3b at end of year 2

[servingwench]

So school report says dd is a 3b in reading, writing, maths and science. The table given by school says this would be the expected level for year 4. If dd continues to do well will she achieve all levels before the end of primary school? How does it work?

no! 3b at end of y2 is very good, but not off the wall :)

4b is the benchmark for end of Y6, papers test up to level 5, but you can take extension papers to level 6.

levels go to 8 or 9 iirc.

DS was 3b/a in Y2, and 5a in Y6 (did not do extension papers) and is 6a/7 now in y7, - telling you this as plenty of room to be stretched!

Thank you, it's a bit confusing!
Does the move up levels really slow down now? What would I expect her to be at this time next year?

progress is not linear, ie can go in fits and starts, but I think 3 sublevels in 2 years is likely/hoped for progress

so - 3a at y2 goes to 5a Y6 - this is very rough

so end of next year - 4c or 4b maybe?

sorry , 3a or 4c more likely at the end of y3, if 3b now likely to be 5b at end of Y6

So may only move one sub level in a year then? Ah well, she's doing well! thank you.

There also tends to be a 'lull' in year 3. I don't know why.

Sorry I have seen tables that state 3c is the expected for end of year 3?

Yes dd has certainly had a lull in year 3, probably due to laziness or not really gelling with this years teacher.

I think she had various level 3 results at the end of y2, I forget now, the levels are useful, but not the be all and end all. Dd is very good in literacy and science, although has atrocious lazy handwriting, decent although less enthusiastic about maths.

I don't really think you can predict progress as like a previous poster said it comes in fits and starts. Dd was very upset to be overtaken in the reading level stakes, she had been top of the class for R,Y1 and Y2. I did point out to her that her school reading book had been languishing in the bottom of her school bag for quite awhile and that if she actually read her scheme books, I could sign her record and she would go up a level .

I thought this might spur her on, but she got over her competitive streak .

Your dd is obviously bright and doing well, she should be aiming for a level 5, or who knows, a level 6 at the end of y6.

My little niece despite never really being top of the class etc got all 5's in y6 and came top in the whole year for a maths test in y7 at a very good school .

I have been told by Y3 teachers that the lull in Y3 is often due to slightly too high levels given in Y2. I don't know how true this is but two of my teacher friends said that many level 3's given out in Y2 are not truly level 3 standard so they therefore do not look like they progress as well as they should in Y3.

I've seen this link posted a few times.

DC got level 3 at the end of Y2 but there was no sub-level given so I don't think it really tells me anything. The school gets very bad results, yet about a third of the class got level 3 so I am taking it all with a pinch of salt.

according to that table my dd is at level expected (she got 2as). But in the table that came with her report they say how many children in the year got what level - and no one has level 3!. I have no idea how it works but it sounds like your dd is doing well and hopefully will continue to do so :)

DD2 was 3b in everything at the end of Yr2, stalled a bit in maths in Yr3 (went to a 3a) but was a 4b in reading and writing and 5c in both this year (4b in maths, so back on track). I think the poster who mentioned learning in fits and start was right.

I wonder also whether the Yr3 thing has something to do with other developments getting in the way? Both DD1 and DD2 found Yr3 difficult emotionally - they started becoming anxious about performance and being overly perfectionist, and this coincided with a seismic shift in their friendship groups too (development of clingy best friend syndrome, stupid rivalries, junior girl bitchiness and so on).

Funnily enough it seems to have settled for both in Yr4 and DD1 (not Yr6) seems to have had stable friendships for 3 years now.

I'm on 3rd dc now and take all their levels with a pinch of salt. Unless they are recognised as having a problem which obviously needs intervention I don't see the point really. They all come right in the end

Year 2/3 are a bit vague on the sublevel expectations. In the school I teach in, the teachers' targets are three sublevels across year 2 and 3 combined. So if the child makes 2 sublevels in year 2, then 1 sublevel in year 3 would be expected. Or vice versa. It is possible that you dd has flown this year and therefore may 'only' make it up to 3a by the end of next year (which is of course a good level to be at).

I agree with the poster that said there is sometimes grade inflation at the end of year 2, so it can look as if little progress is made in year3. Even if a child gets level 3 in their SATs they should only be given that level if they are securely a level 3, that is working at that level all of the time. Obviously because schools report the levels at the end of year 2 there is the temptation for teachers to make their results look as good as possible.

Hi servingwench:

Mumsnet learning pages have a really good piece on progress through the national curriculum levels here: www.mumsnet.com/learning/assessment/progress-through-national-curriculum-levels

You should be aware that sometimes there is 'a transition dip' in Y3, when progress can stall a bit - mumsnet learning pages on this here: www.mumsnet.com/learning/assessment/transition-dip

I think the thing to take away is that your DD is off to a great start and what you need to understand is her progression relative to this last point (end of Y2) in Y3. So for instance - if she starts the year rated 3b again by the new teacher and only progresses to 3a - she would be performing above expected levels (which is good) but she won't have progressed 2 sub-levels (which is generally considered the target for achievement in each year by subject), so that isn't so good. However, you have to judge whether this is a case of dealing with slightly more difficult material and therefore taking longer to master it - or whether she's not working as hard/ as interested.

I think you can reasonably expect that if she is 3b on KS1 SATs scores that she should be expected to achieve 5b (2 full NC levels higher) by end Y6 (KS2 SATs). Teachers sometimes are loath to discuss this - but if it is important for you to understand that learning is continuing to progress then try and track that progress (2 NC sub-levels per year). In this way you are indicating you want to see learning continue, to understand the data they hold on your child's NC Levels (which you are fully entitled to) and academic achievement is an issue for you.

HTH