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Original poster

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

309 replies

averywoomummy · 12/07/2013 18:27

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!

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christinarossetti · 16/07/2013 00:08

Okay, I'm off to bed now and don't want to gang up on Simpson, but you're a bit unconvincing when you say that you don't give a stuff how other children in the class are doing when you so regularly post about, eh, how other children in the class are doing.

scottishmummy · 16/07/2013 00:08

Quite,that's v contradictory
If you merely wanted a rounded overview the comparative results of no use?
But you specifically asked teacher about other children results too?

simpson · 16/07/2013 00:22

Because I wanted a picture of how the school are assessing and I already knew how the school I work in was assessing EYFS which seemed different to me that's all. Tbh I was not expecting the teacher to tell me but she did.

The year group that I want to work with are reception aged children so I want to get my head round this assessment lark too as well as asking about my own DD really.

I did not ask about other children just a percentage of scores and got the answer. The reason I have posted it on here is that people have asked Smile

christinarossetti · 16/07/2013 10:18

Really? A group of strangers on the internet asked you what 'levels' your child's year group were awarded?

Wow. The heat and end of term are clearly stepping up the pace in the MN's Champions League of Reading Levels.

simpson · 16/07/2013 10:21

I don't know where you are getting reading levels from Confused

People have been asking how EYFS is assessed and I said how many kids got it in my DC school and in the reception class that I volunteer in amongst other things and other posters have said similar.

Don't really see what the problem is really, but hey ho....

lucysnowe · 16/07/2013 11:00

Just chiming in with our experiences too, to get a better general picture maybe, FWIW. DD got expected for everything (yay!). She is on ORT 2 red level (moved up Spring half term), obviously does a bit of writing at school but none at home (and very BIG letters with no full stops etc). Moreover, there were about 24% of her class that only got emerging with writing, so must have been deemed not as developed as her. So there you go. This is a very nice gentle village school, and I think they deliberately take it very easy in FS.

christinarossetti · 16/07/2013 11:39

Yes, I wonder where I am getting reading level from... Hmm

SockPinchingMonster · 16/07/2013 13:30

Simpson - I don't think there's anything wrong with you being proud of how well your dd is doing in school. I can understand why you would want to know generally about the way other children have been graded - as this is a new system and from this thread it's clear that even teachers don't really understand how it should be graded as there are massive inconsistencies. I Don't think there is any need for anyone to be having a go at you or picking on your posts. Your dd sounds amazing by the way :-)

simpson · 16/07/2013 14:40

Me too christina as my question to the school was nothing to do with reading levels Hmm as I have already stated, don't really know what the issue is really [confused ]

Sock - thanks Smile I am very proud of DD more so for being bang on where she should be in PE than anything else as she finds it very hard and has weekly OT/Physio etc...

My query re how kids have been assessed comes mainly from the school using the incorrect (old) EYFS all year apart from in the final 2 weeks of term...

christinarossetti · 16/07/2013 14:54

The issue is as I first stated it - why on earth do you need to ask and then post about the 'levels' awarded (by which I meant 'emerging' etc, it was you who interpreted it to mean reading levels) to the other children in your child's year.

In your shoes tbh, I would be extremely sceptical about any assessment done on the hoof in the last week of term when the school for whatever reason has been using the old framework. And seriously wonder what on earth the SLT is playing at.

simpson · 16/07/2013 14:59

No it was you who interpreted it as reading levels, I never asked about reading levels or reading assessments in the slightest nor would I want to.

Posting it on an anonymous forum is hardly broadcasting it Hmm and I don't have a clue who has emerging or expected in my DD's class Confused for any of the subjects in her class.

Yes I agree I am sceptical of the assessments done which is why I asked the question in the first place..

simpson · 16/07/2013 15:00

Oops, too many "in her classes" Blush

christinarossetti · 16/07/2013 15:35

This was the first mention of reading levels made by your good self...

"Actually it is not DD's reading levels I am concerned with but how they assessed her writing..."

I was completely sure what I meant by 'levels' (which is why I wrote it like that and didn't say 'reading levels' btw).

simpson · 16/07/2013 15:50

"Then it's difficult to understand why you needed to ask about reading results"

This is why I think you are talking about reading levels/assessments.

