Could someone explain Y1 Levels please.?

[Vickibee]

My Ds came and with his report and his overall level was stated as 1a plus. Not sure what this means. His maths level was 1b, reading 1b plus and oral a level 1. He failed the phonics test 23/40. there is no explanation provided only saying he is working below age expectation

Having googled for you, this site seems to explain things.

My dd is in Y1 and her report isn't home yet. I have absolutely no idea what any of the levels mean.

From that site, it looks like he's where he should be, if a little better. But if they say below expectation, maybe that refers just to the phonics test.

he is in a high achieving school and there are only 15 in his year. He is one of four pupils being held back in his current class. They have to have mixed year group classes as it is such small school and he was very upset. but if he is where he should be I cannot understand as it was done an ability

It means he's average for his age. But in a high achieving school an average kid will be towards the bottom of the cohort ability-wise.

What is upsetting him in particular? Did you show him his levels?

Ours have come home today (glad I found an explanation tbh ) and I haven't let dd see them, largely because they won't mean anything to her. I have just let her read the teacher and head's comments.

Are there lots of positives in the report you can read to him? Focus on those. DD's school strikes a good balance and asks them to self evaluate too. So they ask them what they're good at, what they enjoy and what they think they'll work to improve next year and they write their own bit in the report. Would breaking it down like that for him help?

It's a shame to think of a Y1 boy feeling upset when he's just where he should be in general terms and I bet there are, as with any child, areas where he's really good. And it's not always in measurable stuff.

Overall level of 1a plus is good (I have never heard the 'plus' bit before though).

When they come in from Reception they begin to get levelled on the National Curriculum levels which start at 1c. They then go 1b, 1a, 2c, 2b etc

At the end of Year 2 when they do the SATS they are expected to be a 2b. Good progress (or expected progress) is 2 sub levels an academic year. So this means that working back, in order to be a 2b at the end of Year 2, a child should be 1a at the end of Year 1.

If it is a high achieving school and a class of 15 there will probably be children working at a 2b/2a already. Therefore he will be one of the bottom - not because he is below where he should be but because the other children are way above where they should be. Therefore the children that are moving up a class will be working at a Year 2/3 level already so it makes sense. I would make sure that you are comfortable that he is being pushed next year as, if children who are younger than him are in the class, he may be covering ground he already knows and his progress may slow down.

He will need lots of reassurance that there is nothing wrong with him - it is just that the other children find it easier to read/write/do maths which some children do.

Dgs is at the end of Yr1and got his report today. There were 4 level 2b's and a 2c for writing. There was no phonics test result though. At the end of the report it said the Government expected level for the end of Yr2 is 2b.

Not sure if this will work but have a look at this chart, makes it all clear!

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DS literacy was a 1c. He got 40/40 on the phonics test.

Go figure

There's more to literacy than phonics though Pantone. DD's literacy marks were broken down into categories like reading, writing etc. His decoding might be excellent but writing and comprehension not so good, giving an average for example.

The phonics test is a nothing test. It genuinely doesn't really matter what score he got for it. It is a national test which all schools have to do. I have lots of teacher friends who teach yr1 and they do not agree that is shows anything to do with the child's ability in reading or writing. He may have to repeat it in yr2 but it wont make a jot of difference to his sats score etc. If he fails it again there wont be any other repercussion it will be forgotten about.

Wotcha Jammy. Isn't the phonics test more designed to test that phonics is doing what it's supposed to. Making sure that the method is working and identifying where it might not be working. Our school was very keen to express that it wasn't a test of the children but the method and if there were children below standard, it was something for the teacher to tackle.

Hi Showy!!

According to my teacher friend that I was chatting to last night in her words tis bollocks.

I would say the teacher assessment is more likely to be bollocks - if a child can decode at that level, but is only a 1c, then what is going wrong with the teaching/learning of comprehension? It's not difficult at level 1.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to year 1 levels - DS went from very average level 1s to level 3 in year 2, so way more than the 2 sub-levels expected. They are at an age where they can make huge leaps.

However, you have the added problem of him being 'held back', and they do realise at this age what this means. I haven't really go any advice, but DD was in a similar situation (low down in the class of a very high- achieving school), and in the end we did move her as she was so miserable.

Sorry, that sounds so negative and unhelpful - we just couldn't find a way around the problem and she was falling further behind.

thnx boys rule your comments are reassuring. The thing is he is a bright enough boy his comprehension and understanding is there and he has excellent Gen Knowledge.
He just shows little interest in reading, writing etc and this is holding him back. Once he grasps this I think he will come along in leaps and bounds. He is a doer not a thinker give him something to build and he will do it with gusto. Maybe a boy thing. Out of 15 in his year 10 are girls anyway