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Secondary education

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Original poster

Shocked that DS is being moved down a tier after assessments - what are your thoughts?

27 replies

Fluerdelea · 12/07/2017 12:03

So DS year 7 - last few months has been telling us he is bored in most classes finding the work too easy and some classes he's having to ask for more work to do.

We see his homework and see in his books how easy the work seems to be. Homework gets handed in but never see it after that. Assessments he found easy this year as well he said and some of the results he got back were really good. So now been told he is being dropped down a tier - the new tiering information is based on the pupils' most recent assessments. This data indicted that his scores were slightly below the average for his current band.

Ive emailed school saying well ok but if he is bored and unenthused now due to not being challenged how on earth by dropping him a tier will he be :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Fluerdelea · 12/07/2017 12:04

Last few assessments have always shown improvement or stayed the same never have they been below

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Gileswithachainsaw · 12/07/2017 12:08

Can you talk to other parents? It's possible he's bored and switched off which means he didn't do very well or it's possible the assessments don't match what's being taught.

Gileswithachainsaw · 12/07/2017 12:11

What's the feed back like? Does he know what his weaker areas are?

Lonecatwithkitten · 12/07/2017 12:11

It is also considered relative to the other pupils in the set. I have just agreed to DD being moved down because the top set is full of incredibly bright DC who get everything in the blink of an eye. DD has disengaged in class because whilst when she gets it the sky is the limit it takes her a little longer to get it in the first place.
We all feel that she will engage better in a set where the place is slightly slower and she gets to be the top of the pile.

Original poster
Fluerdelea · 12/07/2017 12:24

he has text me to say he has had a tier interview and will be moving and a :( face Ive said all is fine and we will chat later about it not to worry

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Gileswithachainsaw · 12/07/2017 12:27

How often do they move about? Maybe if he can motivate himself a bit he can get moved back at some point ?

Original poster
Fluerdelea · 12/07/2017 12:30

no feedback as yet but they look at weaker subjects they said such as Maths and English and tier them accordingly - Im guessing it's English as it isnt his strongest area

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Gileswithachainsaw · 12/07/2017 12:33

Are you saying that they aren't "set" separately? So no matter how he's doing in one subject he has to remain in a lower tier because of the weaker one?

Original poster
Fluerdelea · 12/07/2017 12:51

yes you can be put above or below a tier in some subjects...
I think also the timetable dictates some of it...

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NellieFiveBellies · 12/07/2017 12:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Gileswithachainsaw · 12/07/2017 12:59

I would say that this doesn't mean hes going to be staying there forever and that of he starts working a bit harder and perhaps takes advantage of the chance to go over some of his weaker areas and 're cement his knowledge then he will get a chance to do better next time. I would assume theres fairly regular assessments? There will be alot if movement over the next few years as pupils start to either struggle or excel in various subjects

RedSkyAtNight · 12/07/2017 13:05

I'm guessing (because he's not done as well as expected in assessments and is seemingly finding the work easy) that the issue might actually be that he is not understanding what is necessary to get the "higher" marks on a question. Other than subjects like maths, where clearly if you have the right answer you have done as much as you can do, there is always a concept of what a "higher level" answer looks like. I have a DS that coasts - he can chug out the "expected level" answer without any effort at all to himself - but actually thinking and working that bit harder to get a "better" answer is what school is looking for.

Original poster
Fluerdelea · 12/07/2017 14:40

Just got his report and other than 2 subjects he has improved his internal assessments sore from last time - the 2 that were slightly down was Art and Geography this was only 2 points. He was up in core subjects eg. Maths, English, Science - all with glowing reports from his teachers.

Im going to speak to him tonight to see what was said in the interview then email the school - I dont understand it

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Original poster
Fluerdelea · 12/07/2017 15:16

Still studying this report...think Im mis-reading it
There is an internal assessment score then CAL then End of Y7 Target
Do I compare the CAL score wit the End of Year Target score?

