Scottish parents and teachers - primary levels help please

[Eglu]

I wonder if any Scottish parents or teachers can help me with the levels in Scottish primary schools.

I know that the levels run A - F and that level A should be achieved by the end of Primary 3 for the majority of children.

I'm wondering if anyone knows how many children get level A before P3. THe reason I ask is that I feel that DS1s school is lacking a focus on the academic side of things. I realise this may make me sound like a pushy parent, when I am not. I just feel that the children could be achieving more and that the school do not bother with assessments.

I have parents evening this week and am going to question it, but would like some facts to back me up.

I hope someone can help.

Bump

Thanks Euphemia. DS1 got level A in maths in P1 as he is very good at that. From his reports there have been no more assessments as far as I can tell. I know my child isn't a genius but he is bright and I felt that he probably should have achieved Level A in reading and writing by now.

I just remembered that I did ask his teacher at Easter time in P2 about reading and writing, and she said he wasn't far off. So here wea re nearly a year later and nothing yet. I really feel they are just not bothering with the assesments. It doesn't help that the school is in quite a deprived area and a lot of children are very behind. It seems they just don't bother with those that aren't.

I feel I can be a little forceful at parents evening now. I really appreciate that.

As stated by Euphemia they have changed the assesments due to the Curriculum for Excellence. Some schools are for the moment using both systems and I would agree that A should be generally achieved by the end of P2. However, your school may have abandoned the 5-14 so you will possibly have some time before your child will achieve the first level.

www.ltscotland.org.uk/understandingthecurriculum/howisprogressassessed/stages/index.asp

Have you seen your DS PDP yet?

I used to think the A-F was pretty vague, words fail re CFE.

You will hear nothing with regards to Level A-F as they are no longer used in schools in Scotland.

Kaumana, as far as I was aware our school was still using A-F. They certainly have not said anything about not using it.

DS1 has a PDP but I've not seen it since last term.

I have to agree with regards to CFE. It's almost enough to amke me move back to England. :)

JoBettany my DS's school is currently using both "systems" inc the 5-14 assements i.e. he sat and passed his level F reading last week. I'm assuming they may stop this at the end of this scholastic year.

Eglu They will certainly be stopping the 5-14 at some point. You should be seeing your DS PDP on a regular basis. However, having seen friends DCs PDPs, I want to weep, I would want to know what exactly my child will be /has been taught/ learned rather than a bunch of smiley faces / statements stating that they "are aware of numbers 1-100" for example. What does that mean?!

Our PDPs did include the curriculum for the term but the school removed this.

It is mainly a list of statements of what the DC will be learning.

I'm just concerned that the school do not push the brighter children to achieve their best as it would put them even further ahead of the struggling ones. I am constantly wondering whether the best thing would be to send DS to a bigger school, with more children who he can owrk on a level with.

If that is your concern will knowing the level that he is at really help? Even under the A-F thing they were fairly spaced out, and you could easily go a year or more without passing a level.

Have you discussed your concerns with his teacher - not focussing on the levels, but that you dont think he is progressing at the rate that he would be comfortable at?

Have you had a look at the bigger school?
The councils used to publish comparisons of the different schools within the area in terms of the children reaching certain levels at certain points - that might help you select a school.

I do think that there is something in the idea of a child being in amongst a group of children of similar academic ability rather than being an 'outlier'

eviscerate I just feel that if I felt they were actually assessing him then I may feel more comfortable with the fact that they are giving him the right work.

I maybe am wasting my time. There are other good schools locally, but my main concern about moving him as that he doesn't cope well with change and would be very against it. I do feel that his competitive nature would make him work harder in a bigger school though.

I'm in the Borders

Eglu in regards to your last comment . I changed school for my DS, best thing I ever did.

Crossed post

They should be informally assessing him all the time though. Even the level tests would only have been done when the school felt he was ready, not just on a speculative basis.

If you are in the borders is it practical to change school? Would your DS know anyone at the school you would move to?

He goes to a couple of clubs, such as Beavers that are in the next village, and he knows children from that, although not many.

Would it affect where he went to secondary school?
If you think that he isnt at the best school than I would move, but I would make sure that the other school really was better, and not just bigger.

kaumana If a school is still doing 5-14 assessments they are using 'old' tests as they are no longer available online.

Local authorities are no longer collecting this data or tracking progress with it.

It wouldn't affect secondary school. There is a choice of 3 schools I could move him to. One I would probably discount as being too big, it has a two class intake and I think that would be difficult for him.

I need to look at the other schools more closely, but they all have good results.