Would you raise this with HT? previous lack of progress

[DreamADream]

I don't know whether I'm over reacting or not! DD has the same teacher this year that she had 2 years previously. She's told me today that she was very surprised in September at the level she was at in one area as she obviously knew where she was up to the year before. DD has now apparently made a lot of progress and is doing well.

All along I've said that I felt she made little, if any progress last year. So I can't be accused of drip feeding, she apparently finished last year ahead of expectations in that area and is a more able child.

My concern is that with her being more able, she was left to fend for herself a little last year and I do feel this was confirmed today. Obviously there's nothing that HT can do to change last year, but I want to make sure it's on record and that it doesn't happen again.

In my shoes would you be raising it with her? Thanks in advance!

[lljkk]

no I wouldn't raise it because I don't really believe in levels being accurate anyway.

I would raise issue if my DD was chronically bored witless in every subject.

[bojorojo]

I think the time to complain was last year! It is a bit late now if she is making good progress with this teacher. Also, the Head should be totally aware of which children are not making progress in line with their previous progress profile, so the Head is really to blame here, as well as last year's teacher.

There is no excuse for an able child to make limited progress. The Head should have been aware this was happening and interventions should have been made last year and allowing your DD to coast is not acceptable.

You now seem to have a good teacher and I would be pleased that I was getting robust information on her progress. Able children can be working at the expected level or above. When working above, the teacher should set tasks that are challenging. In our school they are called Herculean tasks. We start at hard, move to harder, then hardest and the Herculean. Ask her current teacher how they are setting work to stretch the most able children. Fending for herelf is not acceptable. It also shows no scrutiny of work was being done nor any rigour in the assessment procedures. The Head should be worried!

[DreamADream]

bojorojo I'm kicking myself for not raising jt last year! At the time I thought I was probably overreacting. Record keeping has always been a concern of mine, and her progress records actually disappeared at one point! I guess all things combined it's not filling me with confidence for the future. That said though, her teacher this year is really pushing her and I have a lot or confidence in the one she should hopefully have next year!

[DreamADream]

lljkk in general I would agree with you, but it's a subject that without the abstract leveling, it's obvious to see where a child is up to. In other areas I agree that it's all subjective+

[bojorojo]

Most schools put progress records onto spreadsheets these days. I bet they were not lost!

Schools sometimes use a computer program where teachers enter assessment results and this enables the school to check progress of individual children and print out general progress info for governors. It also can be interrogated to show progress of boys, girls, PP children, SEND etc. This will be backed up by written info and obviously the child's work! If a school does not have robust assessment and top class progress checking beware of an Ofsted visit!

[DreamADream]

Ofsted is due actually, it's been a very long time and looking at report, assessment was raised as a slight concern.

I'm glad I posted now as I was all ready to email the head, but now I've thought about it I can see that there would be very little point in raising it. I'll just have to make sure I'm not backwards in coming forwards in future and that I voice my concerns rather than just thinking "it'll get better next term" or thinking that they're still finding their feet!