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!

[tiredbutnotweary]

Babiesarelikebuses - I don't know what the lowest level bookband children were given exceeding for reading from - I just know that the moderator told the school that 1A was not exceeding (school had originally planned to give exceeding from 1B). This is not just reading, I mean across the board (i.e. all ELGs).

However school uses PM benchmark for book banding and that includes comprehension questions including more and harder inferential questionsas you get higher up the bands. They do not let children progress if they are struggling with comprehension.

It makes sense that a child's comprehension could vary, depending on the child's particular skill set and life experiences.

[Spero]

I was a school governor for a year and I don't understand a WORD of this.

I am also struggling to think when anyone in any situation EVER was remotely bothered by the academic skills I displayed as a five year old.

[Spero]

And that includes my parents.

[tiredbutnotweary]

Babiesarelikebuses - I don't think the government (or whomever) did intend it to be 2 years ahead. I think what's happening is that some outstanding schools & circumspect local authorites that want to ensure they can demonstrate the right level of progress are reticent to give out many exceedings. Where will they be in two years time when children with exceedings should be at level 3 of the new, tougher, NC? Of course I am just speculating ... I could be way off ... or bang on

[BabiesAreLikeBuses]

Bang on everybody has to play the game

[TheSteveMilliband]

Finding this thread so depressing . It's year R, fgs.
Plenty emerging for ds, but he is happy and growing in confidence, felt positive till reading this. Actually, still do but find it sad that even age 5 it's seen as a disappointment not to have exceedings.

[Spero]

Àh, but how else are our 5 year olds going to win the Global Race?

I have given up trying to decode my daughters report. All these levels are completely meaningless to me. She seems to be able to read, has friends so that's fine by me.

[mam29]

Ok I been where ops been last year but end of year1.

I read about new changes to reception grades on here but think p 6-9 dident seem as harsh as the words they use now which seem like a clear good or no so good or bad.

My dd1 got all 8-9 mostly in her efys scores.

All throughout year 1 teacher said she was fine.final day report came out with gradings. 1b-teacher said fine where needs to be then head posted what the numbers meant on school website info page as parents were confused adn they expected a 1 a at end of year 1.
I was upset as teacehr was basically sayin its ok for her to be behind as 1b clearly not where she needed to be.

I posted on here and got told chill out value your child be happy, wasent many pesronal comments or detail as why she got what she got.

Her july born freind in other class different teacher got all 2cs.
her mum s a mate so told me but she was very competative.
The kids in her class were competative with nc levels top, bottom tables and reading levels.

In the end we moved here after just 1 term in year 2 as they refused her extra helkp with reading despite ending year 1 on level 3 ort as she passed the magic flipping phonics test.

since jan shes had extra one to one help with ta and reports came out today and sooo proud.

She got the expected 2b so shes climbed 3sublevels in less tha a year shes worked really hard mind. The commenst were detailed ad lovley comments fromher teacher and head.
Only think was dident give sats results just teacher assessment.

guess in year 1 hopefully sats and teacher assessment levels match up and is useful but reception dont have tha

My dd was desperate to see waht she wanted and then got dismayed a was b which made me feel a bit sad in ideal world a would have been fab but she tried her best.

Im just glad she can start juniors year 3 on even keel. dident want her playing catchup year on year due to school 1s crap teaching a and attitude.

Luckily they not competative there and shes no longer fixated with levels. i darnt speak to my freind who will probably say level 3s.

last year seemed like most of her class were visibly above affected her confidence and sel esteem got tears in final tearm of year 1 and nearly every day 1st term year 2.

I think its easy for people who gave bright kids to say it be ok.

but when your child is struggling or bottom or just dont feel recognised for their talents its very hurtful and upsetting.

Also thinking fixation with grading amkes homeschooling look more appealing so much flipping pressure.

in most countries they dont start until 6-7 so why we put these pressures and expectations on 4-5years olds baffles me.

[simpson]

Whilst I agree with you mam, the kids who start school at 6/7 are expected to make massive progress very quickly and don't have the learning through play advantages kids in the UK have (and I am a mum of a 31st Aug kid).

Glad your DD is doing well in her new school

[Spero]

This is all insane. All this fuss, all this pressure - to what end? Don't huge amounts of children end up going to secondaries barely able to read?

[simpson]

Why is it insane?

DD's report is full of how she has exceeded all expectations etc so I don't think it's wrong to query her assessments.

However it does depend on the individual child and DS (now yr3) would have struggled in reception to do some/most of the things asked of DD (so I assume they would not have asked him to do it).

[Vagndidit]

God, this is a depressing thread. Seriously? Nothing like turning up the pressure cooker on these little ones :(

I was just thrilled that my son's report said he is "happy, making friends and enjoying school" which is the best one can hope for at such a young age.

[Spero]

They are FIVE YEARS OLD. They have just about stopped crapping their pants.

They are little, little children.

I repeat, this is all insane.

I am educated to post degree level and cannot make head or tail of all this jargon, levels a and b whatever.

Just tell me if my child is reading and writing ok, does she need any help.

Don't set her up on competition with other children at the age of FIVE.

[simpson]

My DD is 5 and I know she is only 5 but if she is ready for more than she is getting then I want more because she does.

To me DD is unusual in that she is very driven academically (literacy) but to me it is about getting the balance right letting her roll around in dirt as much as she wants and letting her read/write as much as she wants.

