Year 7 grades

[SeraOfeliaFalfurrias]

Hi all, I'm trying to figure out DD1's report. I don't get the UK education system at the best of times, but DD1 is now in secondary, and of course they're using the new 9-1 GCSE system. I understand that the grade she gets is what they would expect her to achieve if she were to sit the GCSE today. And I get that the target grades are individual for each child, so whether she is above, at or below target applies to her own target, not that of her peers. But what it doesn't tell me is how she is doing relative to the other children in her year. She might be doing as expected for her, but be at the bottom of the year or the top of the year and I'd be none the wiser!

Because the system is new there's not much help on the internet to find out what is a good/average/bad grade in year 7. I suppose I'm only supposed to care if she's achieving her own full potential but stuff that, I want to know if she's keeping up with her peers.

Can anyone shed any light?

JamieXeed74 - I get that, but I guess what I'm after is a way to know whether the grades she is currently getting are good enough for the academic future she would like. So that if she is below where she should be be, I can say to her in no uncertain terms that the grades she's currently getting are not good enough to get her into the course she wants to do. It would be extra motivation. But I have absolutely no idea whether her current grades do mean she would be expected to get in or not. Not a clue. It's just pointless.

"Your child is performing as we expect them to". Awesome. But WHAT IS IT YOU ACTUALLY EXPECT?!" Do you expect her to do well at GCSEs or struggle? Why can't we work this out quickly and easily from their reports without having to talk to teachers?

Blanketdog - DD1 is also summer born, she had only been 4 for a week when she started school, so yes, age is also an issue when it comes to expectations for her.

Bordersarethebest - this is exactly it.

Reading this with interest as DD in year 8.
She has just had end of year exam results back.
She was given a percentage.
They are also graded as red, amber, green or green plus to say if they are on target.
This seems much more sensible.
DD1 has just taken the new exams in English and Maths grade 9-1. I have no idea what she will get but have a feeling the grade boundaries for Maths will be really low.

OK OP, it seems to me that you could do with a target grade so you can see whether DD doing "as expected/on target" is going to take her where you think she should be in Year 11.

Tho tbh setting a year 11 target for year 7 seems ludicrous to me. How can we know? especially now.

I still don't really see why you and others need to know where she is in the class/peer group in order to put a rocket under her - if she isn't working as hard as she could be then she needs the rocket, even if she is top of the class, surely? I know what grades DD (yr 11) is hoping to get/should be able to get, based on her ability/attitude/other factors which have affected her; whether James down the road is going to get a 7 in maths or an 8 in English or a C in French seems irrelevant to me (and to her tbh).

But anyway, you could ask the teachers I guess (tho I wouldn't tell you, sorry) or just ask her who's the best at maths (etc) and what grade they got. I bet she'll know - most of my students, on getting a grade, spend the next five minutes asking everyone else what they got