ks3 Booster Classes

[mell2]

Was just wondering how common these were. There are booster classes for science in dd's school up until the Sats and was wondering if there is likely to be maths and english ones as well.

Anybody had any experience?

[TearingMyHairOut]

I am an teacher in a secondary school and schools tend to use booster classes in a variety of ways. We have only a year 7 'focus group' at our school but I have worked at schools which have had them in years 7 and 9 and some in year 8 as well. In my opinion they are very worthwhile as the children in them will have all usually been identified as having certain needs and these will be focused on in a very concentrated way. To be honest they are often put into place for the benefit of the school as well as pupil as they school always want to push level 3>4 in year 7 and level 4>5 in year 9 so as the school's stats are better. A lot of the resources used in the booster classes are actually provided by the government ks3 strategy etc so are very relevant. Can't see anything bad about them although I suppose some children could feel 'singled out' and embarrassed, but long term and for their education, it's a good idea. If schools could afford it they'd have more of them!
HTH

[mell2]

Thanks for the reply. Interesting what you say about benefitting the school. In the letter it says students who should be capable of achieving a level 6+. I know these were handed out in Sets 1 and 2. Am now wondering if they were given to students in set3 or only to students that they thought would achieve 6 or higher. Seems a bit harsh if the lessons are not available to all.

[TearingMyHairOut]

Ah I see...so these are booster classes for higher ability children? These don't seem to be more common. The commonest ones are put in place to make sure more kids get the 'average', ie yr7 level 4, yr 9 level 5 and GCSE grade C. These are the figures that the schools are judged on against national averages. They wouldn't make these classes available to all children because there would be no point trying to get a child who was working at level 4 to achieve a level 6. They seem to be stretching each individual to the top of their own ability. If these classes were offered to evryone then those 'bright ones' would not get the same attention or benefit. Presumably there is something available for those children on lower levels who wish to do better, whether in school time or after. I agree all should be given extra support if required but it won't be at the same level if they are looking at each child as an individual

[mell2]

Thanks for that TearingMyHairOut

[mamama]

In my school Booster classes were used in the same was Tearingmyhairout mentioned - to push the 'middle' kids to get higher grades. Parents & Kids were told it was for their benefit, which I suppose it is, but the school also wants them to get better marks so they look like they did a good job.