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BertrandRussell · 12/07/2017 15:21

"Do I compare the CAL score wit the End of Year Target score?"

At this stage in the year I'd say yes- does that look sensible when you compare the numbers?

eyebrowsonfleek · 12/07/2017 15:53

In our school A set and B set learn the same material so there's no academic advantage. Being top of B rather than bottom of A might help his confidence if he lacks it. I've learned that the teacher is very important to teens. I have a son in y11 who left y10 with an E in chemistry but this year he's had a teacher who he clicks with and he's been getting A* star all year. Last year he'd never consider at A-level but it was first on his A-level options list. He's in B set but predicted an A**.

How are his scores relative to the rest of the class? In my experience some teachers set tests where it's not so hard to get a high percentage where as others set really hard tests where you can be top of the class with a low percentage score. You say that his scores are high but is it possible that many kids are getting a high percentage?

Original poster
Fluerdelea · 13/07/2017 12:53

So I spoke to the teacher last night and it appears that they have 1 base tier for ALL subjects no matter what. Although he's meeting his targets for Y7 and exceeding most of them and working to a high level...there are pupils who are exceeding higher so it means he drops down his score hence when it comes to moving around even though he's exceeding he's not exceeding as some of the brain boxes so they get to stay

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lobsterface · 13/07/2017 12:57

So actually it's all relative - it's not so much about moving down as the bar being higher. He'll be with pupils with similar scores so the pace will match his.

It doesn't sound doom and gloom - he's exceeding and doing well. Others are also exceeding but a bit more than him so he's not quite at that level.

Gileswithachainsaw · 13/07/2017 12:57

Will that have an effect on overall grades? Or is the work set the same regardless?

What I mean will it prevent him being able to take bigger level papers in the future if he has to remain on lower tiers due to a weaker subject?

Are there even higher level papers anymore?

Gileswithachainsaw · 13/07/2017 12:59

And given there are always going to be kids who are high flyers surely they should he extending them as opposed to dropping other down?

GuestWW · 13/07/2017 13:03

So it sounds like this makes sense.

Perhaps you might want to try: good results son, sounds like you will enjoy being in this tier as you will have time and space to focus across all subjects and raise your average even higher. Rather than:
even though you are exceeding some of those brain boxes are exceeding even more...since I sense 'brain boxes' was not intended as a compliment.

Original poster
Fluerdelea · 13/07/2017 13:03

I get that they set the bar higher because of these others but it seems unfair he gets put down for everything.

That's interesting Giles - Im going to email and put in writing my concerns again and that I want him monitoring from Sept as I dont want him to get forgotten about because he's doing great...I will also ask about it preventing him from being pushed because of a weaker subject. It looks like the weaker subject was Geography - he got a low score as he wasnt there for a topic he asked the teacher for revision notes she didnt give it to him (he didnt chase!) and teh topic came up in assessements hence he got a low score. Also science I think although he's great at science there are others were are exceptionally bright and again this affect HIS scoring overall

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Original poster
Fluerdelea · 13/07/2017 13:06

Ive already given it the you're doing brilliant and doing nothing at all wrong to get moved but they set the bar slightly higher because some kids are doing that little bit better but def not a reflection on you and your hard work. Let's see what Sept brings and keep an eye on things and see how it goes we can always raise it again

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Original poster
Fluerdelea · 13/07/2017 13:06

someone mentioned "ah they are streaming" to me not sure what this is though

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Gileswithachainsaw · 13/07/2017 13:08

Obviously alot has changed since itbwas at school and I'm sure everything will be fine and he will get the chance to do well with all subjects but certainly it won't hurt to make sure everything is clear so you cab stop worrying about it and perhaps ensure your ds remains motivated instead of feeling there's no point trying because he sucks at something and that's going to hold him down.

It sounds as of it would be helpful if they perhaps explained how it works as we obviously went through a different system