year 7 marking

[hodgypodgy]

OK I know this sounds daft but my Yr 7 son has just greeted me on return from school with "I got a 6B for my Science work today!" Gulp. Is this great, mediochre or a load of old codswallop? I have just realised that if it isn't marks out of 10 or a percentage with a Teacher's comment in red (yes, RED biro)at the bottom then I'm completely ignorant of the current marking system. I can't find any info online but then again I am a complete dinosaur. Can anybody enlighten me out there? Thanks

Yes it's all levels now.

If you think back to SATs tests in Year 6 the best you could get would be a level 5a. So 6b is good for this stage in Y7, it means he has made at least 2 levels of progress since September. The school will probably have set him targets in each subject for the end of year 7.

It is very good for year 7. I put all of my student's targets inside the front cover of their exercise book, you may find he has the same if you look.

At ds1's school that would mean 6 out of 10 for the standard of work and B for effort.

DS2 is in Y7 at a Grammar school.His targets for the end of year 7 are to be consistently performing at level 6A/B and this is the same for most kids.So I would say he is ahead of average .Well done !

Oh dear do grammar schools talk in levels as well?

We have the same system as schilke - that would be an ok grade with a very low effort score!

Do you have parents evening soon? Maybe best to clarify!

Zanzibar, grammar schools have to use levels at KS3 since they are still state schools, not private, and are required to report in levels. Levels are linked to the level descriptors in the secondary framework/nat. curriculum. There is meant to be continuity between levels from primary to secondary. Using levels stops in yr 9 when, at my school, pupils start GCSEs in most subjects. Some parents/educationalists would like to see a more cohesive system in place but there is resistance from many different quarters.

Quite a lot of parents I meet do say they prefer the old way of reporting, using an effort indicator and a grade, as they know what the grades mean.

I'd certainly expect it to be a NC level - 6B in year 7 is a creditable grade.

The school should be able to provide you with level descriptors in sensible student/parent friendly English - ours are on the school webpage.

He should also know his target; like twinset, I put targets on the inside cover of exercise books - there's a printed A5 sheet I get them to stick in with their target & details of assessed pieces of work.

If it's not clear you should definitely get the school to clarify - I think schools are too often guilty of banging on about targets & sub-levels without talking to parents.

We teachers know what we mean, the kids know what we mean: parents are sometimes left feeling either that a) it's all bollocks, bring back marks out of 10 or b) as if they 'sound daft' for not knowing this stuff, so they feel uncomfortable asking.

If you do have a parents' evening coming up then definitely mention that you've not been given information on assessment, as RatherBeOnThePiste suggests - they need to know & to address it.

We get both science tests etc are marked with a level and some homework is marked with an attainement and effort ie A1, A2, B1, B2.
Humanities essays are marked with a level, but the dcs are clearly told before hand what they need to achieve and level of understanding they need to have for each level.

Oh and all the teachers mark homework in different ways , some use NC levels , others use % and some use grade (a,b,c,de,e = effort levels 1,2,3) and otheres just dream up their own way !