DD told ‘underachieving’

[Verbena37]

Hi,
Just got an email from school following dd getting a Level 6 for chemistry. It states that my dd must attend an afterschool revision session (and then one every other week after that) as her level 6 is classed as underachieving, compared to her target grade of Level 9.

Firstly, her target grade of Level 9, I explained to the teacher, didn’t really bother us...in that all of her target grades are 8 or 9 (mostly 9) and they were given those grades in year 9/10 based on SATS.

So a Level 6 is a B in old money....how is that underachieving??

Dd has been suffering with a long term unknown illness since September, which school know about and unless dd specifically states that she wants to go to the sessions, I don’t feel like pushing her. She is stressed enough and finding each day hard due to being poorly.

I need addition, the chemistry teacher (who is also somehow head of science) checks the answers with the 2 brightest kids in the class and regularly gets information incorrect! DD corrected him the other day on something even I knew the answer to and I’m rubbish at chemistry.

I’m not sure how him teaching even more rubbish lessons, is going to help anymore than her revision guides will.

The email stated....
‘These sessions are mandatory and should be seen as a priority by DD’

How can afterschool revision session start be mandatory....they’re from 3:30-5.

Just send a simple email at first 'this sounds like a great opportunity however unfortunately due to dd's health issues she is unable to extend her school day at the moment. If that changes I will let you know.'

I do appreciate that it isn't as simple as just 'tell them to do one if they don't work hard enough' but if it is sheer laziness rather than SEND then learning a useful lesson about mediocre results following from from poor effort is more use than getting a heavily coached slew of middling GCSE results.

I do see that it is a vocation but teachers should not prostrate themselves because of their vocation. No-one is going to die if they don't get As and Bs.

I know they do matter. It's hard to bet funding for resits at gcse if nothing else, save for English and maths. I just think teachers are asked to do supersonic stellar stuff for just not enough wonga. It's depressing.

We're damned if we do and damned if we don't.

If a child is capable of a 9, then of course a 6 is under achieving

But how was it decided that they were capable of a 9? Not by observing them in that subject, but based on SAT/CAT tests. My ds is very good at CAT tests. Great. Doesn't tell you much about him other than that though, certainly not how good he is at art.

Conversely my friend's dd is rubbish at CAT tests (dyslexia). Her predicted grades were really low and she has been exceeding expectations ever since. Which is great, except that they would have accepted 2s and 3s from her if she wasn't naturally inclined to work hard.

What are pupil premium levels like at yr school pengggwyn? If high, where is the pupil premium money going? Could pay for these extra sessions..... but probably over committed already.

It would take a heart of stone. But quite why good people should plug on giving more than they should... nah. Bollocks to that. If you give give give the purse-string holders will take take take.

I can see that Pengggwyn. But agh how can you do it?? It's such a huge ask.... you are a saint but I wonder when people will realise, they are trading on people's good natures..if we just take it, it will carry on and on and on.

Have you considered a move to finland

If a child is capable of a 9, then of course a 6 is under achieving

How is a B underachieving?? Are you only achieving if you get A’s and A*’s in GCSEs now? This is the problem.
We, as dd’s parents obviously care abot her school work and hope you gets good grades.

But if she was predicted a level 9 and got a 3 or 4 in the mocks, then I’d be more concerned but as it is (and knowing that in general most chidlren make about one grade higher in the real thing), I’m happy and she is happy with a B or A.

We are not pushy parents and just want the children to be balanced and happy.
I’ll just say what shouldwestay said I think...about dd not being able to extend her school day at the moment due to her ill health.

I'd tell them to fuck off
Lovely.

It’s ridiculous that these target grades are based on highly coached maths and English SATs taken when kids were age 10/11. Aside from the fact that the SATs subjects are completely different, so much happens in life over this time period and this cannot be factored into these daft targets. Of course in the OPs situation her DDs health issues are going to have an impact on her performance. I can understand the OPs reaction to being told her DD is ‘underperforming’ when actually she is doing pretty well considering that she has had a rubbish teacher and health issues. People are not robots.

I may be wrong but I think KS2 SATs utcomes are only truly predictive at cohort level. For individuals.... really not. And quite how they would predict outcomes at skills-based qualis like art, textiles, music... which are much less literacy- and numeracy- based.

Crumpet if that is aimed at me you have taken it completely out of context and changed the words ...

The school are probably aware parents are paying £40 for private tutition and recognise they need to offer a free equivalent.

Do you think the teachers want to spend 2 extra hours a week teaching?

Level 9 is extremely high too. I know the flight path predictions for those averaging level 5 is a 6 so your dd will have had to get 6,6,6 at sats and in top 3% of country for performance in sats to be predicted a 9!

And science is done at sats. I agree about the base line being average is ridiculous. Ds got average "5". He got a high 6 in maths, close to 6 in science and 4 for English. Except he barely scraped a 4!

Maybe what needs to happen, is that parents lobby the government and start forcing them to make changes. The unions are getting nowhere and teachers are seen whinging eastwards with too many holidays. Don't just complain on here, start emailing your mps.

They didn’t do science in SATS youarenotkiddingme. They only did maths and English.
See attached for targets and working at grades in October 17...

Chemistry is 6th row down

Crumpet if that is aimed at me you have taken it completely out of context and changed the words
Or perhaps i was aiming it at the first person to reply to the op and didn't change the context or words.

www.satspapers.org.uk/Page.aspx?TId=5#SCIENCE_SATS_3_5

Past papers for KS2 science SATS