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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

Reception report shock bad grades

162 replies

Cons · 19/07/2011 15:26

My DS1 brought home his first graded school report, mainly 5's or 6's. I thought this was fine until I compared it to his friend's reports, mainly 8's some 9's, I was horrified. My husband and I are very academically minded, we both have masters degrees and believe wholeheartedly in the importance of education. What are we doing wrong? We are devastated by this report as it is the first time he has been 'graded' At home it is hard to get him to do his homework, he is not interested at all in reading, writing, maths etc. He would rather be playing. I thought this was the normal behaviour of a 5 year old boy but thought he was doing OK at school, which he obviously isn't. Should we get a tutor? It seems a bit ridiculous when he is so young but I don't want him to get even further behind next year. Are our expectations too high??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

SybilBeddows · 19/07/2011 16:00

thank goodness my school doesn't give grades in reception. No good ever comes of it.

pozzled · 19/07/2011 16:02

I can't believe 'everyone else is getting 8's and 9's'. Your child is doing fine.

Have you actually looked at the descriptions of what the numbers mean? There shouldn't be anything too surprising there as I'd imagine you already have a good awareness of what he can do/understand. It's only the numbers that you're focusing and they're so unimportant.

SleepyCaz · 19/07/2011 16:03

PS Please don't allow your 5 year old son to realise you are 'devastated' by his first Big Boy Report. It will crush him, and as someone else said, put him off school for life. Reception year is about building a foundation for the next few years. Confidence, basics and ideas about the world. DON'T get him a tutor, for Christ's sake.

The bit about you both having Masters degree's and being highly academically minded was hilarious, if it IS a joke though. If not, get a grip on yourself before you do some real damage.

PandaNot · 19/07/2011 16:03

5's and 6's is absolutely fine especially for a summer born boy! However academic you are you can't force children to be ready for formal learning before they are ready. FWIW both me and DH have higher degrees also (only mention this because you did) and it wouldn't ever occur to us that a score at the age of 5 is an indicator of future attainment!

pozzled · 19/07/2011 16:06

Here are the descriptions for the 'grades' you keep going on about.

JemimaMuddledUp · 19/07/2011 16:12

Mine all had homework in Reception.

OP I wouldn't worry about it. As others have said 5 and 6 are "average", which is perfectly fine! Some children do develop more quickly than others, and I can see a huge difference between how my sons were (especially the summer born one) at the end of Reception and how my daughter is now.

bullet234 · 19/07/2011 16:13

Has your ds made progress since September? Is he now confident about the school routine, able to sit quietly in a group, put on his shoes, get changed for PE, eat his dinner with out help or only minimal help? Does he like learning about his environment, either through listening or doing? If so, then that's great.
My Ds2 is about to go into Year One in September. He likes making marks in sand and foam and blowing bubbles. He likes playing "peepo" and playing with the ducks in the plastic bath.He enjoys cause and effect toys with noises and lights and mirrors. According to that report list he's just on stage one with some things and not yet reaching stage one with others. But he's made progress since last September, which is what I wanted.

lawnimp · 19/07/2011 16:16

am quite shocked at that early years chart, why the hell are we doing this to our children at such a young age! it's totally weird.

cyb · 19/07/2011 16:20

Homework in Reception?

Pshaw

SybilBeddows · 19/07/2011 16:22

I'm shocked at that chart as well, but for different reasons.
I recognise a lot of those phrases from dd's reception report a year ago. At the time I was at the way the report managed to be detailed yet completely unhelpful as it told me what she could do but not whether that was normal or not.
So all I needed to do was to match it up with the chart and I could have had a detailed numerical assessment of my dd's progress.
Ah, the end of innocence! Now when ds1 gets his next year I will rush straight to the chart and end up either smug or anxious, probably both. Better off not knowing, I think.

ensure · 19/07/2011 16:24

You both have masters? And your son was getting 5s and 6s?

Could he have been swapped at birth? Seriously, look into it.

