School refusing access to exam results

[Rainbowstarssunlight]

My daughter is just about to finish year 2. A few weeks ago, she started coming home from school saying that they were doing exams. This went on for about two weeks and she told us that for four out of the five days they were doing exams and then having a rest on the fifth day. Obviously, I don’t know if this is true as kids can be unreliable when it comes to time!

I have asked the School for the results of these exams. I’ve been told that they are for internal monitoring only and not to be shared with parents.

I feel a little bit miffed about this. She seemed to spend a considerable time doing them without the School informing us and I don’t really see what the point was if we can’t use the results to help to support her learning at home.

I’ve always had a good relationship with the school and don’t want to upset the apple cart but I do feel that they’re being a little bit unreasonable. Do you agree or is it me?!

Which the OP is already doing by sending her child to a state school, receiving information about her child supplied by school, reading the information and understanding what it means (in this case, no issues).

Here is how to help your child:

1. Make them read books. Turn off all screens, and give them the choice of household chores or reading a book, do this regularly. Also read to them. They are not too old to be read to.
2. Give them "cultural capital", which basically means lots and lots of general knowledge and a wide variety of experiences. Go to events and shows of all sorts - whatever is on. Go for trips out to interesting places. Discuss the history and/or geography of where you are when out (castles, old buildings, hills and rivers, farmland, etc.). Go for walks and identify flowers and trees (app on your phone). Walk around town and notice things, look up answers to questions. Watch documentaries on TV together: science, nature, history, etc. Go to the library and browse with them.
3. If you are worried about maths, consider getting a tutor for an hour a week and after a few weeks ask the tutor for feedback.
4. Leave the school to do the schooling.

Exactly this. We are supporting human beings to grow, not robots. School is stressful enough for children these days. Some are naturally academic, some will need a bit more support, but at this small age school should be enough for the academic side and home should be a place to grow as a human being - learn life skills, gain independence and enjoy themselves! As a teacher, op, do you not think you and your child could both do with a good break from academic education this summer?

I wasn't suggeesting that she isnt doing so. Only that the responsibility is somewhat hampered without a full picture.
'An individual without information can't take responsibilty. An individual with information cant' help but take responsibility'.

Responsibiliy cannot exist in an information vacuum. The necessary data, context, and transparency is essentail. Whether the information the OP has asked for is pertinent to that responsibility is for her to decide, not the school.

There’s already a poster on here who, when told her child’s “score”, made the poor child sit the paper again so he/she could prove that the score was wrong!

Potentially then, if all parents asked for all information, a school's ability to deliver its core purpose, educating pupils, would be disabled as time was invested in responding to parental queries so they were able to fulfil their legal responsibility. Freedom of Information legislation already places a burden on schools, in most cases rightly, but most schools have at least one vexatious complainant whose requests are time-consuming for staff.

I do see your point, but fundamentally I'm oppossed to the idea that an engaged parent, interested in their child's progress and wanting a fuller picture, is 'vexatious'. It may well be inconvenient and time consuming.

To me vexatious would mean: a high volume of emails and calls every day; using an aggressive tone; making unrealistic demands; expecting instant responses outside of school hours; bypassing school protocols.

Asking for test results does not make a vexatious parent. There is a legal right to view your child’s Educational Record within 15 school days of a written request. Internal test results and academic achievements are part of that record.

OP. Are you in training to be "That" mother or does it come naturally to you?

@LittleWhiteRabbit OP has had school report which actually gives a bigger picture than the test result would. I’m not sure what the test result would add. If she is so interested why hasn’t she asked for every assessment that her child had done since starting in reception, and under the English system she would have done many in her 3 years in school. And will do many more. Her child is at greater depth, so already performing beyond age expectations. Her mum is proposing doing school work with her over the summer holidays rather than giving her 7yo a break. Maybe there is a reason school are reluctant to give her the information!

I’ve asked one question in three years! 🤣 I am clearly a horrible, overbearing, pushy mother who is going to have a nervous breakdown at secondary school because I’m so over the top.

The thread is wild but @LittleWhiteRabbit I appreciate you taking a balanced view and not just thinking I’m a nightmare!

Oh good grief!!

Just give them a paddling pool, a tree, a few cardboard boxes, some food ingredients to make what they will, lots of paints, a ball, a magnifying glass, a hose, as bit of garden to cultivate, ... and let THEM explore and learn.

Answer any questions they ask - because they will arise from their natural curiosity - but leave it to the school to lead them by the nose. Our job as parents is to truly educate them - to lead them out and nourish them.

