Progress (or not) in SATs levels - does this matter?

[PassTheTwiglets]

At end of Y2, DD was above average for literacy and average for maths. Now at the end of Y3, she has 'gone down' to average for literacy and below average for maths. She has progressed a sublevel in each subject though. So is she doing ok or not? Does it only matter whether they progress up through the levels and we should ignore the 'below average/average/above average' descriptions? (hope that makes sense!)

I did ask her teacher but I didn't really understand the answer and after asking 3 times in the same conversation I was too to ask again!

Anybody? Bueller?

What are the actual levels?

A child making average progress is expected to go up 2 sub levels per academic year. As your DD has only gone up 1 sublevel, it would be fair to say that she is not making enough progress. Especially if she was above average for literacy at the end of Y2.

I assume that you mean she was a level 3? It would help to know if she was a 3a, b or c. 3c going up to 3a in Y3 is good progress.

I personally don't think you should worry too much. Ask your DD how she feels she's coping and whether or not she would like some help in particular areas. Read her school report properly and note down what her targets to improve upon are.

If you have the time and inclination, you could buy some workbooks from WH smiths in literacy and numeracy for ages 7-8 for DD to practice in the summer hols. It might help her with her confidence in the classroom to know that she really understands the topics and methods.

If average progress was 2 sublevels a year then an average child leaving year 2 on 2b-which is the "average level" would be a 5c by the end of year 6 which is definitely NOT average! Average progress is 3 sublevels over 2 years, so perhaps one sublevel one year followed by 2 levels the next ( or perhaps not, children are not linear beings!)

Exactly what SpanielEyes said. If she has made 1 sublevel in Y3 that is absolutely fine.

See, I am so confused about what progress they are supposed to make as I keep hearing different things! Her teacher said 2 whole levels over 4 years, my teacher friend said 2 whole levels over 2 years, another teacher said one sublevel per year...

With literacy she's gone from 3C to 3B for reading and from 2A toC for writing. Maths was 2B last year and was still 2B this year until the last few weeks where she's just about gone to 2A (so I know she isn't technically below average now, but she was until the last few weeks).

So, just to clarify, you guys definitely think it doesn't matter that she's gone from above average to average, because her progress in the actual levels is good enough, yes?

My DS only made one sub level progress in Y3. He was a 3c at the end of Y2, a 3b at the end of Y4 and a 4c at the end of Y4. As long as they make one complete level of progress in two years, I wouldn't worry.

Sorry that should've said from 2A to 3C for writing - her writing is as bad as my typing :)

2a / 3c is 'the expected level' for a child at the end of Y3.

So she above the expected level in reading (3b) and at the expected level in maths and writing.

So def no need to worry.

Oh that's interesting, Indigo - the explanation sheet that came with the figures said that 3b was average!

Thanks very much everyone, I will assume all is ok then.

The trouble is different schools have different meaures of acceptable progress! The theory is that a child should be a 2b at the end of year 2 and a 4b at the end of year 6. This gives 2 whole levels over 4 years, so one level over 2 years and therefore 3 sublevels over 1 year! BUT, this is expected progress and schools are under enormous preasure to make more than expected progress-otherwise OFSTED will only judge them to be "satisfactory" ( which as we all know, is the kiss of death!) So schools aim to make more than expected progress, which is where the different measures of what is/isn't acceptable come in.
As long as your child is making progress and you can see an improvement, then I would try not to worry if sometimes it is one sublevel or sometimes two ( and even more, I have several children in my class who have made 3 or even 4 sublevels progress in a year!)