FFT predictions school streaming advice needed

[scandog]

Does anyone understand how we go about understanding the Fischer Family Trust estimates used at the school. Our 13 year old has been placed in a middle "pathway" largely based on predicted levels (using FFT and Cats scores) His actual achievement is higher than the predictions (so he is at 7b/7a/5b science,maths,english and they predict he will reach 565 by the end of the school year!
We think the predictions haven't been adjusted to take into account the fact that he's the youngest in the year - does anyone know if being summer born is factored in when schools use FFT to stream for GCSE years
And does anyone know how we go about challenging the decision - being placed in the middle pathway will mean he can't take tripple science even though he is at level 7b in it
What right of appeal do we have if the school won't review it (the problem for them is that they allocate the top 60 kids in the school to the top pathway based on these FFT figures and he is ranked 63?)
That's a lot of questions - but we hadn't appreciated how massive a split happens in this streaming as you can't change pathways once they're cast in stone so we need to get somewhere bwteeen now and May?
Much appreciated

No idea BUT if me I would go in and INSIST for all the reasons you've stated above. There might be more flexibility than you realise?

I think CATs scores might be calculted in such a way that birthdays are taken into account but I'm not too sure. At my Dd's school they have decided to use Jesson data which basically means predictions are done on KS2 results and those alone, my summer born DD scraped a place in the top pathway at her school even though the progress she has made in Science and Maths has considerable. As for appealing your DS's pathway I think it would be a case of writing to the Head and the chair of governors.

If a child achieves a level 7 in Science then they should be offered the chance to do triple science as a matter of good practice. And IMO learning pathways make a bit of a mockery of individual learning plans and the ECM agenda, but my school uses them too, and also based on FFT...

Go and ask the school. They are making an arbitary split and this is not appropriate in such circumstances.
FFT data includes a whole raft of factors in coming up with the expectations. These will normally include deprivation factors, where the school is and age, but there are different variations within the FFT family of data so without knowing which one, you can't be precise about what factors are involved.
To be honest the detail of the FFT prediction is not really relevant, what is relevant is the apparently rigid structure within the school and this needs to be challenged.

It sounds like his English levels are bringing down the total 'score'.
I was also shocked to find out all the factors taken into consideration when deciding the pathways and have allready been questioning the school although Dd only in yr8.
If there is no difference in the top 2 pathways except for triple science (this is the case in DDs school, but 4 pathways) then this should give you a stronger case.
Equally, there could be could others with higher total schools that are not interested enough in science to do triple, so the system can't be that rigid.

Out of interest, when are the FFT predictions done ?

I think you need to speak to the head of year and point out that he is already achieving 7/7/5 so the prediction of 5/6/5 is inaccurate.

What did the Head of Year say when you asked him/her about this?