Year 10 report - bit confused on how the grades are defined

[duckydoo234]

End of year 10 report, it's not horrendous, but a bit disappointing (e.g. lots of 6s and 7s, expecting 7s, 8s, 9s). So I'm wondering, is this the level they're at relative to actual GCSEs, or is this more relative to end of Year 10 learning? It says "Current summer grade", which is ambiguous. Googling seems to suggest it's "if they sat the GCSE now", meaning in another year, everything should have improved by a couple of grades, but the school hasn't made this clear.

How is that disappointing? Expecting what was high B to A**. DD had similar and I thought it was brilliant.

For our school the grades reflect what would be achieved if the child sat GCSEs today.
How have you interpreted these grades in years 7-9, and what’s changed?
Our school have a section on the website explaining all this, have you searched to see if there’s info on your school website?

I know 6s and 7s are pretty good, but it's a very high achieving grammar school, and child's target grades are all 8s and 9s. So this isn't a brag thread, it's to understand how much - if at all - we can expect them to improve in Year 11.

Different assessment system in the earlier years. I'm inclined to think it's "if they sat the exam today" but the autumn grades were higher, and there's no indication that the method of assessment has changed over the course of the year. I mean, she's hardly got worse in nearly every subject since Christmas?

Becuase if a high achieving child gets 6’s, then they aren’t working to their potential.

I have one child for whom 6’s would be a disappointment and another for whom they would be a miracle.

She’s ok to want her child to meet their potential.

It does seem a bit odd. Could you email the school to check their grading system for year 10s? I know teachers are still in around these parts next week. It might also prompt them to send out an explanation of grading to the whole year group because if you’re unsure then it’s almost certain others will be!

There isn’t one standard form of school report. You need to ask the school

I really fail to understand why so many schools seem to make such a pigs ear of reports, not explaining grades.

Wondering if it is the same for lots of other DC at the school, in the sense they don’t want the kids to coast in Year 11 thinking they on top of it whilst putting in the effort would be better?

Ours are what they expect them to get at the end of year 11 based on current performance. We have found quite a mismatch though between the verbal estimates given at parents evening (largely 8s, couple of 9s) and the written report (6/7s) so I did wonder if they are just being more cautious in writing!

I dont know but could see how grades could all dip. They fling a lot of info at them in y10.
Mine is y9 and (obviously not grammar) the school current grades are not where she is imo.
They think carrying on this way
7 maths
7 science
i think its possible but maybe a bit high.
But several other grades were much lower - mfl and geography for eg.4-5. Im sure mfl will be 7-9 and geography probably 6.

But you having grammar are probably stretching more and probably more accurate in their estimates. Because they know how to stretch them. Our state doesnt do the stretching and is happy with 4+