Year 7 23/24 intake - how are the sets determined?

Itmakesnosense · 2023-07-21T20:09:06+00:00

At my DC's School they will contact the Primary School to get their school report to assess where they are at the moment. They will also make them sit CAT assessments as part on the induction in September then followed by GL assessments. The results of these will determine which set the child will be in. It's not a grammar school but they are very academic. Do all Schools do this and what books/tests do you use to prepare for the assessments? DC is working at greater depth in all subjects and did very well in SATs .

PuttingDownRoots · 21/07/2023 21:18

At DDs school they only setted for STEM subjects (same set). Originally based on SATs, then reassessed regularly over the year. To maintain a position in a higher set you needed both to perform adequately in unit tests and have a positive attitude.

CatsOnTheChair · 21/07/2023 21:19

We aren't setted in Y7 - and then only for marhs in Y8.
CAT tests - you apparently can't revise, but I think going through some verbal and non verbal reasoning tests helps you understand what you might be asked to do as you are familiar with them.

I thought CATs and GL were the same thing?

reluctantbrit · 21/07/2023 21:47

DD's primary only had sets for maths until Y10. Then they also introduced sets for science, triple, combined and synergy (the latter after the second set of mocks) and for MFL when they distinguished between higher and foundation.

All other subjects were taught as mixed ability. Even from Y7, maths was flexible. DD changed sets twice so it's not set in stone until GCSE.

ConnieTucker · 21/07/2023 21:50

Set based on yr 6 teacher recommendations and SATS. CATS taken in first week or so. But sets are pretty fluid throughout yrs 7-10 based on on-going work.

Tulipvase · 21/07/2023 21:51

Ours sets for maths in year 7. My daughter was initially put in middle set for maths, I assume based on her SATS and about 6 weeks in was moved to top set. So I think its all pretty fluid. She is sixth form now and remained top set for the rest of the time she was at school.

clary · 21/07/2023 22:02

I only know what my dcs’ school did - they did CAT tests. We’re only set for maths until yr 9. Oh and the school I taught in, again CATs and set for maths, some years for English, one year for MFL which was great (as a teacher).

Please don’t prepare or coach your child. The test is to see what they can do. No use being in a high set if the work is beyond you - I have seen that and it’s not good.

Original poster

Itmakesnosense · 21/07/2023 22:42

CatsOnTheChair · 21/07/2023 21:19

We aren't setted in Y7 - and then only for marhs in Y8.
CAT tests - you apparently can't revise, but I think going through some verbal and non verbal reasoning tests helps you understand what you might be asked to do as you are familiar with them.

I thought CATs and GL were the same thing?

CATs is Cognitive Abilities Test which is based around reasoning. The GL assessments will be in Maths,English & Science. They are not the same.

OP posts:

Original poster

Itmakesnosense · 21/07/2023 22:47

clary · 21/07/2023 22:02

I only know what my dcs’ school did - they did CAT tests. We’re only set for maths until yr 9. Oh and the school I taught in, again CATs and set for maths, some years for English, one year for MFL which was great (as a teacher).

Please don’t prepare or coach your child. The test is to see what they can do. No use being in a high set if the work is beyond you - I have seen that and it’s not good.

My DC passed grammar exams but could not get in due to being out of catchment. DC is very capable academically and can cope. It's not about coaching as you really don't know what they will be testing. It's more about having an idea of what to expect.

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AmITooOldToDoThis · 21/07/2023 22:49

Dd’s school don’t set till year 9

YellowDots · 21/07/2023 22:54

Ours never sets for anything except maths otherwise you end up with some classes with nobody ever generating any ideas. You cant discuss Romeo and Juliet if nobody has got anything to say.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 22/07/2023 16:03

Itmakesnosense · 21/07/2023 22:47

My DC passed grammar exams but could not get in due to being out of catchment. DC is very capable academically and can cope. It's not about coaching as you really don't know what they will be testing. It's more about having an idea of what to expect.

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The school will really want these tests to be taken on a roughly level playing field- if they want everyone to know what to expect, they will give them all a practice. If they'd rather they just did it blind, then they will do it that way. Otherwise it's not a fair comparison of everyone's abilities, and you end up with students in sets that don't suit them.

Sets will move anyway, throughout your child's time at school- likely a few times a year once students have done some assessed work. If your child performs at "top set" level, then that is where they will end up over the course of their secondary career, and if they don't, at some point they will likely drop down a set.

If it's a very academic school, then they may not end up in a top set for every subject, and it's worth bearing in mind that is absolutely fine- the most important thing is being in a group which works well for you!

Stokey · 22/07/2023 16:34

Dd1's grammar school only sets from Y9 and then only for Maths.

DD2's comprehensive will set them for maths from the second term of Y7. So I think they gave an idea when they start based on their previous school and SATs but want to do their own assessments in the first term of Y7 before setting. It sounds quite sensible. The school is split into two halves depending on which language they do so a bit more divisions but curriculum rather than ability based.

TizerorFizz · 22/07/2023 17:08

@Itmakesnosense Just let him have the summer off! Why does your poor Dc need to prepare? Pushy or what! I have no idea what tests my Dc sat in y7. They just rolled up to school with no angst and did what they were asked to do. Are you desperate for Dc to be in top sets? Will he have to put up with this type of pressure (and it is) as well as school tests and exams? Just sit back and let him do his best. He really will be ok.

Original poster

Itmakesnosense · 22/07/2023 20:08

TizerorFizz · 22/07/2023 17:08

@Itmakesnosense Just let him have the summer off! Why does your poor Dc need to prepare? Pushy or what! I have no idea what tests my Dc sat in y7. They just rolled up to school with no angst and did what they were asked to do. Are you desperate for Dc to be in top sets? Will he have to put up with this type of pressure (and it is) as well as school tests and exams? Just sit back and let him do his best. He really will be ok.

Actually, she has always done some work over the summer out of her own choice. We are not pushy and the request came from her as she wanted us to buy her some books from Amazon so she could continue to work through some maths problems. Some children actually enjoy learning and that's just the way she is so why would we not support her? If your child is good at something or interested in doing something, you as a parent need to support them. Don’t judge when you don't have facts?

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cansu · 22/07/2023 20:19

Your dc should not be made to prep for the assessments. The point is to allocate children according to their ability so that they are able to work at the right pace for them.

Dacadactyl · 22/07/2023 20:29

No they don't all do this, but I think they should.

DDs (brilliant, academic) school did it but DS didn't get in there to start year 7 in Sept. The school he is going to doesn't set the kids and I was totally unimpressed with the school in comparison to DDs.

They just lump everyone in classes together, which I think holds back the brighter ones (DS also greater depth across the board)

Simpledimples · 22/07/2023 20:52

DD is y8, y9 in September. Her school set for Maths, English, and Science. They did this from second term of y7 after tests (no Sats for her cohort). Some movement at the beginning of y8.

TizerorFizz · 22/07/2023 23:21

@Itmakesnosense Sounds like she fears failure. I’ve never known Dc who ask for this when they don’t even know what the tests are. Just say she’s having the summer off. It isn’t right to prepare so I would try and explain that. Why not just read a few books, have days out, go to museums, look for wildlife, enjoy art snd music etc. There’s way more to life than prepping for tests in the holidays.