Do all schools mark their reception reports in the same way? - feeling a bit deflated!

[averywoomummy]

I got DDs reception report today and feel a little bit deflated. She got all expected except one which was emergent. I wouldn't expect her to get exceeding in everything but one or two would have been lovely especially in communication and understanding which I think have always been really strong points with her (and in fact her teachers said at open evening that she was working at a year 1 level in these).

I'm a bit more bemused because a friend with a DD at a different school says her child got every category as exceeds. I know the DD well and would have said that her and my DD are fairly equal development wise so was wondering how much consistency there is across the schools in terms of deciding on grades?

My head says I am being silly and that I should be pleased that she is where she should be...but my heart wishes there had been just one exceeds!

[Emzun]

Urghh!! I have patiently read the above and still do not understand. I am guilty of being surprised that my DD's report, although great was not full of exceedings. (I along with many think that my child is the next einstein/messiah etc) I questioned the HT who told me that to reach exceeding levels of literacy was a massive achievement and I should be proud. I am, no doubt, but how do the teachers reach this. I thought that my DD's strongest subject was numeracy. Is there a key which is worked from or is it purely observation. I honestly just want to understand so I can help her and steer her correctly for year 1.

[PeppermintCreamsSaga]

My son got a couple of "exceedings" in his report as well. I asked the teacher if it was measured beyond this i.e. NC levels, and she said no. It's two different sorts of curriculum and there is no way to directly compare EYFS and National Curriculum levels. His new year 1 teacher will test him in the Autumn. Although he's probably working at level 1 at least, and he's currently in an above average set. (I'd guessed that already)

[Spero]

It's the A grade inflation all over again isn't it? Now everyone has to get A and anything less is seen as 'failure' so I bet you in a few years time we will see the introduction of A* and A** and EVERY six year old will be pushed into taking GCSEs, or whatever new nonsense they come up with.

Because if you see education as simply a means to an end in the Global Race, you create a pyramid structure with only room for a very few 'winners' at the apex and a big mass of seething, frustrated 'losers' below - to say nothing of the misery and despair of their parents who wonder why advanced facility with Milly Molly Mandy aged 4 has not translated into academic success that is rewarded with plum university place or top job...

[Spero]

Sorry, meant to type A or even A*.

No one ever seems to learn the lessons from history about inflation, in any context.

[mam29]

Ahh mrs z how you keep straight face gcses at primary totally nuts thats a new one even amongst the pushy parents here.

Although has anyone noticed news coverage on gcse or even alevel results day where they always find some odd primary kids whos clever and sat gcse at age 6. I always wonder how they find thse kids along with ones who managed to sit 20 gcses when most schools only offer 9-10.

I personally hate the idea of tests for 5year olds.

Surly preschool education gives some kids a developmental advantage as both my girls done nursery and preschool.

My 2 year old son has done 2terms of preschool.
They trying to widen the rant funding so deprived 2year olds get free preschool /nursery from age 2 rather than term after 3rd birthday.

why cant they all just start school term after 5th birthday be simplest and do the test at same age as that means will stop such a gap between old ones and young onea as range of ability in avarage reception class must be huge.

In dd1s reception 2 kids could read before thet started school.
The majority could read at end of r but not all.

Many needed a lot of prep for phonics test which most teachers and parents disagreed with and the kids that failed got quite upset.

I was hoping now gone through all stress of pfb just finishing key stage 1 and starting stage 2 in september that i be more chilled out with the younger 2 but cant help thinking oh god its going to get much worse and already left one school to escape competative pushy environment.

Anyone know what american elementary schools do as thourght they graded all their their work a +, b c ct or maybe thats just high school.

extra testing wont make them clever just defines them and would worry the bottom group would disproportinally get more attention that other groups and the ones in middle probably struggle more as they focus on cleverest and brightest.

agree with inflation i think most people like to think their childs on track not behind or ahead in some things.

at 5 its too early
end year 1 was not great.
but what a diffrence a year makes end year 2.

why cant we delay all testing to juniors and leave the poor infants alone.

im not annoyed with parents for worrying, dont blame teachers its the system of continual assessments from r year 2 that does my head in and i dident realise what it was like until we were in the system as seems so diffenent to when i was a kid in wales, but wouldent move back wales as they gone testing mad this year.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

I note that the 6yos who sit GCSEs rarely get even a B. Why not wait another year or two and get an A/A*? Surely it can't be because the child hasn't advanced far enough?!

[mam29]

its mad i have no idea hwo tehy even o about it.

I guess only happens at home or private ed not to state primary kids

but every year theres a few on the news.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245270/Primary-school-brother-sister-gain-A-maths-GCSEs--teaching-THEMSELVES.html

[mam29]

apologies for typo errors should teach better typing at primary maybe.

[mam29]

even gove agrees but there,s big difference primary kids doing gcse and say a year 8 or 9 where maybe doing couple early takes pressure off in year 10-11.

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9131170/Early-GCSE-entry-damages-childrens-education-says-Gove.html

[sheeplikessleep]

Good thread, although so much information and complexity (I have no understanding of previous 6 - 9 system as DS1 is just finishing reception).

As someone 'learning the ropes' DS1 got 13 expecteds and 4 exceedings (listening and attention, moving and handling, self care and the world). I guess 'expecteds' could be interpreted as 'he's doing OK, not brilliant, no problems, but pretty much average'. That's certainly how I interpreted the word 'expected' (probably I should have asked the teacher exactly what this means). There was no explanation of what these definitions mean or relate to within the report itself.

