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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

How unusual is a L3 going into Y2

98 replies

honoroakmum · 12/07/2011 13:02

Hi my dd's teacher took me aside a couple of days ago to tell me that dd had achieved L3 in all areas and was doing very well. DD turned 6 in June. I'm thrilled that she is doing so well but how unusual is it to be on L3 going into Y2? One child in a class or more unusual than that?

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MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 20:37

TBH Im starting to question all these levels. Pretty much EVERY child in my ds' year 1 class is a free reader. Mine has been reading novels all year and got a 1a for reading. He is reading pratchett now.

Original poster

honoroakmum · 12/07/2011 21:03

Useful link mrz. Judging by her homeworks I think she would be able to do most of that except for digital time which I don't think she has been taught and fractions ie she can half and quarter things but couldn't find 3/7ths of something. She doesn't know all her tables yet but does know 2,3,4,5,10,11.

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rabbitstew · 12/07/2011 21:04

I don't see how your reading and writing levels can be that far apart - surely, to be able to prove a level 3 understanding of a variety of texts, you either need a teacher with an awful lot of time on their hands to talk through questions and discuss books with you, or you need to be able to write down your thoughts. I just don't believe a teacher in a class of 30 children, many/most of whom will still be learning to read, is otherwise going to have the time to do that often enough to get firm evidence of a level 3.

MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 21:08

Id like to know how a teacher can assess the child's ability to divide and do fractions to level 3 when its not covered in the classes and tests either.

Teachermumof3 · 12/07/2011 21:14

Mine has been reading novels all year and got a 1a for reading. He is reading pratchett now.

If your child is independently and fluently reading/understanding Terry Pratchett books, they are not a 1a now!

BusterGut · 12/07/2011 21:14

'You may be right mrz that her teacher has gotten carried away somewhat particularly in writing which seems to be her weaker area. '

Does that mean she's not a L3 after all?

Original poster

honoroakmum · 12/07/2011 21:16

DD in a class of 18 with teacher and TA. I don't think writing is vastly different just slightly weaker eg 2a vs 3c maybe. Still good I would have thought.
I'm judging her maths on the homework sheets she brings home - they have had division and halving/quartering which dd coped with fine so they must have taught her in school.

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MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 21:17

teachermum thats what he got.

MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 21:19

Although he read captain underpants tonight I admit

dragonmother · 12/07/2011 21:20

Maybe this is a case of the fabled 'prep schools working a year ahead' thing?

rabbitstew · 12/07/2011 21:20

My dss' school does do phase teaching for maths (which means they set for maths across years 1 and 2, years 3 and 4, and years 5 and 6), so what is being taught in year 2 is open for the year 1 children to learn, if they are capable of learning at that level. They've only recently started doing that, though, so I'd be interested to see what happens to the children who've been working with the brightest in year 2 whilst they are in year 1 and then find themselves at the top of year 2, working with younger children rather than continuing to power through the nc levels with older children who have moved on to the next phase... I guess it depends to a certain extent on how much the phase teaching has improved standards generally across the year. Other than that, I guess the child would only be capable of higher levels in maths if they were working on the subject at home for fun/at parental instigation, or had indicated their boredom to the teacher and their ability to teach themselves concepts if left alone to plough through worksheets whilst the rest of the class learnt how to add up.

dragonmother · 12/07/2011 21:21

Fabled possibly not the right word...

dragonmother · 12/07/2011 21:23

MrsKravitz - maybe it's a mistake. Or there is some small element of his reading which is considerably behind? But then you'd be aware of that.

What level books does he get from school?

MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 21:24

I dont know. We dont tend to read the school ones, they are god awful.
Do they have a level written on them?

Original poster

honoroakmum · 12/07/2011 21:27

Bustergut DD's teacher tells me she is L3 in reading, writing and maths. Her reading and maths are very strong so Level 3 makes a lot of sense there. Her writing is weaker than her reading and maths but still very good. I really can't tell as I don't know enough about the levels. I do find it surprising that the teachers on mn rarely come across a L3 at the end of Y1 so that did concern me a little.

OP posts:

BusterGut · 12/07/2011 21:35

I ''phase taught'' last year, and about 30% of my Y1/2 class got L3 in writing (expected outcome - top set - no MN brag going on here ). The y1s, although good at writing, did not have the emotional understanding to write at this level. They particularly found writing in the character of someone else very difficult, probably because they lack empathy and haven't yet developed a secure understanding of other people's emotions. Their vocabulary was also not as subtle, as precise or as 'flowing' as the level 3 writers.

Teachermumof3 · 12/07/2011 21:43

I have not in 13 years of teaching, had a Year 1 child come up as level 3 in anything; let alone everything! Our school is in a very difficult area though and we only got five level 3s at the end of KS1 this year, despite being an 'outstanding' school.

Mrs Kravitz-does your child's school use the coloured 'book band' system? Have you queried the 1a? That is definitely incorrect.

MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 21:59

I have just been on the email to the teacher and she said he is there. There are some pretty bright kids in that class so I will have to trust her on this I guess. I checked, his last book was lost in the jungle...owl 7?

mrsspews · 12/07/2011 22:13

My Yr 1 DS is really good at maths and loves doing any worksheets I bring home from school. He especially loves doing tests so I gave him an old SATs paper to do . He got every question right (2a) so I gave him a few from the level 3 paper and he just about got enough right to get a level 3. I would never have given him that level though because I don't think he is secure enough in his knowledge and I wouldn't want to burden his Yr 2 teacher with a child coming up as level 3.

His school have levelled him as a 2c and I am fine with that. His maths homework is always spot on - just enough challenge but no frustration - so I imagine the work he does in school is also a good level for him.

MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 22:16

I am pmsl that my ds has a top score for effort and for achievement in ICT when he is forbidden to use the computer or any gaming at home . Looks like he saves it all up for school.

Teachermumof3 · 12/07/2011 22:26

I'd say that was Turquoise level which is indeed a 1a/2c. That's a very different book to a Terry Pratchett book though. Is he reading it alone?

MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 22:33

Yes. I hate pratchett. That is an extreme example though, he mostly reads flat stanley, cap underpants, jack stalwart, shivers, slime squad etc

I have learned my lesson though. We ignore the school books as they are so tedious but it seems that these are the ones they gauge the level on. Next year in year 2, I will make sure we read the ones they send home and try to show he is whizzing through them. I will write in the little book thingy they send home too and comment he is doing ok with it all.

MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 22:37

Oh and my fave...undead ed :)

Teachermumof3 · 12/07/2011 22:47

Well, those are similar books that my DS (Y4 and a 4c in reading) enjoys.

I find it a little worrying that the teacher hasn't noticed such a disparity during guided/individual reading!

MrsKravitz · 12/07/2011 22:51

I think its a TA who takes them for reading. Thanks for the input, this has helped me formulate a stragegy for next year :)

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