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!

[Iamnotminterested]

Ok, sorry, it just sounded a bit show-offy.
I couldn't say in anywhere as much detail what my dd is doing (bad mother?) other than what is on her report, she comes out of school and says she's had a fantastic day and, err...that's about it really. I obviously know where she is up to with reading as it"s blatantly obvious due to the colour band on her books but the rest is a mystery. She must be doing well though because she had exceeding for all core areas apart fromfrom numbers and some in the fluffy areas.

[hels71]

I only know what she is doing because she does all that at home....Writing and reading are her favourite things to do...(Strange child maybe?) Mind you......ask her to get her face wet in swimming and all hell breaks loose!!

[Spero]

O yes, I see it now, its not insane at all. I was often asked at scholarship interviews in my teens etc how far I had got with Milly Molly Mandy when I was five. For some panels they could talk of little else.

By all means, take an interest in your child's education. But at primary level to have this ridiculous system of 'levels' which is appears to be made up on the spot by most teachers, setting such little children up to be the totems of either their parents pride or despair is - in my view - deeply unhealthy.

I will be interested to see how this cohort grow into emotionally stable adults given this ludicrous amount of pressure and interest around their academic abilities at the age of FIVE.

[Iamnotminterested]

Spero - my dd is currently wet through in the garden hunting for bugs.

[Spero]

Well get her in quick! Has she read all of Milly Molly Mandy yet? Learned to play chess? And what about her mandarin?

Some parents, really. It's as if you just don't care about the Gobal Race.

[simpson]

My DD also writes a lot.

But she does not write as varied things as hels DD does (I guess why she didn't get exceeding).

Just because a child likes reading and writing does not mean they don't get grubby and have fun, there is such a thing as doing both!!

My DC have just played football for an hour.

[TheSteveMilliband]

Spero, you are the voice of reason again! I'm not against report cards per se and actually the areas to work on bit is useful, at least for non academic areas (take a few more risks and breaking a few rules being one very pertinent one). But I hate how competition creeps in and comparisons are made with other children - most definitely not healthy IMO.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

Our reports had a score for each area but also a substantial narrative - maybe 100 words for each group, so 500-700 words altogether! And that's before the class teacher's overall comments, DS's comments and the Head's note. It was a huge document. DH commented that it's longer than the staff appraisals he does at work with his direct reports, and he doesn't have to do thirty...

The narrative is far far more informative and useful than the score, of course. IMHO the score is for the school/LA/DfE, not for parents. I mean, it's nice to have a number in one's head of pfb's score out of 51, but that's not a healthy thing!

[pickofthepops]

We were told by much respected teacher that few children get exceeded. DS got none. Am happy. He exceeds my expectations every day.

[tiredbutnotweary]

I saw it was going to get a little contentious last night & chose sleep over engagement with the polarised views and have been too busy today til now to add my two pennies worth ...

Firstly, thank you Hels71 - your DDs writing and reading are (IMO) comfortably at 2C, perhaps 2B/A for reading - which continues to support my theory that this is the level required for exceeding in some schools at least. Are you happy to share her maths ability and any of the others (I understand if not given that discussing such achievements causes consternation and indignation for some MNs)?

What is it specifically about academic subjects & children that riles people so much? Should parents say to children with a love and interest for maths, reading, writing or science, "no stop trying to read, put down that pen, what do you think you're doing asking me how things are made, about planets and space, about how your body works, doing sums in your head, don't use words like peculiar, consendation or occasionally - you're only 5, get back to your dolls/cars/bike/mud pie and only use age appropriate words?".

Some people do indeed hot house their children and apply the pressure referred to - but others do not and it is entirely possible for a child that finds it easy to learn to read / do maths / whatever / to do this and still spend most of their time 'playing' (in quotes because many children learn academics through playing games in any case).

People on this thread have been discussing the current system used to asses reception children, whether the bar for the way DCs are categorised has been raised too high and whether the categorisations are being applied consistently. No one here created the system, but it is the one being used. One way to check how it's being applied is for parents to share what their children are doing and the score that they received.