BerylOfLaughs · 19/07/2011 16:24

Cons, I do understand. DD has just finished reception too and I would have been a bit disappointed with 5s and 6s despite the fact that I'm sure I would be told it's fine. But, DD is very keen to learn, she loves reading and maths.
As a summer born boy your DS is nearly a year younger than other children and boys IME tend to be later starters than girls. Perhaps make a point of reading to him lots over the summer and try lots of different books that might capture his attention. DD loves factual books that we can discuss. Sometimes we read one sentence each.
With writing she is less keen but we sometimes write stories writing one word each in different colours and try to make it funny/silly.
I'm sure he will do well!

thefirstMrsDeVere · 19/07/2011 16:25

I got my DS's report yesterday.

He got mostly 1a and 1b.

He is in year 3.

I am very proud.

And so should you be - he is FIVE.

I promise this is not going to affect his chances of getting into Oxford or Cambridge.

Why the hell would you want a tutor for a five year old? If you and you OH are so academically minded why dont you just do some reading and a bit of maths?

lovecheese · 19/07/2011 16:25

Cons

Some advice for year 1 - Do.Not.Be.Drawn.Into.Discussing.Marks.With.Other.Parents.

Smile and nod when pushy mum starts on about her genius child, and then walk away.

RitaMorgan · 19/07/2011 16:26

The levels aren't supposed to be grades, they aren't exams to be passed, it's just development - and a way for teachers to keep track of children. They all develop at different rates and it has no bearing on whether they are "academic" or not.

thefirstMrsDeVere · 19/07/2011 16:26

ensure

but oooooh norty.

but still

AnonymousBird · 19/07/2011 16:26

I have had two children do reception, one just finished, one a year ago.

I have never even heard of grades at this age. What are they?

TheOriginalFAB · 19/07/2011 16:27

Oh. My. God.

DH and I are bright.

We have one child who is exceptional, one who is average and one who could be nearer the top of the class is circumstances were different.

My parents were thick.

Some times things just are.

Blu · 19/07/2011 16:32

I am dead thick (a poster even suggested I try NetMums earlier this week) and do not have a masters degree, but I also believe wholeheartedly in the importance of education.

iphonedrone · 19/07/2011 16:33

perhaps you should start looking into vocational programme's for him?

camaleon · 19/07/2011 16:35

What ensure says... Your post is insulting...the assumptions it makes...

If this is not a joke I feel very sorry for your son. Discussing grades with other parents? For a reception child? Are these parents with a PhD?

hocuspontas · 19/07/2011 16:35

I agree with ensure. And tbh I think you have left it a bit late to be considering tutoring, he's already finished reception. I would also be going into the school and asking the teacher what the hell she has actually been teaching him. He should be way up the scales considering his parentage. On second thoughts, I'd go straight to the HT and tell him/her that the teacher has not been doing her job properly.

GrimmaTheNome · 19/07/2011 16:38

With my 20/20 retrospectroscope - chill out. DDs school didn't do anything as foolish as give 'grades' in reception but she was def behind many others in reading etc. This did bother me ... (DH and I both have PhDs. )Fortunately for my sanity, he (who is an overachieving worrywort type) told me to relax - he'd been a late developer for whom nothing really kicked in till he was about 7. DD turned out exactly the same.

If your DS is a bright and happy boy, let him play - don't even think about 'tutors' for infants FGS. Buy him some comics or 'fun' books if he fancies them but do not pressure him.

Summer is for zoology (hunting minibeasts), botany (looking at plants), civil engineering (modifying beaches/streams) etc, mechanical engineering (lego etc). Don't make the little chap toil over sums and phonics!

mathanxiety · 19/07/2011 16:39

Congratulations. You have a perfectly normal 5 year old child.

In any other country he would get a report card that told you how well he played with his little friends, if he shared toys and co-operated with teachers, was able to manage buttons, zips and laces and get gloves on, if he stayed on task and could work despite distractions. There would be no homework either, in most places. And he would learn to read when everyone else did, at age 6 or 7.

This is an example of a normal American report card blank for Kindergarten (age 5-6) or 1st grade (age 6-7). My DCs got a simplified version in Kindergarten (we didn't live anywhere near Cobb County, Georgia) that focused on their social and emotional growth as well as beginning reading and maths.

The EYFS profile is a joke. Please disregard it, relax, and appreciate your perfectly fine little boy.

SleepyCaz · 19/07/2011 16:40

camaleon Exactly, it's sad for the little boy and very insulting too.

ensure -

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