Can anyone tell me what "working within Level 2" actually means

[Smamfa]

Meeting with the school today, and I'm still confused. DS is Yr3, 8 on Wednesday.

it means that your son isn't a solid Level 3 yet

do you need level descriptors?

Yes Please. Should he be level 3 now? Is level 2 the same as Key Stage 2. [Confused emoticon].

Levels go
1c
1b
1a
2c
2b
2a
3c
3b
3a
4c
etc etc etc

It is the expectation that an "average" child will reach level 2b by the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) and 4b by the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

What levels did DS get in his KS1 SATs? He should be a little higher than that by now.

I've no idea where he is now - that's part of the problem. Sigh.

Level 2 for Literacy:
Pupils' writing communicates meaning in both narrative and non-narrative forms, using appropriate and interesting vocabulary, and showing some awareness of the reader. Ideas are developed in a sequence of sentences, sometimes demarcated by capital letters and full stops. Simple, monosyllabic words are usually spelt correctly, and where there are inaccuracies the alternative is phonetically plausible. In handwriting, letters are accurately formed and consistent in size.

A level 2 is just about average, but the issue is the progress her has made since his KS1 SATs; if he got a Level 2b or 2a at the end of Year 2 and he is still Level 2 now, then he has not made sufficient progress. If he was a Level 1 or 2c at end of Year 2, then for him to be working within Level 2 is fine.

The progress he has made

This illustrates to me how rubbish the whole system of assessment is with regard to parents..no one knows what these levels actually mean!

"working within level 2" is a very vague assessment and could indicate anything between 2c and 2a! You should know what level your ds achieved at the end of last year from his SATS results. To be able to tell if he has made progress since then you need more accurate information from the school (i.e. whether he is now working at 2c, 2b or 2a). As it is not yet the end of the year, it is possible that his teacher is currently completing assessments and that soon will be able to give you a more accurate picture? However, generally I would say that it is very common for children at the end of Year 3 to still be working within level 2 - it is a big step up to level 3 and assessment methods are different in key stage 2, making level 3 more difficult to attain than in Key stage 1.

Sorry for waffly reply!

Thank you all for your help. I think I'll wait until the end of term report comes out before I ask for more info. I'm tired of the battle.

Smamfa,

nothing to add but loving your posting name.