Very odd parent's evening

[makeitawhisky]

Despite teacher saying that dd (year 2) has made good progress in reading - she is just finishing lime and she cannot catch her out on her understanding and comprehension, her National curriculum level has remained at 2B since Year One.

She has apparently made a "huge" improvement in Maths but has only moved to 2C from obtaining a 1A in Year one. She has been getting all her questions correct since the beginning of the spring term, finding Maths very easy and when we asked why she wasn't getting more challenging work, we were told that the teacher had been thinking about it for a while but moving dd to the higher ability table would leave too few at the middle table - so our child's educational development is limited by furniture. She looked a bit embarrassed at this point and went on to say she was going to look at rearranging the entire class.

Her literacy work was described as truly outstanding, we were told that she's very creative, writes some of the best stories, is often sighted to the classd as an example of good work but she has only moved from 1A to 2C from the 1A she achieved in Year 1.

She attends a high achieving school who light on praise and heavy with things your child needs to improve on. I've seen her workbooks and she has made remarkable progress I would have thought given that a typical child is expected to move 2 levels in a year that she'd have moved further than she has done.

The praise she piled on my child just did not stack up with the progress in levels or the progress I know dd has made.

[lifeissweet]

er...odd. How is she being assessed? It sounds as though, in reading at least, she is not being moved up book levels fast enough. She should have some challenge in her reading. Unless she is being heard reading more challenging books the teacher can not accurately level her.

The maths thing is very weird too. Again, if she is finding the work easy and unchallenging then it is probably being pitched at the 2c level the teacher claims she is on. Unless they challenge her a little more they can not know her capabilities. The teacher would appear to be admitting that with the very poor excuse about the table situation.

I would point out, however, that expected progress is not 2 sub-levels in 1 year, but actually 3 sub-levels over 2 years and progress is not always smooth - children can often move 2 sub-levels one year and one the next - they are still making adequate progress.

I would really not be overly worried about levels either. If you know she is progressing, that is far more important. Levels are about the school assessing themselves more than assessing the children. your dd is on track for her age (and she has a full term to go), and the teacher sounds as though she is aware she needs to push her a bit more. Keep an eye on it, but don't worry too much.

[makeitawhisky]

No idea how she is being assessed. I know in the real world the levels mean nothing which is why I won't approach the school to question them.

I just don't understand how it all works - she appears to be working well above average on all subjects - given what the teacher has said and the work that she completes at home.

Are teachers encouraged to down play KS1 results to improve the Value added score on KS2 results or is that me looking for a conmspiracy where none exists?

[Over40]

Is she an NQT?

[makeitawhisky]

No, she's an experienced teacher.

[Strix]

"and when we asked why she wasn't getting more challenging work, we were told that the teacher had been thinking about it for a while but moving dd to the higher ability table would leave too few at the middle table"

How awful. So hold the child back because it suits your current classroom.

I heard something similar at a meeting with our y2 teacher. I wanted DD to be given more challenging work in maths and was told I should be careful not to teach the year 3 curriculum or she will be bored next year. How rediculous. Like I am going to hold back my child's education to suit their curriculum. The purpose of the school is to educatate the children, and not vice versa.

[debs40]

Mmm, I have heard the argument that it helps the school to keep the SATs scores at KS1 level deflated to 'add value' at KS2 when results are published - they are not published for KS1.

I wonder if any teachers have experience of this. It makes sense by my experience and I have to say it suits me and my son. Education is a marathon and not a sprint. I hardly think not doing marginally more difficult sums at 7 means you are being 'held back' (held back from what??? Progress?? sitting at the special top table??).

I would be worried if I have thought the teachers.

I think testing at this age is entirely pointless in any event.

But then I think 'setting' at this age is too.

Any decent teacher should be able to differentiate effectively to teach a mixed ability group of 6/7 year olds without imposing a divisive setting structure. It causes more problems than it's worth once parents and children work out who sits where and why.

Just my thoughts......

[debs40]

Sorry, that should have said

I would be worried if I thought the teachers had no understanding of the abilities of the children in the class. I think that is more concerning and the better argument.