Year 1 levels - parents evening

[teafor1]

We've been to parents evening and were told my son's levels. Since there are 4 months remaining in the year should I expect them to increase by the end? If they do at all, I'm thinking by 1 sublevel right?

Yes pretty much

DD is in yr1 and she should go up a sub level in most areas by the end of the year.

Thanks Simpson. I'm trying to not get all wrapped up in levels but I do want to be aware and not caught off guard with him falling behind at some point etc.

teafor1

• I'm trying to not get all wrapped up in levels but I do want to be aware and not caught off guard with him falling behind at some point etc

You don't need to explain yourself, get wrapped up in levels, get all over them....its your childs life in your hands at the moment. No one can afford to be casual about their education.

Thanks born. I think you are correct.

Hi teafor1

Frankly NC Levels/ sub-levels is a foreign language for most parents - and unless you get clued up it's really hard to appreciate what teachers are trying to tell you.

However tea - Mumsnet has a lovely set of pages explaining NC Levels here: www.mumsnet.com/learning/assessment/national-curriculum-levels - and next two pages (use link in blue boxes - What the levels mean/ Progress through the levels).

My advice is take what is said with a grain of salt. Do remember that teachers are reviewed in terms of the progress in learning each child makes - so there can be a tendency to underestimate their performance at the start of the year and over-estimate at the end of the year. (I do not mean that every teacher games this system - but that in the course of 7 years at our primary - this kind of thing is regularly happening - so don't be surprised by any 'loss in learning' at the start of next school year.

However - that aside - knowing general ability against NC Levels does alert you to things: whether they are struggling/ just treading water or really high flying - all of which may require your attention. So that is a good thing.

Finally - just to throw a spanner into the works - Gove et al. have decided to abandon NC Levels and allow schools to do their own thing. I'm not quite sure how this is going to work out in practice - and I suspect parents will find this very difficult to deal with if they're being told all is well/ lovely jubbly - and then come KS1 or KS2 SATs their child performs very poorly. I suspect there will be many angry parents in the school grounds (imagine 11+ disappointed parents - but worse as everyone in schools takes KS1/ KS2 SATs).

Glad DD1 is moving on to senior school & I'm less worried about DD2.

past your posts are always amazing, I often copy and paste them for future reference, you are a true asset to this site, many many thanks.
Just had a look at the maths tables site and it looks great too.

This: knowing general ability against NC Levels does alert you to things: whether they are struggling/ just treading water or really high flying - all of which may require your attention. is why I want to know the levels and understand them. At the end of YR I found out on the final report that DS was "emerging" for numbers but I had not been told this all year long. I worked with him at home through the summer and with little bits here and there during the year he is now at 1b. I don't want to be caught unaware again like that and have to play catch up.

Thanks past for a great post. Very informative.

we don't get told any levels. I have no idea what levels my Yr1 child is supposedly at or aiming for. I would like to know and I know what they are supposed to be at the end of Yr1 but the school do not disclose any. I managed to get the EYFS ones out of them in the summer because I specifically asked but they did not supply any information about whether children had met or exceeded and so on.

nonicknames:

You should receive an end of year report (a short novel) and under each major subject (English (literacy/ reading)/ Maths/ Science) - you should be informed whether your child is working below/ at or above expected levels. This starts from Y1 (KS1 Y1/ Y2 and Key stage 2 Y3 - Y4).

I would write to the school in advance of the end of year report and express to the HT that you would like to know how your child is performing against NC Levels.

however be advised that NC Levels are soon to be abandoned - and that Gove in is infinite wisdom (?) has declared that schools can determine their own systems for evaluating pupil progress: www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/99940/99940.pdf

Hey ho...

In my DC school for yr1 we are told in their end of year report NC Levels for reading, literacy and numeracy. Everything else (science etc) is just reported as on expected levels, above or below.

Yr2 we then get science and S&L added to the subjects where parents are given NC Levels.

BornFreeButinChains Wed 12-Mar-14 13:28:09

past your posts are always amazing, I often copy and paste them for future reference, you are a true asset to this site, many many thanks.
Just had a look at the maths tables site and it looks great too.

I totally agree - I often scan through looking for "past". Very informative direct and clear. I think you understand that many of us are anxious and concerned about out children's education and just want to help our kids as best we can.

thanks Past

Agree, PSBD is truly The Font Of All Knowledge, as I've said before.