What is reasonable progress to expect?

[Sops]

We have concerns about our ds on many levels but school say he is ding fine academically. We can't see that he has made any real progress since starting reception, but what would be described as reasonable progress?
He started reception knowing all his sounds and being able to read simple words but is still only on red level books, so doesn't appear to have moved on much. He won't practice at home at all, teacher says 'try not to worry'.
He could sort of write his name at nursery, now he is slightly more proficient at it but his writing is still 'very, very poor' (teacher says). He has only done four pages in his writing book with any 'words' on them at all over the whole year and his drawings stand out on class displays as by far the most immature.
No idea about his maths at all.
We've mentioned our concerns to his teacher but she brushed them aside saying he is bright. I think he is, but I don't think he is progressing either.

Practise writing with him? - fun things like his favourite characters' names, favourite book titles and relatives'/friends' names? Or write down lists - favourite foods, favourite places, favourite places. etc.
Sounds like you've identified "reasonable progress" already in your post - you want him to do more or do the same better than what he started out with, regardless of how fast or how slow he's doing it. I suspect he could go quite fast on some things, not so much on others.
Can he do simple adding and subtracting? You can test for yourself with practice books from bookshops for his age group. For reading - maybe persist in reading to him if he is not keen to read them himself? I think at this age (esp with boys, from watching friends' and relations' kids) if you keep at it, they just click one day, and sometimes they click exponentially, rather than at a steady climb. Quite a lot of bright kids get cheesed off with doing things that they perceive to be too simple.

(oops - said favourite places twice! I meant favourite places, favourite past-times. Eg swimming, cycling, building train tracks, etc)

Try not to worry too much. i had a similar issue with Ds now aged 6. he too isvery bright and talks and talks and talks and has always been in interested in why things happen, whatthey do etc.

he only really "got" reading in the last few weeks of his reception year. he'd been thoroughly disinterested all year in reading, but now there is no stopping him. We bought some books from the school reading scheme to keep the momentum up over the summer holidays. His hand writing has only improved in the past few months.

I understand this reluctance and apparent disinterest is a typical boy thing, well that's what all 3 of his teachers have said so far.

If at the end of the day your DS likes school and has settled into the routine, then the reception year has been good for him. Reception on the whole is very very child centred, he may prefer more structure which he should get in year 1. Boys sometimes need more structure and more being told what to do when. Now my DS has a very structured school day he thrives and enjoys himself. But on the whole, the freedom of reception was good for him at the time.

Keep up the momentum over the summer holidays. I have found making a scrpa book of what we do during the holidays helps loads as needs writing, drawing and reading skills to be practiced. HTH!

Trouble is, he won't practice anything at home. Can't get him to read even when I have made really easy books myself featuring Ninjago (his favourite toys). He still enjoys being read to but with nothing like the enthusiasm he had before starting school. This is what particularly worries me, since starting reception he has less and less enthusiasm for learning of any kind.
He also HATES structure and being told what to do (teacher says following instructions is a big problem for him at school, it certainly is at home). He also struggles to sit still (though wobble cushion has helped with this), so how he's going to manage next term I've no idea.
Teacher says he is doing fine academically and so they don't think that anything should be done about sitting, following instructions or writing. However, when I spoke to the school nurse she has referred us to the occupational therapist to have his motor skills investigated.

Sops - you've had many threads on here.

You know there are problems. And you know what you described isn't 'adequate progress'.

I can't remember where you are wrt SEN register. But not making 'adequate progress' is grounds for moving up to the next level (ie onto the SEN Register, up to SA+, or up to a statement....)

School will always tell you not to worry, and he's doing fine. Unless he starts hitting children and throwing chairs. Then all of a sudden they have 'lots of concerns'

School won't ever admit your child isn't making good progress. I can't figure out why, and all the teachers on here claim that's not true, but it's certainly my experience in 2 schools, and many, many other posters experience....

That is exactly the prob indigo, we are nowhere on the sn register, he is not even on school action. They say they cant do anything as his issues 'are not affecting his academic acheivement yet.'

Gp has referred us (to camhs we think but still waiting for letter) school
Nurse has done spa and referred to occupational therapist (waiting for that too) and family support (who implied school should be taking some action, ESP after our strengths and difficulties questionnaire results were very bad). We are doing the caf with nurse on monday.

Teacher says 'try not to worry,' but there is 'nothing we can do' to help him with his issues. 'He might well be fine next year'. He clearly is not fine and is so far from flourishing its untrue. But of course, they only see the child that school has created, they dont know what he was like before so cant see the change. The prob with them doing nothing and waiting until the (inevitable) crisis when he starts year 1 means we have to wait for them to try interventions of their own first before they can get in outside support. Of prefer to get going on that now.
Half of me thinks, just leave it then we can say 'we told you so' when he kicks off next year. But I'd rather not put ds through the stress though. The worry is that a 'bad experience' next term could have undesirable long term repercussions.
If we can prove he's not making adequate progress we can ask them to come up with some interventions/targets now.

Yes, exactly.

Just make an appointment with the SENCO. Say he is not making adequate progress, bring along a copy of the SEN COP with the appropriate bits highlighted:

The Code of Practice provides more specific advice regarding the types of SEN a child may present with. For example a child may have an SEN if he or she:

• continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period of time

• continues working at curriculum substantially below that expected of children of a similar age

• has emotional or behavioural difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with the child?s own learning or that of the group, despite having an individualised behaviour management programme

• has sensory or physical needs and requires additional equipment or regular visits for direct intervention or advice by practitioners from a specialist service

• has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning.

Then ask the SENCO what they are doing to help him make adequate progress.....

Mums know their kids best, OP - if you have concerns, it is best to get the assessment done. A learning disability may not show up academically cf just a child taking their time to progress because reception to year 2 stuff isn't always that demanding. You know your child best, follow your instincts. And some disabilities (like reading difficulties, deafness and some forms of dyslexia) can be masked at a young age (a child can memorise the story) so educational milestones and targets can be misleading.