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Secondary education

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Original poster

What does level 5 as a target for Yr 9 equate to?

29 replies

OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 15:07

DS#1's tutor tells us that level 5 is their target. Is that a 'good' grade or a basic attainment level? DS is in yr7 and has 4 for most subjects and 5 for science. Is he supposed to coast now? Or should he be setting his sights higher. I am at sea tbh.

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 01/04/2009 15:10

Pupils are expected to make two levels of progress across the three years of KS3. So if he came into secondary school at level 4, he should achieve level 6 by the end of year 9. Is the target an in-year one or an-end-of-key stage one?

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 15:11

It's end of key stage I think.

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SpringySponge · 01/04/2009 15:11

I think the highest grades in year 9 are 7s in English & science, & 8 in maths. I'm not sure if they'll have changed the maths one to a 7 by now though (I'm going on when I did it in 2003 - the first year that level 8 wasn't available for the other 2 subjects).

A level 5 isn't bad, but it's not what I'd advise to be a target for someone already achieving similar in year 7

PrimulaVeris · 01/04/2009 15:12

Hmm. My dd was assessed at hihg L5 in Y7, target is a L7 by end Y9, if that helps

If he's already at 5 that seems strange to me

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 15:13

Aha. Thanks. I don't think they are used to pupils with those levels TBH. It has a very low level at intake (although that's improving), but fantastic teaching and VA. But maybe I should be wary that he won't be .. ahem ..'pushed' enough

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Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 15:14

Ok... I think a talk to the tutor is in order. DS#1 is already talking about how easy it all is and how he doesn't need to work that hard....

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TheFallenMadonna · 01/04/2009 15:18

Each child should have their own target for each subject, or at least each core subject, btw - it isn't a blanket one. And it should be divided into sub-levels (a,b,c).

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 15:19

Yes he's a 5c for science, and 4a for maths and english. We were just given a 5 for target. Maybe they don't worry about changing the targets until next year?

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PrimulaVeris · 01/04/2009 15:25

If you've got a blanket level and he's saying he's not being stretched I'd being to hear a few warning bells tbh ... even if it were for same year you'd expect something more precise like a 5a or something.

Deffo talk to tutor time. Had parents evening yet?

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 15:29

Yes primula. That's where we knew his grades. They gave us a report with all his grades for attainment, and behaviour, effort etc listed in all subjects. I just thought 'oh good he's doing OK' but only afterwards wondered about it.

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Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 15:38

Now I am worried

Thought it was all going too well.

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christywhisty · 01/04/2009 15:42

At DS school they used their raw KS2 Sat scores and their CAT scores to target set.
We get end of KS3 targets but some schools give end of year targets.

PrimulaVeris · 01/04/2009 15:42

Just checked my dd's report (shes Y8) and all current and target grades are subdivided into a, b, c. The only subjects that seem to have a target of 5 (a b or c) by Y9 are languages (because they are starting from scratch) and PE (where personally I'd say even her target of 5b is being exceptionally generous)

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 15:44

Maybe it is end of year then. But it can't be as he's unlikely to get there in some cases. Am wondering if the targets get changed at end of yr 7.

i guess all schools do it differently.

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TheFallenMadonna · 01/04/2009 16:38

What did he get in the KS2 SATs. He should have made two sublevels of progress from there. Officially. So if he is at 5a now in science, did he go in at 4b or 4a, in which case he is making progress as expected, given that we aren't at the end of the year yet.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 16:39

He was 5c in science. I thought that KS3 levels were different to SATS. They used their own CAT tests to grade the children.

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TheFallenMadonna · 01/04/2009 16:41

No. Levels work across the key stages. The school is judged on whether or not the pupils make 2 levels of progress between the end of KS2 and the end of KS3.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 16:43

OK. So should be looking at level 7 in Yr 9?

Sorry for all the questions btw.

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TheFallenMadonna · 01/04/2009 17:00

If he went in at 5c, then a 7c at the end of KS3 would be reasonable. Given his other results, his target might be a 6a. Not a 5 though.

Original poster
OrmIrian · 01/04/2009 17:01

I meant for science specifically.

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madwomanintheattic · 01/04/2009 17:07

at the school i worked at the children were given end of year targets, def not end of key stage targets... and these were changed if progress was faster than initially expected...

TheFallenMadonna · 01/04/2009 17:10

Well, officially yes. Realistically it kind of depends on what sort of 5c he got IYSWIM. I have taught children who were very well prepared at KS2 but who when faced with Science at secondary level would have struggled enormously to get a level 7. But it would be the starting point for target setting.

TheFallenMadonna · 01/04/2009 17:12

We give both in-year and end of key stage targets. How has he been doing in end of topic tests? Although these aren't always reliable indicators of overall performance IME.

scienceteacher · 01/04/2009 17:40

If he is on level 4 or 5, he should not be coasting!

foxytocin · 01/04/2009 17:48

L5 at the end of yr 9 corresponds with a C in GCSE at the end of KS4. in general

so a L4=D and L6=A

that is what the number crunching expect anyway.

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