NC levels W, W4, W5 and W6 anyone??

[innoparticularorder]

My Ds is 5 and in Year 1. He is currently on an IEP and is receiving extra support for numeracy and literacy. He received his Autumn progress report today and is currently on the above levels for speaking & listening, reading, writing and numeracy, I understand he should be working towards a 1b by the end of the year, am I correct in thinking these are the levels that precede L1? If so how far behind are the above levels from a 1b?

I will ask his teacher after the holidays what the above levels mean but was wondering if anyone here as any knowledge??

Thanks.

[storynanny]

Yes you are correct, w is working towards level 1 which starts at 1c,1b,1a, 2c,2b etc. Some schools use p levels.

[wigglywoowoo]

Does this chart help at all? At the start it shows the working towards points. NC Points

[PandaNot]

All schools should use p levels for children who are working on the National Curriculum but are not yet at level 1. They used to be reported as a w (working towards) but for a couple of years now it has been statutory to report as p levels.

[mrz]

P levels should only be used for children with SEN and are used at the end of each Key Stage. Many schools wrongly use them for non SEN pupils.

www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/assessment/a00203453/about-the-p-scales

[mrz]

media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/w/when%20should%20p%20scales%20be%20used.pdf

[PandaNot]

That link is slightly misleading in that it means that any child working under level one at the end of key stage one should be regarded as having special needs. Schools must not report w any more for any pupil. They should be used for tracking and target setting from year one. All local authorities in my area (11 in total) take this approach.

[mrz]

Sorry PandaNot that isn't true. If a child is working below level 1 they shouldn't be assessed using P scales if they don't have SEN ...for example children with EAL. The 11 local authorities in your area need to rethink their approach. The link is from the DfE and is the legal requirement.

[mrz]

media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/w/when%20should%20p%20scales%20be%20used.pdf

It's very clear

[storynanny]

Agree with panda, happens in all schools in my area, told to use p levels by the powers that be.
Anyway it's getting away from the point of the thread- what targets has he been given on his latest IEP? Use them as a starting point to play games with him at home, maths activities, any dice, card games for instance, children's dart board is good for mental maths.

[mrz]

Then you should read the ARA storynanny (The Assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) explains the statutory requirements for National Curriculum assessment and reporting arrangements at Key Stage 1)
media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/2/key%20stage%201%20assessment%20and%20reporting%20arrangements%202013_001.pdf

If a child is working below level 1 of the National Curriculum and they do not have a special educational need, then ?NOTSEN? should be reported. This includes children who are working below level 1 solely because they have English as an additional language (and they do not have a special educational need). They should only have a P scale recorded if they are working below level 1 and have a special educational need. ?NOTSEN? is not a P scale, but a code to explain why a child working towards level 1 does not have P scales reported. ?NOTSEN? replaces the code ?EAL? that was used in previous years

[mrz]

innoparticularorder am I correct the levels you have been given are S& L -W Reading - W4 Writing -W5 and Numeracy -W6?

[innoparticularorder]

Thanks for all the responses, very helpful.

Mrz it's Speaking & Listening W, reading w5, writing w4, numeracy w6 and science W6. I know he's behind his peers hence the IEP but don't know how far behind. I do lots of work at home with him and he has come along way since September, but not sure if I need to do more (which I'm reluctant to do as he's only 5) or just hope he catches up eventually.

[mrz]

For w6 in numeracy for example the teacher is saying your son needs to count objects reliably, recognise numerals and to know one more or one less than a number? In reading he needs to read simple words and know how books work and in writing to write own name and to be able to copy letters?

Does that sound like your child?

[innoparticularorder]

For numeracy he does have difficulties with what you have listed so I agree with teachers assessment. But for reading he is capable of reading simple words, he has just completed bear necessities book A1 which i got for him in August and will be starting the next book in January. Eg of the words he has just read are short, chard, quit, socks and queen, are these too simple??
In writing he is able to write his own name and simple CVC words and a few tricky words, he's not so hot on thinking of a sentance and writing it down, thought the more confident he becomes with his reading his writing will begin to develop more.

I think I need to speak to his teacher, who is lovely and very approachable but I'm getting the feeling she isn't aware of how much he is capable of, or maybe he isn't demonstrating his reading and writing skills that he does with me at home.

[mrz]

I agree you need to speak to her as the reading and writing levels suggest he wouldn't be able to do either to any degree. I think with numeracy you should encourage him to count objects .. in normal day to day activities - can you get me 4 tins of x and 6 carrots in the supermarket count steps ask what comes next type of thing

[innoparticularorder]

Thank you for the clarification and suggestions, will definitely do more numeracy activities with him.

Thank you to everyone else's contribution to the thread too.

[daisymaybe]

The p level/ w debate...a lot of schools now use computer based target tracker programs that don't recognise working towards levels, hence the use of p levels for non-SEN chn.

[storynanny]

That's right Daisy, just what I was meaning earlier on in the thread.

[mrz]

I wonder if anyone has told the companies producing the software

[mrz]

If your son was on the SEN register they should have reported the P scales to you MrsDeVere hope the new school is more helpful.