Believe it or not but I am not a pushy parent as far as my DC school is concerned (I have had 2 meetings re DD all year) but I want the best for her as do the school and at the same time I want her to enjoy making friends, sticking card board boxes together etc as well as make progress in academic subjects. IMO there is nothing wrong with that.

[Spero]

I think it is a dreadful shame that all we seem to value now is academic achievement in some ludicrous Global Race - race for what?

And I am beyond pissed off with these utterly impenetrable school reports that I need to go to websites to decode and translate. Looks like deliberate obfuscation to me.

[mrz]

Don't worry Spero the teachers aren't clear what it all means and the advisers certainly haven't a clue as they all say different things.

[mam29]

1stly i think when its the 1st year of childs school and possibly 1st to go you have a vision in head of what it would be like.

Its not the parents making judgements is it its the schools and the sytem.They then have to respond accordingly..

I think its natural if told something in report that comflicts your view or goes against impression they been given all year, if tolds childs behind most parants are upset and want to know how best to support their child.

For me last years end year report was a complete shock as all year well all 2years they kept saying everythings fine.

Its also important to note that things change kids are late developers.

My dd ha good reception bad year 1.

sometimes think no grades given until year 2 be wise but if wasent for last years report i wouldent have known.

It annoyed me this year when she saw her report i wanted an a mummy. not quite as bad as girls in 5th form crying as they dident get a *gscse.

I saw last year how the phonics test made year 1kids like failures and yes they did coach them my dd was 1st year to do it.

Then its all very easy when online to get caught up in grade hysteria if your schools not competative than mumsnet can be with reception kids on higher levels than my year 2 and all free readers.

At the moment the system think my kids average i of course think shes amazing but im bias.

I spent all this year boostimg her confidence and self esteem and more relaxed learning environment has worked.

when you read online ah i your child dont get level 2a .3 in year 2 then they wont get 5,6 at year 6, they may not get into good seniors end up in bottom groups and not gets as at gcses as they map their whole future from nc grades and expect them to make x amount progress like little robots.

I cant remember any of this as akid think most parents just bit stressed trying to do right thing.

Of course you will always get same things reeled out let kids be kids, im saddened by how the system is too.

Somethings for me this may sound harsh but are a given I would anticipate my child would be polite, well behaved, works hard, get on well with others thatss a given and although its good its not part of the report i would dwell on too much.

I like to read individual specific comments amount dd as some can be bit generic and cliche joy to teach.

I dont need a school report to tell me shes improved i could see that and school infomed me throughout the year, I can see shes happier and has lots of freinds so really yes to some extent unless child has some specific educational needs to overcome i focus on the academics and the box workings for the future,.

I also think we value academics because at primary theres precious little else we can go on unlike seniors when they may be showing a particular talent for say sports, art or music.

ds old school did no afterschool clubs.


dds new school does not many clubs for ks1 but does at juniors choir, instrument year 3, netball, football, cricket, chess so if child can find their niche but until then all they judged on is academics.

I often read year 3 teachers annoyed with inflated year 2 grades from infants so maybe being 1st year of this new grading that accuracy and consistancy varies and would vary from school to school.

dds other freind appears visibly behind my dd in some subjects goes private school and her mum couldent wait message me and tell me she had 2as and was so close to getting a 3.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I don't think it is insane at all.

DS1 is bright, school have been telling us this since the day he started back in September.
Now that I have his report I can actually see that he has been stretched and is fully engaged in what he is learning, which is a good thing.

I was a bright child and was utterly failed by the state system. I spent years going over old ground because teachers couldn't be bothered to differentiate my work. I will not allow the same thing to happen to my son.

There is no pressure here though. Only praise for effort, and us providing as many opportunities as we can.

[mam29]

I always said to old school I dont want her to be a boffin just get opportunity to achieve the best of her ability they dident get that. was very frustrating.

I think its feels like wasted year as somewhere something dident go right.

we as parents and our kids are victims of the system and its the system thats wrong.

the words dont hate the player hate the game spring to mind.

[hels71]

My DD had exceeding in 15 areas and expected for the other two.

She writes stories that have clear beginings, middles and ends and does use varied vocab. She uses capitals and full stops 95% of the time correctly (tends to forget by the end of a story but can add them in when reminded!) and also sometimes uses speech marks and question marks. She also writes poems (Not always set out with a new line for each line), letters, postcards, labels, lists, instructions and information texts as well as diary entries. Her spelling is always phonetically plausible. (Even DH can read what she writes!!)

In reading she brings home ORT 9/10 which she reads with ease and at home has read books like The Twits and My NAughty Little Sister and Milly Molly Mandy. She can also use simple contents and indexes to find info in reference books and is starting to use a dictionary.

[Iamnotminterested]

Do you want a clap, hels71?

[mrz]

As there is no exemplification for exceeding there is going to be a huge variation between LEAs. schools and teachers

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Iam that's a bit harsh.

[intheshed]

And this is why I haven't discussed DD's report with any other parents, and same goes for reading levels! It isn't a competition. As long as you and her teacher think she is happy and doing the best that she can, that is all that matters.

Or is your friend's DD planning on putting 'exceeding in all areas at age 5' on her university application form?!

[hels71]

Someone earlier on asked if people whose DC had lots of exceedings would share what they were doing so i did...........................so IAM............no I don't want a clap...I was simply responding to a request.................