Targets and predictions for GCSE

[RomanyRoots]

Are these necessary?
What are the pros and cons and have they affected your dc for the better?

[PhilODox]

I appreciate that my experience with the said school is in the dark ages now, but is there really much opportunity for coasting there?

[Isentthesignal]

Our school have provided targets (computer generated) and current teacher predictions for each end of year they have been so wildly off in both directions it’s unreal. They annoy and upset the dcs at report time, never have they felt motivated or challenged by them and I after Year 7 I did my best to convince the dcs to ignore them.

[Alltootrue2u]

DD’s school is the whitest school for this. They base all their predictions on FFT (KS2 results) and will not deviate from them. They refuse to give you these until year 9 and then will only tell you if you are at expected or exceeding the predicted level. They don’t say how they need to improve on their current grade. They will not deviate from this grade.

My DD is dyslexic at her primary school refused to apply for any additional support or allowances for SATs. She has subsequently also been diagnosed as inattentive ADD and is not medicated for this. She got ok data but has made huge, huge progress. None of this affects her target grades. We pay for external support for English and maths and both tutors say her report is inaccurate. I’m so fucked off with the school. Outstanding my arse!!!!!

[Alltootrue2u]

sorry for typos. I get so cross talking about it. They have no target grades and all DD predicted grades are 3/4. Since she is hitting all of these (obviously and with ease) the school will do nothing as far as they are concerned she will make her predicted grades and that's their job done.

They set in year 7 and 8 for all subjects so DD got put in the bottom set with all the kids that cant behave and mess about and don't care. She isn't like that at all and was bullied throughout. They changed the system in year 9 for mixed sets (new head) and she has been so much happier since. Sadly she goes back into year 10 and they set for Maths, science and English. Guess we are back to square one!

[RomanyRoots]

Alltootrue

that is terrible for your dd I'm so sorry. these new GCSE's are hard enough without adding all the unnecessary stress.
Mine too is dyslexic but school say she won't qualify for extra time, but thankfully she doesn't need the time, and to label her was advised against by CAMHS.

We have just got over "I can't do it", but now I don't think she has any idea how much effort she has to put in to get the grades she wants. We are lucky that the bare min will do for future colleges, but as a mum you want them to reach their potential academically, whatever that may be.

Phil
You'd be surprised, the majority if they can get away with it, they will.
I'm speaking purely from the academic pov obviously.
There are some very academically gifted children who will do well wherever they go. Then there are those who are bright enough to wing it. Then the worrying group are those like my dd who struggle with some aspects and need to work extra hard and put in the hours.
I'm hoping that just by chipping away I'm getting somewhere but it's a concern.

[alardi]

targets,
DS1: ignored them; was resolved to underachieve, anyway.
DD: saw them as a challenge to aspire to
DS2: assumes they are guaranteed no matter how minimal work he does.

I think the effect comes down to personality?