Year 9 Target grades

[bobofthelobs]

I am totally confused by the new target grades that are being used. DS14 is in year 9 and his school start GCSE courses at the start of year 9.

Just received his second tracking report and I don't know whether to be worried or not. Homework and attitude for learning are all either good or outstanding (this bit in understand!)

However, his end of year targets are 5+ for all subjects but his end of year teacher predicted grades are all substantially lower (and his teacher predicted grades are all lower than his last tracking report in early October). All his teacher predicted grades are 4, 4- or 4+.

His year 6 SATs were all high 5s and I am worried he isn't making the progress he should be. Any advice would be really appreciated!

Could it be where he is now in terms of if he took his GCSE's now? A 4's a low pass in the new number system/ a 5's a good pass (I think!) so if that's the level he's working at and he's only in year 9, that's good. I am only guessing though..!

I am pretty sure that it is where he is now but I am just worried that he is not predicted to meet his end of year targets. What was wrong with keeping letters that everyone understood?!

It's all made up. If he was in Y11 and due to sit his exams tomorrow, teachers still wouldn't be able to tell you he was on a 4-, 4 or 4+ and it would be a gamble to say he'd be getting a 4 overall.. That's a ridiculously detailed set of levels that are actually impossible to give accurately.
He's working hard, ignore the rest for now.

Yes, I would say this is and end of year target based on GCSE grades.

Bit stupid tho if he is already in KS4 - why not just give him and end of key stage target/prediction?

As to why he's not hitting his yr 9 target - well you need to ask the teacher. But IME it's usually either not working hard enough or the targets are too ambitious.

Overall I agree with noble tho; it's a bit daft.

we have this system at my school (also do 3 year KS4) - we have very high targets set for students and we have to report on where we think they are at that moment i.e. if they were to take the exams that day.

Given they are very young and we have only just scratched the surface of the spec it is just a brief judgement on the topics covered so far and given that apart from MAths and English no other subject has been examined with the new criteria/grades it is like throwing a dart blind folded from 1000m away....

My school base it on if they carry on working as they are what would they get in their GCSEs, as the course is now linear once we have covered it in ks4 we are unable to cover it again due to time constraints. We might revise it later on but just as a reminder not as a way of reteahing it because there just isn’t time. I would find out what they are struggling with and take time at home to go over it with them.