I will say for the 100th time I *never asked about reading levels/assessments when I spoke to the teacher.

christinarossetti · 16/07/2013 16:05

Were you referring to something else when you said this then?

"Pozzled - my DD's class has 90 kids and she got the only exceeding, I volunteer in another school (reception) and they have 120 kids and 6 got exceeding."

simpson · 16/07/2013 16:10

In all subjects/areas, not reading specifically, notice the lack of the word "reading" in the sentence Hmm

christinarossetti · 16/07/2013 16:43

Eh? You went on to say that she's not 'exceeding' in writing.

simpson · 16/07/2013 16:54

Ok

DD's teacher knows I work/volunteer in another school in reception....

We were having a general chat about how schools seem to vary on assessment (not talking about my DD at all) and I said that the school I am in had 6/120 exceedings and she said they had 1/90 exceedings. Now since I know DD got one I can only assume it was her but at no point did the teacher actually come out and say that nor did either of us mention what they were actually for.

HTH.

What has whether she did/not got exceeding in writing got anything to do with it?

christinarossetti · 16/07/2013 17:21

It's these sorts of comments - "There are 4 kids in reception who are reading stage 8/9 books and none of them got exceeding which astounds me tbh..." that make it quite difficult to believe that you 'don't give a stuff' how other children are doing.

Sounds as though lots of children on MN did get a range of 'exceedings' though (my close friend's son did in nearly all areas) and it will be interesting to see the full data when it's published.

simpson · 16/07/2013 17:27

I only know this because DD does guided reading with them every week at stage 8/9 (and does not shut up about it). Admittedly they could be like my DD and be higher than that, obviously I don't know...

Admittedly the teacher might not have told me the truth when she said 1/90 kids.

I think you are taking everything out of context really Hmm other people on this very thread have stated their child is reading stage 4/5 whatever and got exceeding. What I want to know is how the reception classes are assessed and why it does not seem to be universal in all schools.

This goes for all assessments not just reading.

simpson · 16/07/2013 17:28

And you did not answer my question about what my DD's writing has to do with anything....

tiredbutnotweary · 16/07/2013 18:59

I am concerned (I think just like Simpson and others) about how other children are being assessed. How can you check this without asking what other DC are achieving and the level they were then awarded?

It is rather like discovering that some people pass their driving test by doing a 5 point turn, some a 7 point turn whilst others a 2 point turn (i.e. something almost unreasonably challenging for a new driver?). Without asking the question - how many points did you do your turn in and did you 'pass' how can you make comparisons. Now this may not be the best analogy in the world but it's hot and I've so not had enough sleep, so it's the best I can do right now Grin

You might argue that assessments at 5 are not important and I'd say you may well be right, but I'm a pedant and like to think that children, if they are going to be assessed at this age (and there are sound arguments for some form of assessment if only for knowing which are the appropriate next steps for a child) they should be assessed in the same way. One child's expected should not be another child's exceeding.

In any case what's the problem with having an interest in how your child compares - some people aren't interested, others are - it's not as if this thread is full of stealth boasts - I asked people if they were happy to share what their children were achieving if they had received exceeding and people kindly responded. Through this process (anecdotally at least), it seems there is disparity between assessments. I don't imagine this would show in the national stats unless you could get a breakdown by school and local authority.

HorryIsUpduffed · 16/07/2013 19:14

I'd like to know what the other children in my child's class scored, if only to have an idea how mixed ability his class is. If the scores vary between 40 and 50, that's quite different from a range of 20-50. I don't care how any particular other child did, just vaguely what the average and range were.

Objectively I don't want DS to be the cleverest in his class, but going by his score he might well be.

intheshed · 16/07/2013 19:40

I am surprised that the school you are volunteering in gave you that kind of information Simpson, I would not like to think my DD's school is sharing her results with all and sundry. I am also surprised your DD is so aware of other children's reading levels...

simpson · 16/07/2013 19:47

I do not know who got what just the amount given. I am not all and sundry, have been in there 2 days a week since September.

Most children know who is on what level in my experience but they don't really give a damn by yr3. It's like knowing whose on the top table and who is on the bottom...the teacher can dress it up any way they want but most kids know.