year 3 should I be concerned by lack of progress?

[mungo8]

Hello

I am new on here...

I am slightly concerned with my daughters lack of progress at school. I know really we shouldn't be too concerned by the levels our children are on, it isn't the level she has been assesssed at that the worry is it is the fact that progress seems to be slow in fact non existent.

My daughter is coming to the end of year 3. She is working at the level 3c in all subjects which is where an average child should be. Fine...
Parents evening in the October she was in year 2 the work assessment level she was at was 2a she ended year 2 as 3's. I thought within a school year a child was expected to make a jump of two levels. My daughter has only done this two level jump in two years, I have spoken to her school regarding this they seem unconcerned as she is working within what a child of her age should be doing. My daughter is really quite lazy and will only do the bare minimum of what is expected of her. I am thankful to the school as she enjoys going and I have never had any problems getting her there. I am just worried that they are not getting the best out of her and encouraging her to be lazy a trait that later on down the line will be a problem.

I would appreciate anyones input.
thankyou mungo

I'm not really sure what to suggest but I do think you're right to be worried about the laziness thing. It is really important to encourage her to work hard and not just coast along, because there will eventually come a point where coasting is not enough! I'd say this is more of an issue than the actual levels she is on.

Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable will come along soon

Apparently level 3 at KS2 is completely different to level 3 KS1. Much more involved etc. I remember I had the same with dd2. I queried it because she had finished KS1 with 3s and was still on 3s in year 5. She finished year 6 with 5As so the school was right! Speak to them if you are worried.

I think that's a myth - level 3 ia level 3 whether it'sa a KS1 3 or a KS2 3. This doesn't help you much - sorry!

"Apparently level 3 at KS2 is completely different to level 3 KS1. Much more involved etc"

No, no, no! It was the case pre 2005, when KS1 assessment was simply the test and Y3 assessment relied heavily on the optional SAT - the Y2 one wasn't timed and children could use apparatus for level 2 Maths, whereas the Y3 one was timed with no apparatus.

Now that Y2 assessment is based on teacher assessment, and Y3 teacher assessment is based on more than one test, exactly the same assessment procedures are used for both. Whole school moderation ensures that levelling judgements are the same across the school.

You are right to be concerned, op. They may not be concerned about her current level, but ask them to explain the lack of progress, because that's what's important here.

Average progress in KS2 is one and a half sublevels - good progress (which most schools try to aim for) is 2 sublevels.

I see! dd2 is now 15 - I need to update my sources!

Ahhhh - that explains it!

I was concerned about my DS also just finishing year 3. He was 3s at the end of year 2 and has just come out as 3c for mathematics and writing in year 3 which looks like very little, if any progress to me. The school said not to be worried at all, that he is still at the top end of what they would expect for the end of year 3 and that a lot of y3 work was consolodating what they had done in KS1 and they often saw children just consolodating their learning in this year and then flying with it in year 4. I'm not overly concerned about it. He's happy and is working in the top sets still, but it was encouraging to hear that the school think its absolutely fine right now.

"He was 3s at the end of year 2 and has just come out as 3c for mathematics and writing in year 3 which looks like very little, if any progress to me"

Sounds as if the school are just using a test to level, which would concern me - where is their sound, measured teacher assessment? If they haven't got that, then they certainly can't measure progress, in Y3, Y4 or Y5. I would keep an eye on it if I were you - if there are any children who don't make progress in our school we know straight away and can do something about it.

Thankyou all for your replies, When I asked her teacher at the last parents evening why her lack of progress she seemed to dismiss that my daughter was assessed as level 3 and told me that the goal posts had changed and they have found that children levels had to be adjusted. I felt I was being fobbed of a little, she didn't seem to know where my daughter started the year at because at the time she was saying she was only a 2a this was back in the spring. That set some alarm bells off. I also asked the teacher at that parents evening what was my daughters targets for that year, this question was not answered.

I know it sounds silly but I feel I can't go back to the school to discuss it further without feeling I am making a nuisance of myself, because they have already answered my question on her progress.

I do partly feel I should just let it be they are the professionals and they know what they are doing, I just do not want my daughter to slip through the net. But she is happy and as a parent should I not just be happy with that.

Thanks again xxx

Giddypickle thank you for your reply I am glad it isn't just me. I am just a little frustrated I feel school just wants a class of average children.(I don't mind her being average as long as she is trying and progressing) Lets hope things improve. Although I have been saying that for the last two school years.

What are you going to do about it? Is it just maths your son is making slow progress in or is it the other subjects too?

I never wanted to get caught up in this numbers issue but as a parent this is the only indication I get regarding her progress.

Like I have said before maybe I should just be contented with the fact she is happy.

mungo

Completely don't understand the results regime BUT I do suspect that teachers might be teaching to the test in Y2 whereas in y3 they take their foot off the acceletor a little bit.

Children who are doing really well at Y2 sats tests would then turn out to be doing just OK/average at Y3 assessment.

moderation isn't always done well in schools - one teacher's assessment at 2a might be another teacher's 3c or even a 2b. It's not an exact science - not much would be done this year, I'd raise it with her class teacher in September, you could see them before the first rounds of parents evenings.

thankyou again for your comments xxxx

mungo we are a year ahead of you as DD just coming to end of Y4 and to be honest I wish we had pushed harder to get answers at end of Y3. She's now basically made no progress since Y2 sats (went up 1 sublevel in y3 and dropped back to Y2 sats level in Y4 in most areas).

She has always been in the average sets and we were told she was "making good progress". All our concerns were dismissed and I was made to feel like a pushy mum.

Have since had her externally assessed as I just felt she was falling further and further behind at school and have discovered various learning difficulties, one of which (glaringly obvious dyslexia) the school should have spotted. We always sensed that she was struggling and was inconsistent in lots of areas but school said repeatedly they had no concerns.

Am not saying your DD is dyslexic; merely that I think instincts are often correct and if your gut reaction is that she is not making the progress she should be, don't be fobbed off!

Cremeeggs

thankyou for your reply I will be watching next school term for progress I know my DD isn't dyslexic just lazy and I think her problem is just she wants to be in the background and not stand out. Still no excuse for no/little progress.

I hope your DD is now getting the results/help from the education system that she deserves. I hope school have been a little more helpful since being externally assessed.

You are right as parents we do have a gut instinct and we tend to know when something isn't right.

Mungo - a teacher friend of mind said that at the end of Y3 a level 2a is average, so I concluded that 3C is a bit above average.