Releasing levels to parents

[tepidcuppa]

If you can help clarify would be useful:

I recently asked my child's teacher for her NC Levels (Y2).
I was told that the head does not want NC Levels given out to parents.
When I questioned this i was told that if the levels were given to me they would have to be given to anyone who asked.

The school has never routinely given out NC levels but has previously happily released them if asked.

My question is:

1. Is the school legally obliged to tell parent's their child's NC Levels (mid-term). In fact, are they obliged to tell parents where they think they are heading in the Y2 Sats (L2/L3 etc).

1. Is there any reason not to give NC levels or targets to parents if they ask (other than fear of competitiveness between parents, of which there has never been a culture in our school).

The school is only legally obliged to give levels to parents at the end of years 2 and 6.

The most likely reason for the change of policy IMO is that they've had problems with parents querying levels or causing hassle in some way as a result of having them. Levelling work is not an exact science - we have regular debates about which level a child is at and how we can evidence it - so it may well be that someone's DC has appeared to go backwards which has led to so much grief they've decided not to share the information now.

The school does not have a culture of parental competitiveness so I'm not sure that is the reason. They have never routinely released them before, but also not had a policy of not giving them either.
Are there any other possible reasons?

I don't understand this. What about partnership working with parents, who incidentally are the ones legally required to provide a suitable education for their children.

The school is legally obliged to give asssessment and test data under the data protection act.

I expect the reason is that it is time consuming to give every parent that level of information as often as they might want it as well as potentially having to spend hours justifying or discussing the reasons for that level and counselling the parents on how they can raise it.

I suppose I find it odd that the school is getting more SATS orientated - and aiming to raise SATS results - and at the same time becoming more opaque about telling parents exactly where their children lie on a SATS scale...

Schools are legally obliged to report on children's progress once a year- more info here

Thanks, Tethersend. Does that apply to all years (seemed to just reference secondary school years there).

I guess so, Starlight, except there is no culture of that happening in our school (I think I was the only parent to ask for NC levels in our class last year).

Hi
School have to give assessment data to parents. It is your right to see any school held data at any time.
More to the point, this is a very odd view stance for a school to have and I would be extremely suspicious of any school who did not routinely tell parents what level their child is at, at least annually. It suggests they either don't know (due to ropey assessment policy) or are hiding an issue (incapable teachers where child make little progress or a SATs factory where all the progress is in year six?? Etc)
Insist on your child's data, if you want it.

I think it might also be a case that they haven't decided yet what level to give. Children are surprising and unpredictable and there's loads of them in a classroom. A teacher might have a 'feel' for what level the child will get but daren't disclose it until they have found the time to that particular paperwork task. They don't want to have to commit to a level that on reflection, with evidence is different.

Teachers should be continually assessing children. Levels are broken down into thirds - c b a - and children should be assessed using a best fit model termly so the summer term level should have been agreed. This then means the next teacher can plan work at an appropriate level to move your child forward.

Just to clarify: So, the school is obliged to give assessment data to parents. Does that mean at the end of the year, or whenever it is requested?

Whenever it is requested. Any data that is held on your child is available to you at anytime. There is a couple of exceptions around safeguarding data and children protected by court orders but the rest is available to you.

Schools need to report on progress but this does not necessarily mean nc levels. It could just be strengths/weakness or number of sub levels progress. The levels are disappearing so it will be moot soon anyway.

I've worked in schools that don't give levels and the general reason seemed to be in case some children didn't make progress. Generally it wasn't even the case that it would be an issue. It was more the fear that it might be an issue.

You might have to put a request in writing. I don't think it's freedom of information more under data protection legislation you have a right to see information about yourself and as an extension your children.

Thanks all. Very helpful. I don't really care enough to pursue it. It was just puzzling to see this sudden change in attitude coupled with a more pro-SATS approach to school life.

I care enough. I've asked for all levels plus targets to be given half-termly plus targets. I've requested this is written in Ds' statement.

I'd actually be quite happy if my child's school said this as it might indicate that they care more about qualitative feedback than publishing a load of meaningless numbers that don't tell you a lot anyway. We used to give them out to our secondary pupils and neither the kids nor the parents ever really understood them. This wasn't because they were stupid - not at all! - but because telling a parent that their child is doing well with x and y and needs to work on z to improve is a whole lot more helpful than telling them they're a 2b or whatever. I'm firmly of the belief that until they get near the end of their secondary career it's pretty useless to try to summarise a child's achievement with a number.

Sorry to disagree but IMO it is equally as important for schools to be able to say this is what they can do and this is the next steps for your child BUT also to tell parents where the 'can do' bit sits against national norms (ie levels). Whether those levels are correct is a whole other debate(!) but I have been in to waaayyyy to many schools where only progress is reported to hide ropey teaching and parents get a heck of a shock when they discover that actually their child is making poor progress and is not meeting age norms.

Sounds just like my DDs school.

They don't tell us any levels, or give any idea how a child is performing apart from the basic "working well, meeting personal targets".

They didn't even tell us they had a phonics test in Year 1.

I'm assuming they were tested because I read about it on here, and I believe it's compulsory - but the parents were never informed about it. We weren't told the results either, so no one knows if their child passed or not.

And apparently they won't tell us the dates of the Y2 SATS tests either and I doubt we'll get the results from them either.

Errrrr......reporting phonics levels to parents is a statutory requirement and failing to report assessment data to parents is pretty much an instant fail at ofsted?

Sadly there was not very useful qualitative feedback. That's why I was asking for the NC levels. (So at least I could see whether the school considered there had been progress). The school doesn't share any personal targets they may or may not set with us so unfortunately that's not an option either.

In this case, we are not talking end of year NC levels or SATS results, just the assessment at the start of the first term of Y2.

There should be key data that any school worth their salt can share with you - end of year 1 level in maths, Reading and writing. Reading age, year 1 phonics score & current phonics (letters and sounds) phase. If they can't / won't share this, IMO so etching is very wrong:(

Obviously parents need to know where their child is doing in relation to national - it is, as Effie says, whether the targets / levels set nationally are correct, so perhaps this isn't the right place for the bee in my bonnet

If the qualitative feedback isn't good then I would be asking questions.

Hi tepidcuppa:

Strictly speaking the HT is correct in that the guidance from DofE is that schools must give results for SATs in Y2 and Y6 - and this would come in the form of NC Levels.

However....

Teacher's continuously assess your child - either on APP Scales, against NC Levels or on some other scale. They are paid with taxpayers money to do this. Therefore this is publically financed data and is subject to the freedom of information act. As your child's legal guardian you are fully entitled to see any data they hold on your child.

I am the PITA who asked if I was going to have to request a freedom of information access to see my child's NC Levels and understand how they're progressing at parent/ teacher meetings (held once each term) or not. I made it clear that as I felt that I was fully legally entitled to this data I would be seeking compensation from the LEA for having to do so.

The school swiftly announced that they would be institute a parent-friendly APP grid style report on where children were at in writing & maths each parent/ teacher meeting so parents could understand their child's progress. However, they reserved the right not to discuss this for reading, because in the past children's ability has become a source of competition/ upset between parents. However, they would more clearly indicate to parents if a child was struggling, explain what steps they were taking in school and provide guidance on what to do at home to help.

Information on FOI in relation of children's school performance here: www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/schools/pupils_info

Interestingly this website suggests that free schools and academies are not subject to this - but I suspect all it would take is one test case (as after all taxpayers money is financing these institutions).

HTH