reception and private schools

[dancingwithchocolate]

I am curious to know what an average Reception age child at a good private school (let's say any of the competitive and established North London ones) would be expected to do by the end of the summer term ie. what level would be normal/good for reading, writing, numeracy.
Thanks

Hi saw your q was still unanswered. In my experience of competitive west London preps, which I believe are similar to the north London preps, the schools do not test for the national state "levels", they use their own tests and barometers of achievement. I've never been told any of the "levels" I read about on Mumsnet for any of my children (experienced three different prep schools). I suspect this is why you;ve not had any replies so far. Hope that helps.

Thanks. Even if it's not formal levels, I"m interested to know from any parent what would be considered average for their school (going by their own experience). For e.g. my son is far ahead in the school we are at now midway through reception, but only by dint of the fact that the majority of the class is far behind national averages. I would suspect that in a class of children with educated and motivated parents/english as a first language (or as a fluently spoken second language) that they would only be average. But I don't know.
(I might swap to private at some point so trying to make sure he doesn't lag too far behind.)

My son will be moving on to a state primary for reception next year and the nursery have given us a booklet which tells you what your child should know at the end of each yeargroup to prepare for the following one.

Spell 45 key words
Know basic number rules e.g. addition, plus etc
Be aware of all the letter names and letter sounds, know the blends
Be able to write at least at sentence between lines
Read a sentence written in simple language or above.
Be able to catch a ball
Be independent at school, no longer need help with changing for pe, opening lunch box's etc.

By law all schools including independent prep have to complete the EYFS profile at the end of reception

The EYFS Profile should be completed no later than Saturday 30 June 2012. This date applies to all EYFS providers, including maintained schools, non-maintained schools, independent schools, children?s centres, Free Schools, Academies and childcare providers registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. The EYFS Profile must be completed by the provider where the child spends the majority of their time between 8am and 6pm.

They have to do the EYFS profile regardless of being in state or independent, and report on them.

i'm assuming that Independent schools would aim higher than the Gov requirements for the end of reception. My son is a bright kid - as bright as his friends with educated, interested parents, anyway. He could do most of the stuff required by the end of Reception in January of Reception. So I am guessing that a competitive London private school, with kids coming from private nurseries with 'pushy parents' (to use the Mumsnet parlance), would have higher expectations for an end of year Reception child.

(I know they would as I went from a state school to an academic private secondary school and the gap between me and everyone else - in terms of knowledge and discipline - was huge).

Just bumping your post. Surprised no one has really answered your question yet. I remember someone boasting on previous reading thread that at St. Alban's prep the whole class ended Reception on at least level 10 of the ORT. At LEAST the poster said . Perhaps that poster will be back on?!

I'm surprised too. And I'd REALLY like to know.

Only ORT stage 10?

Non-selective non-pushy prep : the class as a whole can do number bonds to ten; know their two dimensional and three dimensional shapes; basic addition with and without number lines.
Average reading band appears to be ORT 5-6 ( not sure what colour that is ) . Quite a few of the children are quite a bit higher than that some 8-10.
They are expected to write basic cursive-style script using capital letters and full stops and create small paragaphs with sentences that lead on from one another. Is that the kind of thing you were after? Not sure what a pushy prep is like.

Much the same as my bog standard state school

I would expect so - it is a non-selective school ; it may depend on the area you live in. I know that the state schools we were offered were working at about that level in year 1 but they were very poor with lots of socio-economic problems in the population hence our need for private.
I would say that the difference between reception at non-selective private and a good state aren't evident in reading, writing etc at reception level .

Maybe someone will add what happens at a selective school which is likely to be more what you are after OP.

OMG!!!!

Were Reception children really doing all that?!!!! Sounds like more my dd's old school at the end of Year 1!!!

I am genuinely shocked that Reception children are doing all that, all ours did was play and learn a few letter sounds and how to write them. Definately no spellings until Yr 2, although did have a number line for numbers up to 10, but very basic adding.

Not a school with problems, in fact an Outstanding school, very 'good' catchment, no major problems in the area!

All the children writing whole paragraphs in joined up writing in reception? Doesn't sound like our outstanding state primary either...

And that's UNSELECTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our bog standard primary school (and in fact it's graded above bog standard) does absolutely nothing like that at all in Reception. NOTHING.

Ds at non-selective pre-prep learnt cursive writing in reception. I would say the concept of joined up writing was very loosely applied and certainly not paragraphs.

No spelling tests until year 1. Very basic addition. Definitely no 3D shapes until year 1 (maybe year 2 for more complex ones). He is in year 3 and on ORT 11 (average reader in his year).

Maybe they is all fick in his year?

but, yes, the number and shape ability and reading levels sound about right for reception in a good state primary...writing, much less likely?

I said 'cursive- style' - so lead in and lead out strokes with tendency to join up completely in some words only.
SMALL paragraphs with the emphasis on a train of thought flowing through the sentences as opposed to a few separate sentences with little connection. Nothing sophisticated. No spelling homework - just learning through experience of reading and writing. More stressing confidence in writing more than getting everything correct all the time. Encourages to wirte very short stories - ' use you imagination to write a story about ....'
I would say reading and writing more advanced than maths in DS's class as a whole.

Dancing with chocolate - What is the reception class you are talking about doing ?

There is of course a down-side - DS had very boring and difficult hand-writing practice for the entire alphabet over Easter - which was painful to do and to supervise. 5-6 A4 pages - like blood from a stone.

We teach letters with the exit stroke but by this point in reception all children are writing sentences and by the end of the year some are quite capable of writing a full page (wide lined) independently. No spelling homework, no handwriting sent home and all learning through play.

can i come to your school please, mrz

Does that include SEN children, mrz? If so, wow. My August bday autistic son could not mark make at all until mid year 1 - he was by then a fluent reader - and school and I were doing all the usual things to try and help him (all the things you've mentioned before). I have a friend with a ds in yr 1 now with almost the same profile and like to reassure her with the news that my ds yr 6 is now a perfectly average writer (with excellent punctation - common in autism?!) and a very gifted illustrator so always possible to catch up.

Can we all come to your school, mrz?

i just cant imagine my august-born son achieving ANY of that by the end of this term, mrz- he still struggles to hold a pen and make marks and his letter/number recognition is extremely hit and miss- if he can write his name by the end the summer term I will be a very happy mum!

i'm also astonished, nomoredrama. My July-born DD (who didn't even start Reception til January) could in no way write a long sentence without help. She'd know capital letter, full stop and manage to write some words, but she'd definitely need someone to sit with her and remind her how to think of the sounds. I've been given no indication that she's behind