Please can you tell me what these NC levels mean?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

My ds is an older child in year 2. I suspect he is underachieving but want to know how bad it is first before I worry/put in a plan of action.

B Squared NC Best fit

Literacy:
Reading - Level 1C
Writing - Level 1C

Maths:
Number - Level 1B
Shape, Space and Measurement - 1C
Data Handling - 1
Using and Applying - 1

Science - P8
Geography - P7
History - P6
Art - P7
PE - P4
Music - P4
RE - P6

Many thanks

'The music level sounds very strange for someone who plays two instruments and is in a choir. Do the school know that he does those things? '

They know he started playing the keyboard a year ago, but they don't know the other stuff. Communication with the school isn't that great tbh. But I also didn't feel the need to communicate this with them as I didn't expect them not to see musical talent when it stared them in the face.

Sorry, not criticising HE, just for many children it works with them following their interests and parents supporting as they use that to facilitate the development of skills and knowledge. But if your main concern is reaching a particular level in a particular time frame things may need to be a little different

'is he confident with phonics including sounds like 'ee' and 'ch'? Can he sound out and blend new words'

Yes. He is a fluent reader. His comprehension needs work. We are doing extra stuff on inference at home. His motivation to read is low though since discovering Horrid Henry it has gone up.

'Sorry, headache brain this morning after sleeping in too long'

Lucky for some......

Yes NewName my aim is to remove him from school, give him a boost, and then put him back, so I will have to stick to the school system of education iyswim.

He is a fluent reader? When you say his comprehension needs work, can he answer a few basic questions about the text? Can he say if it's a story or information, find the title or some labels etc, say what he likes? Talk about the main characters?

I find it hard to believe that a fluent reader is a 1c- something very strange is going on with those assessments!

What does he read at home? Does he read to you? Does he understand what's happened and/or can he sound out the words?

He only reads if I make him do it. He can answer basic and literal questions and can rescan the text for the answer if he wasn't paying attention at the time of reading. I don't think he reads much at school though given the song and dance he gives me who can spend half an hour chasing him round the house with a book until he relents.

However, he does like 1:1 tests so I would assume that if they were done they would be accurate.

What about flexi-schooling? Would that have more or less of an impact than targeted HE do you think?

I could keep him off on PE and Music days!?

I'm really surprised he's at a level 1. You definitely need clarification

Snar Do you mean level 1 sounds too high? or too low?

The thought of HE is growing on me, but ds just said he wants to stay at school.

How do I go about getting clarification?

I have asked the school for ds' targets before but been told there is a school policy not to supply them.

Of course, school policy or not I should be able to get them using the DPA but I'd rather work in partnership than force their hands.

Has he ever been assessed by an ed psych ? I suspect they are measuring what they can evidence , so if, for example, in music he does not engage and talk about/show what he can do in those lessons his score may not reflect what you know to be the case. I'd have thought L1 for fluent reader is low . Again might he have issues showing what he can do or perhaps with concentration and distractibility. He may or may not be academically capable of achieving some or all of the expectations of Year 2 but it feels to me as if there may be other issues to address first.

Thank you Fiona, and welcome to MN

Yes. EP says he has an IQ of 126.

If they are using B Squared as their assessment you might ask to have a look at the assessment sheets like this
from B Squared website
asking so that you can work with your child on any of the gaps. It may take a while for the school to pull the records together and they may not actually use these sheets. At my school we have groups of children on one page, so I need to photocopy it and black marker out the other children or transfer an individual child's data to a separate page. Parents asking for a look at it immediately or "after school tomorrow" when I have heavy workload commitments at that time mean I'd still be in school at 11pm! But I doubt giving a couple of week's notice that you'd like to see the data would be too much to ask. (I'm sure it wouldn't be you, as you seem like you are really trying to work with the school, but some parents often ask at parents evening when I'm in school until gone 9pm then have to go home, eat tea and plan for the next day! Then they wonder get cross with me "why I haven't got it for them" at 8.30am drop-off the following morning. Same goes when I have three late school nights in one week and my feet don't touch the ground, so a little empathy as they ask for it goes a long way to me being amenable and collating all the assessment information I have on their child as soon as possible. Then I'm very happy to provide it and make another appointment to explain and discuss it)

Thank you newname That is really helpful ds is definitely past the p5 one, though not at the NC3.

I could wait a couple of weeks for that newname. In fact I HAVE waited a couple of weeks with his teacher saying at the beginning of term that she'll see what she can do.

We're at half term now with nothing.

I may be wrong, but it does sound like your school is in a muddle with assessment. I'm not criticising B Squared, it looks very thorough and efficient. However if it is not being used correctly and teacher's interpretations of the statements are not accurate it is pretty useless!

Is there a b-squared tick-chart like that from for each of the subjects I have listed?

Right. Found them thanks.

If they can give me their music/PE ones I reckon I can send them video evidence to tick a load more boxes.

I'm a bit relieved tbh that some of the issue is their measuring, but this does not bode well for his opportunities for progress written into their lesson plans does it?

Yes, Starlight. here are the free sample pages from their website
Not used it myself but I do quite like the look of it. But then I'm a bit of a Monica (Friends) with liking everything organised and predictable.

I would wondering what opportunities they are providing in PE and Music that allow your child to evidence the skills at a particular level. If they don't give the opportunities to show his musical talent they won't be able to assess it and tick it off on the BSquared list.