The reason that I have chosen to understand the current system is due to life experiences which have taught me a) that you should never assume that the mantle "professional" means infallible and b) that new systems set up by government to monitor children's progress should be closely scrutinised. I am not educated to degree level, in fact I don't even have A levels - the guidance makes sense to me but I don't think it's being applied correctly AND I think the measure should be how much progress a child makes not for the government to set some arbitrary bar that children must reach to achieve expected. However that doesn't mean that I think all children should be the same, some children struggle with many things, most children are good at some things and find other things hard, and some children excel at a few (or even many) things - why should any of their parents be frowned upon for discussing that here?

A friend of DD2s has been riding a bike without stabilisers since 3, her ballet dancing is way in advance of DD2s and her swimming is truly outstanding - I think wow, isn't that great and her mum is welcome to tell me all about it.. Meanwhile DD2 is struggling to balance on her bike, making progress slowly with her swimming and galumphing around at ballet having great fun! I celebrate her below average progress (objectively measured) with her in these areas just as much, actually more, than her 'academic' successes. We don't use the word clever - we do reinforce the idea that practice is how to improve if you want to get better at something. Do I always get it right - no, of course not, after all I'm just as fallible as the next person

I do, however, apply the same level of concern regarding accuracy and consistency to DD2s ASD assessment - which is all about the areas in which she struggles. Given that I really don't feel I have anything to apologise for - even though I am sorry that some people find these kinds of threads depressing or full of insane people applying pressure to, by implication, sad faced DCs who have no fun and little time to enjoy their childhoods.

[tiredbutnotweary]

I'm not sure I am making my main point clear (if I am I apologise in advance).

If your child has expected, particularly in maths, but in many other areas too, they are likely to have received the equivalent to an exceeded last year (point 9). Many of the expecteds are equivalent to year 1 levels of achievement.

Most of the emerging categories are the equivalent level of achievement for last years (average) point 6.

The other possible consequence with this approach is that parents of children with SEN may find it hard to know how much their children are struggling because emerging is the lowest score possible and two children with emerging can be working at very different levels. Given the difficulty some parents have with getting schools to provide support for their DCs this concerns me too. Of course this entirely depends on the school - many provide support very quickly and with no pushing from parents.

[perrinelli]

I'm happy to share about dd's numeracy bit as I can see that it is interesting to compare how the framework is being applied and useful to some. Her report had the main areas sub divided into the 17 with a 'score' for each with blurb. She got exceeding for both the mathematics bits:
Numbers - talked about her estimating, counting to 20 & beyond, recognizing numerals to 30 & beyond, counting to 200 in 10s and back again
Shape, space & measures - talked about weighing, comparing, ordering and estimating objects, and being able to name and describe the properties of most 3d shapes.

I for one am interested in the variability between schools in different areas as we're moving home so dd will be going into yr 1 in a new school. It will be interesting to see what they make of her & the report.

[Spero]

'Sculpture is to a block of marble as education is to the soul' Joseph Addison.

[Spero]

I have got bad news for some parents. The number of available vacancies for Prime Minister or top violin playing brain surgeons is quite a lot less than the staggering number of child genuii spawned by members of this website.

[Teddyking1]

It must vary between school to school . Exceeded at ours is working at national curriculum level 2 .Hence 2 years ahead.
In maths they have to be able to add and take away 2 2 digit numbers in their head.!!
Book band at least 12

[SockPinchingMonster]

Spero - I'm not really sure what your problem is as it sounds as if this thread has gotten you quite agitated. I'm sure nobody on here is saying that they want their child to get lots of exceedings as they fancy them as the next Prime Minister etc. The fact is, this is the new way that Foundation children are graded and everyone is just trying to understand if their children are where they are supposed to be. Everyone would like their child to do well at school, people are lying if they say they don't. For what it's worth I can understand why people may feel disappointed if they can see great academic potential in their children but their schools are downplaying their achievements because of some rubbish new grading system. It's really nothing to get your knickers in a twist about. I certainly don't want or expect my children to become a top violinist or prime minister - I do however want them to be happy and to reach their potential - and I would like their school to understand their potential - otherwise why on Earth would I send them to school at all?

