Levels, year 1

[bubbles1112]

Hello, is being level 2 in most areas what we should expect in year 1?

Cheers.

IMHO it's far better to concentrate on securing children's 'thinking skills' rather than worry about securing the higher levels at this stage. Nobody asks a potential employee what they scored in KS1 and KS2 SATs! Save the exam results for later!

Life rewards those who can make benefit of a flexible, considered and quantifiable approach to tasks. You can teach children the 'necessary' to tick the boxes for higher levels, but it is far more worthwhile to enrich children with the ability to apply a truly learnt skill to a variety of contexts, to develop an enquiring and inventive approach.

Too much of today's education is about levels and testing. I understand the need for accountability in the profession, however, levels and testing are seen as the 'be all and end all' these days. Time to reconsider the 'tick box' government statistic based approach to learning!

IMHO it's far better to concentrate on securing children's 'thinking skills' rather than worry about securing the higher levels at this stage. Nobody asks a potential employee what they scored in KS1 and KS2 SATs! Save the exam results for later!

Life rewards those who can make benefit of a flexible, considered and quantifiable approach to tasks. You can teach children the 'necessary' to tick the boxes for higher levels, but it is far more worthwhile to enrich children with the ability to apply a truly learnt skill to a variety of contexts, to develop an enquiring and inventive approach.

Too much of today's education is about levels and testing. I understand the need for accountability in the profession, however, levels and testing are seen as the 'be all and end all' these days. Time to reconsider the 'tick box' government statistic based approach to learning!

Well put, Parity; seems ironic that in my husband's school that, despite exam grades getting better every year, they are teaching "Thinking Skills" to the children.

I sound like i a show off but mt year 1 ds recently sat some SAT papers at school and got level 3 in reading and maths. What does this mean for next year?

It takes on avg 2 years to complete level 3, so chances are your DS will get a level 3 end of Y2 as well.

Although he could get L4....

My ds is in year 1 and is doing well. [2cs accross board I think though didn't ask just read upside down at parents eve!]. He is not in top ability group [accept in reading] and teacher says that top group is a 'hothouse' where he believes my ds would be unhappy and stressed.
Well I realize listening to some [big gob show off] mums whose kids in top group that I am not prepared to push my happy little boy to the extent they are pushing their children. Apart from reading at home we don't do extra writing/numeracy etc at home. I feel at 5 ds does enough at school and home stuff can come later. He bounces to school and long may that continue.

BY the way - just wanted to say my ds only does reading at home too and also bounces to school. He is not hot housed. He very much enjoys writing and maths but hates football and sport.

2BoysTooLoud - a healthy attitude to adopt. Feel quite sad for the big gob show off mums TBH, and even sadder for the children if teacher admits that the top group (winces at the name) is a "Hothouse". And in year 1? Jesus.

Just to add I have a DD in year 2 who also leans very much towards academia - hope that doesn't sound poncey? - of her own choosing. I think some of the pushy mums in her class would be startled and a bit panicky if I told them that she enjoys doing old SATs papers for fun .

(shall I tell them?)

lovecheese, my ds is like that too. I find him doing maths and writing stories etc when he is supposed to be asleep and we have to force him away from his books to the great outdoors.. But he has lots of friends and is a laugh too.

I think your DS and my DD would hit it off! They could sit and do Venn diagrams together, how sweet!

I also had the problem of my ds being made 'aware' by other children that he was not as 'clever' as them as not in 'their' group. I think in year 1 that is sad.

Very sad, 2boys... I am finding that the insecure, pushy mums who perhaps have not excelled themselves are transferring their aspirations onto their children, breeding a culture of "nah nah na nah nah, I'm better than you" (Becaue my mum told me)