Make them read books. - I can't find a head-in-hands icon but wish I could! MAKE THEM???!!! That will increase their enthusiasm for sure??!!

Leave our children be!!

I am not suggesting OP is vexatious. Far from it. I introduced the vexatious complainant notion only to build on the idea of where responsibility in this context could lead.

To rewind to my original point on this thread, I think there does have to be trust by a parent that a school is competent. That at least should be the starting point, and it does not preclude the parent making measured interventions from time to time.

@Rainbowstarssunlight i think you are reading more into these tests than you need to. It’s just one part of the teacher assessment for your DD. They are not the mandatory tests they used to be. If there were areas of concern for your DD school should raise them to you. You can see from her books what work she has done.
Be mindful that not all work will have a mark or have written corrections.
Schools prefer live marking (so discussing in class) as this has been shown to be more impactful.
There might be a marking policy on the school website.
I assume if you have not raised a question before that you are pretty satisfied with the school and more importantly your child is happy there and doing well both academically and socially

It’s weird that you are describing them as exams. They’re not exams. They’re assessments and children will do them all the time.

As someone who works with children and young people I would be absolutely horrified at the thought of a 6 /7 year old sitting exams and I would be more concerned about how they had been spoken about in school. I would be super pissed off if a school discussed end of year ‘exams’ with a child so young. I still vividly remember the questions from my private school entrance exam when I was 7, and the inherent sense that there was an expectation that I ‘perform’ in some way, even though my parents were very supportive of me generally.

I wonder whether the school require a method to assess somehow but also recognise that children that age are so impressionable and that putting pressure to perform academically , or to compare themselves to peers is not ethical so therefore use these (presumably non-standardised) ways to measure performance for the year group, because they need to know which children need a little bit of support.the OP probably knows more about that coming from a teaching background.

I think it makes a lot of sense not to share those results in such an ‘exam’ way because they can’t control how this is spoken about or presented at home. Yes, most people would obviously not talk to a 7 year old about exam performance, but some would. And some children would have comments made about their performance , good or bad, which then sets a standard and pressure as they grow older, and also teachers them that their value (in school, but also what else are kids ‘tested’ on) is measured by their academic achievement rather than other things like their relationships with others or kindness ,for instance.

Our job as parents is to truly educate them - to lead them out and nourish them.

Totally agree.

I have not said you are a vexatious complainant, OP. It is clear you are not.

I would also add schools have been under additional pressure this week as KS2 SATs results were delayed by a week, so all reports etc have had to wait. They will be reviewing papers to see if any need appealing etc

Yes, there is indeed a crisis in teacher retention.

Recent research would indicate the main drivers are:

-Crippling workload and unpaid overtime with Primary school teachers particularly affected due to the overloaded curriculum planning, data entry requirements, and meticulous marking policies;
-The pressure of the Ofsted Framework;
-Escalating poor pupil behaviour and managing severe emotional outbursts and disrupted classrooms without adequate funding, internal support staff, or specialised interventions;
-Severe funding cuts and SEND pressure - in primary, a loss of critical Teaching Assistants and managing an increasing number of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in larger classes, without the necessary support staff.
-Erosion of real-term pay, down 14% in real terms from 2010-23.

A parent asking for a test result would be a negligible consideration against the very real issues involved.

(TES Institute 2026 Wellbeing Report).

@LittleWhiteRabbit might be the final straw after the teacher has input all the data they have to input and written all the school reportts, giving sufficient information for the parent

Shes year 2. Relax

Wait until she gets to high school and they do you give the students grades. But you don’t know what they really mean and nor. seemingly, do the teachers

Blaming parents for teacher burnout over minor interactions is shifting responsibility to make them feel guilty for wanting standard communication.

The OP is not responsible for the structural collapse of UK teacher retention. She is simply being a supportive and engaged parent.

You could do a DSAR and request them

I would suggest that, given the "wishy washy" information you've been provided, you research the curriculum and, with the support of your teacher mum, focus on the areas where she is currently performing below expectations.

IMO you are being pushy, if your daughter will just blend in, you can support her more at home, especially as you have your own "in house" teachers!

DSAR compliance takes time and money. Not exactly a great use of school resources. The kid is doing fine, she has a supportive mum. It doesn't matter one bit whether she got 78%, 84% or whatever in an internal school assessment. Am a big supporter of parental involvement in education but this would just be a bloody ridiculous over-reaction.