The difference between a 2a and level 3 at the end of year 2

[magdalene]

Hello
My DD has been predicted a 2a at the end of year 2. My question is how much difference is there between a 2a and level 3? Just wondering whether to encourage my DD to reach for level 3 or leave things as they are. I don't want to put her off (by pressuring her) but her teacher said a lot of it at this stage is due to her lack of confidence rather than ability. However the teacher would actually know more about these things than I do...

To clarify - a school's internal tracking would differentiate every child by sublevel (so 1c up to 3a or so at the end of Year 2, usually with some P levels or Ws - working towards Level 1 - depending on levels of SEN).

The school externally reports Level 2s by sublevel but reports 3s only for children working at a secure level 3 (so not children who are just entering 3c or who scrape a bare 3 in the tests but don't show that in their everyday work).

Rainbow, that is a seriously terrible excuse. Every child should be taught so as to move them on from where they are. Across my class I typically have 2-3 full levels' spread of ability (last year I had from W - working towards Level 1 - to 4c in writing for example). Every child should receive the teaching to move them forward all the time - so teachers should be plannig not only to move the child at W towards 1c, but also the 4c forwards towards 4b. Saying that 'Oh, they can't get level 3 because we don't teach it' is.... mindboggling incompetence, frankly.

Which is strange when you consider the sub levels don't officially exist