Achieving a good level 3 in year KS1

[Anice]

This morning the deputy head at my children's school said to me that school's do not teach any child beyond level 3c in year 2.
She made it sound like a government requirement which was out of her hands, but she ignored my question when I asked if she is absolutely sure about that.
Can anyone clarify please?

I see what you're saying, Anice. Could you move schools? If they tried to put a ceiling on my ds's learning, then that's what I'd do if I could. Shockingly low expectations.

Feenie - I do have one option. i found an (outstanding) local school with a place, but its only an infant school. I wanted to move DS2 but DH is against it on the grounds that moving schools in December 2010 and again in summer 2011 will be too disruptive. Also the children at the other school will have long established relationships by now and are probably not looking for new friends given that they all are due to go to a series of new schools in a few months.
Other than that, I can find no other option.

Are there any other options for Y3? Agreed it's not worth moving him now - the move would probably knock him back a bit educationally.

anice, I was agreeing with you that what the Deputy Head said was rubbish, there shouldn't be a ceiling on a childs learning in a particular year, and that I would be unhappy with DDs school if they were not stretching her but instead waiting for the others to catch up.

Where are all these levels listed? I have no idea what they are despite much googling

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/ExamsTestsAndTheCurriculum/DG_4016665

mrsshackleton, your'e better off not knowing, ignorance is bliss and all that, because when you are aware of levels/sub-levels/targets/trajectories etc!! it's difficult to relax about your DCs schooling!

(lovecheese makes mental note NOT to ask DD1 if she is aware of her literary targets later...)

thanks mrz! and lovecheese you're right, possibly that's why my googling has failed so far, subconsciously I've not been trying hard enough as I don't want another thing to stress about

But thinking of moving dd to a selective school at 7 and she has to be at "level 3" even to be considered apparently. So sadly I need to plunge in [aagh emoticon]

Aha. Having said that just clicked your link mrz and I had uncovered that before. But I still don't see how to find out what they're expected to be doing at each level

[dimwit emoticon]

mrsshackleton what year is your DD in? apologies if you have already said.

curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/assessment/assessmentofsubjects/assessmentinenglish/index.aspx

mrz just had a quick look at that link, and was surprised to see that to attain a level 3 for writing handwriting has to be joined. I always thought that a child does not need to use joined writing to achieve this? Am I wrong?

the examples of level 3 writing aren't joined
www.burfordschool.co.uk/curriculum/assessment/Writing%20Examples%20-%20L3.pdf

She's in yr 1 now, this would be for next year

Thanks Mrz - finally I've decoded it. It all seems within her grasp by this time next year except her handwritings' appalling but then she's hypermobile so hopefully they'll make allowances for that

OK, ta for that.

My class do joined handwriting so fulfil the criteria but I know not all schools do this in KS1 interesting that there is a discrepancy between the AT and examples