Year 7 targets.

[seeker]

I've just come off the phone to a friend who's dd has been set level 7 as her target for the end of year 7 in all her "academic" subjects except MFL. She and her dd are pretty stressed about it - but she seemd to think it's quite normal. Is it? My dd is at a pretty high performing grammar school and her targets are all the the high 5 to high 6 range. My dd is nowhere near as clever as this other girl - but even so....! I suggested she queried it with the school and said she thought it a bit much to ask, but she says that "wouldn't reflect well" on her dd. What do you all think?

[SqueakyPop]

It would be interesting to know how they came up with Level 7. It can really only be a teacher 'estimate', as the real Sats questions rely very much on Year 9 work to produce the Level 7 questions.

[littlejo67]

They give a end of term assessment that only has questions from that term. Therefore its not a test over the whole sylabus, but the score is given as a key stage 3 grade. My ds`s maths group (excellerated) was doing yr9 workbooks in yr7 and is now at end of yr 7 going into yr10 depth even though they are still in key stage 3. This is to keep them interested otherwise it would be so boring for them.

[ravenAK]

I've said it before - the whole thing's a crock of sh*t.

Levels at KS2 do NOT equate to realistic levels in year 7. (Which are subject to 'grade creep' anyway, not least because of those wretched optional tests in y7 & 8.)

An inflated target will simply have been generated from KS2 SATs test result (marked by an overworked, underpaid & inexperienced teacher trying to fund her summer holiday, more likely than not), CAT results (not reliable across curriculum) & teacher assessment.

Any teacher setting/agreeing a L7 target in year 7 is a bit daft, frankly, because teachers have to show progression, or they don't get pay rises. So we routinely (consciously or not) mark DOWN at start of year, UP at end of year.

Oh & L7 in year 7 would be pretty outstanding if it represented genuine achievement. It's more likely that the school is using (unrealistic) 'upper quartile' targets (ie. 25% of students are likely to achieve their target) in an effort to cattle prod the kids a bit more.

[christywhisty]

That probably sounds about right Littlejo

[christywhisty]

A little update

DS got his report yesterday.
In science his current grade is 6a (which represents his results throughout the year) although it says he got level 7 in the end of year exam in the teachers comments.

Then in a box entitled

"A description of typical work required to reach next grade"
it says

"Work at this level represents exceptional performance in Science, and pupils working at this level have demonstrated achievement above that expected within the Key Stage."

I assume that means for a year 7 child.

[EllieLynch]

My Daughter is in year 7 and she is very capable. She is a 7b in both reading and maths with 2-3 months before she breaks up. She's nearly level 7 in RE too despite not being religious

[Iamnotminterested]

Levels do not exist any more, Ellie, isn't she being given GCSE grades?

BTW this thread is 8 years old, I'm guessing the OP's DD is at University now?!

[freshprincess]

Are these targets across the board for all schools? My son's target is a 9, which according to this thread is impossible. (He's year 7)
He got 6s and 7s in the last set of tests, and he's quite disappointed that he's doing so badly. I'm a

He's bright, but certainly not 'taking his GCSEs at 12' bright.

[freshprincess]

Bah! Just saw its a zombie thread! You had me all worried then!

[nicp123]

DS at a grammar school. Their NEW levels state levels 7 and 8 targets as the norm.

[Cleo1303]

I know this sounds stupid but I've never heard of these levels. Is there a website somewhere which explains them?

Does this relate to exam result percentages?