In light of the absence of any explanation, I was heartened to read a lot of '1s' for effort (rest were '2s). I took effort to be indicative of motivation and general happiness and willingness to try his best - a trait I think is important.

But then he is October born, so I also think at this young age, he should be meeting all of these criteria, given he has a few months 'benefit' ahead of the average in the class.

Whatever though, I see the progress he is making and praise him for everything he puts into it. He is so proud of what he's doing, long may that continue!

Agh, so confusing!

[louisianablue2000]

I must be a bit thick, I had no idea that 'working at the expected level' was anything more than a standard phrase. Personally I was more jealous about the lovely comment one of my friends got about her son being interested in nature (it was worded in a more personal way that I'm not going to quote because it will out me, or her!). Of course, we didn't talk about how the teacher thought they were performing because that way heartbreak lies. And considering how variable my own report cards were, despite me performing consistently, I'm not sure I'd put too much weight on it anyway.

[bumpkin32]

simpson just reading through this thread (having just received my DC's report which was all 'expected') and wondered how you knew the Head had marked down some of the gradings? I was surprised to get expected all the way through, particularly on listening and attention when she is the most attentive person in the class. I have had a few issues with the HT so wondered if this may have been altered in some way before being sent home.
Would be grateful to know.
Thanks

[simpson]

It was not the HT but the EYFS Head that marked them down. All I know is that DD was originally given 5 exceedings and marked down to having one. DD's teacher told me this.

I had a meeting with the HT a few days later and whilst we did not go through the whole report, what the HT said to me made sense, so I was happier afterwards iyswim.

[mrz]

www.nurseryworld.co.uk/article/1191753/plan-ditch-eyfs-profile-favour-baseline-test-start-reception?DCMP=EMC-CONNurseryWorldUpdate&bulletin=nursery-world-update-bulletin

[Iamnotminterested]

I'm intrigued as to how she explained it, Simpson, if you don't mind sharing?

[simpson]

We only spoke about her writing really then went on to talk about DD in yr1.

She said that a child has to be a 2C (which her teacher did not know - which was why she was originally given exceeding).

DD's writing on a good day is a 2C but is not consistent and she only writes in 2 formats.

I think it's quite common for reception teachers to assess and then show work to the yr1 teacher to confirm but in DD's case it was shown to EYFS Head/HT and then down graded.

[tiredbutnotweary]

Some actual evidence showing how one area is being guided to award emerging, expected and exceeding - with exceeding being awarded for reaching NC level 1c and 1b. This is almost a whole level of difference between those schools only awarding exceeding for reaching NC level 2c.

[simpson]

Apparently there was a meeting with the LEA in Feb and schools in the borough were told exceeding is a 2C

[Periwinkle007]

well our school seem to be using NC1 of some level as an exceeding. The document the staff are using is very similar to the one tiredbutnotweary linked to.

to be honest I would expect exceeding at reception to be achieving 1bish rather than 2c but that is just my expectations personally. I mean if you go into a classroom and see a reception class doing maths or something then some will be achieving what is required and some will be doing more than that. end of. shouldn't matter if they are achieving 2 years ahead of expected or not, just that they are achieving more than you would expect in reception.

I am also quite happy now I know my daughter's levels having spoken to the teacher. They have a sheet with guidance on it about what children have to be able to do and they have marked it off and then moderated etc. If a child is working at a higher level then they have a separate sheet with the NC levels on and mark off what they can do and this all then gets passed up to the Yr1 teacher for next year.

[Redlocks30]

The problem with starting school just after you turn five is that schools end up with either half classes till Christmas/Easter (popular with parents but not with heads as it isn't cost-effective) or you have three classes-starting September, christmas and Easter and have two floating teachers for weeks.

[tiredbutnotweary]

Periwinkle - can I just check then, were your school happy to share NC levels? I was told I could have this information and have now been told the school doesn't have it

[mam29]

I find t hard to belive an exceeding could equal a 2c.

would expect an exceeding to be 1b, 1b or 1a

based on end of year 1 in dd1s class thats what most got.
i would expect expected to be on middle /top end of efys scoring was 6 average upto 9.

would expect emerging be lower end of efys .

or as preschool do it in months 30-50months or 40 -60months.

wouldimagnine there be an exceptional child might get 2c but that be rare.

really the words mean nothing f no levels to benchmark it against.
so f they httng nc levls dont know why they just dont state those levels.

[Periwinkle007]

Tiredbutnotweary - they were very happy to show me the EYFS levels and how they achieved them when I asked if I could see them and then they briefly showed me the NC levels that she is working at as part of the 'this is all then passed up to Yr1' pack. I didn't get to look at it too closely and I actually can't remember them which is a bit rubbish isn't it. They were 1bs and 1as though for Reading/Writing/Maths I think. All seem quite logical given she is one of the oldest in the year and was doing well when she started school so I felt they were fair and accurate not OTT if that makes sense.

I think they have to show you the EYFS levels if you ask to see them but the NC levels don't have to be supplied as I understand it in reception and will only be used if they have exceedings as for expecteds they wouldn't mark them on a NC level.

[simpson]

I have never asked for DD's NC levels but the school (teacher) has told me them.

I guess a lot of school won't assess on NC levels for reception, especially as its so hard to get exceeding now.

I was told old EYFS levels 1-6 now equal emerging (ie big difference)
7-9 expected (and up to NC 1A)
NC level 2C+ is exceeding.

[mrz]

In the old EYFS profile 1-7 were the equivalent to emerging (ie hadn't reached all the ELGs)
8 was expected
9 was exceeding (a child displaying aspects of NC levels - varied according to actual curriculum area)