I know for sure is that DS is unhappy and thinking that he's just not up to it. Maybe that's enough to bother the teacher with anyway?