[5madthings]

What is the expected/exceedong/emerging all about?!

Ds4 got expected on everything. And i am pleasantly suprised by how well he is reading. Not so interested in writing but i have said consistently to the teacher my concern is that he is happy and enjoying school, settled, making friends and continuing to learn social boundaries. My elder two didnt go to school till age 9 and 6 and so i had no idea of their 'levels' they got there tho and now in yr 9 and yr 6 are doing brilliantly.

Ds3 is in yr three and at target levels he is happy, settled, polite, participatrs in everything, tries hard and is well liked member of class. Everyone says how lovely he is he saves the beastly behaviour for home it seems

My concern has always been that they are happy and making progress and that they continue to enjoy learning and school.

Really the best thing is to talk to tge teacher to see if there are any concerns and ask what you can do to support learning at home.

These reports and targets seem to make for lots of angst, do you not get a written bit about your child, what they are doing etc as well as the levels they are at? The box ticking is all well and good but its the personal comments and learning journey ours get that is interesting. Esp the reception one as its full of photos etc of them and 'work' done. Maybe i am too laid back but i cant get my knickers in a twist about attainment and levels of my five year old...

[Spero]

I am not agitated, but thank you for your concern. It is possible for someone to have a viewpoint that you do to agree with or do not find sympathetic, without the holder of that view being subject to some kind of emotional turbulence.

I thought I had made my problem clear - the way children are assessed and banded appears to me at any rate to be opaque and difficult to understand AND assessing and banding five year olds is bloody stupid and unnecessary.

It seems to serve only to depress some parents who worry their children aren't achieving, or to unleash torrents of smuggery from those whose children are emergent level 4c geniuses.

I repeat. We are talking about five year old children.

[Tiggles]

So do this mean that the new English framework is going the way that the Welsh one has.
If a child in reception to get expected progress has to be working at yr 1 level (presuming that is end of current year 1 level), then the yr 1 and 2 levels are going to be raised too?

In Wales now for a child to get a particular level they actually have to completed it, e.g. in year 2 a child who gets outcome 5 (NClevel 2) is actually working within the outcome 6 criteria (NC level 3). To be an outcome 6 you have to have completed it (ie be NClevel4 or at least a 3a). So whereas when we had NC levels and you were expected to be a level 2 at the end of year 2 (but could achieve that even if only 2c), now you have to be NClevel 3 to be on target, and you have to be NClevel4 to be exceeding targets.
Is that what England is now doing too?

[changeforthebetter]

Secondary not primary but a senior manager asked us to fiddle reconsider some of our data because the computer didn't like what we had input We talked about it and readjusted by a sub level (entirely objective anyway) here and there. Is your child happy at school, does your child have a love of learning and look forward to Y1? That matters more than data produced to satisfy number crunchers IMHO. DD2 is very bright but I'm not expecting bells and whistles in her report because I know the angst a skewed set of data can cause. She will be fine and won't care #hatefuckingdatarulingeverything

[lljkk]

My only angst is that DS must have been graded too high.
the written bit said he was excellent at maths.
He's pants at maths! What a hoot.
Ds is scraping along on about ORT 2 for reading.

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

It must vary enormously from school to school and teacher to teacher

dd1 got Exceeding for everything (non-stealth superboast, yes we do want a clap ), BUT when I read on here what other MNers' DC' are doing at the same age she seems distinctly average. She's engaged and interested and works hard, but is about as far from a child prodigy as it's possible to be. she's at a school which achieves pretty average results, so I assume would be marked less highly at a high achieving school.

[katydid02]

I would be sceptical too; like somebody else, my DC is top table etc etc, got level 4s in the year 3 report but hardly any 'exceedings' for the 'I Can' statements but was 'working above national average' across the board. They must have to be capable of nuclear physics to get 'exceeding'

[katydid02]

CharlotteBronteSaurus (great name...) that wasn't aimed at you by the way, just thinking of the OPs friend.

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

no offence taken - that's exactly the point I was trying to make about what sounds like very subjective categorisation