So levels are being scrapped and not replaced .... except by Performance Descriptors hahahahaha!

[tiredbutnotweary]

Except it's not that funny, is it?

So having read this blog I was interested to read the following statement:

In KS1 it seems that level descriptors have been scrapped with much fanfare to make way for… performance descriptors.

I am curious to know whether you think the Performance Descriptors are different enough from the current levels to be considered something new, or if you think they are levels by another name?

Certainly it looks like schools or LAs would need to re-create sub-levels if they wanted to mark out the steps between the reception Base Line Assessment and KS1 and KS2 Performance Descriptors - however perhaps this is already captured in the new NC?

I will list the Performance Descriptors for the level expected in English, Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation at the end of KS1, in a series of posts below due to the amount of text.

Children will be tested to see if they meet the expected level via the new SATS (in 2016) during year 2.

I have copied these descriptors from the DRAFT Key stage 1 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test framework.

There are also Maths and Reading ones available for your perusal!

Enjoy

General
Children use some variety of sentence types as is appropriate to the given task, eg commands to instruct the reader; statements to give information. They are able to introduce additional detail in their writing through the use of, for example, adjectives (including comparatives), adverbs, or simple expanded noun phrases (eg the small cottage / the small cottage with the red door).

Clauses are mostly joined with co-ordinating conjunctions (and, but, or), with some use of subordination (eg to indicate cause or time). Tense is appropriate and mostly consistent in simple and progressive past and present forms.

Sentences are usually demarcated with capital letters and full stops, or with appropriate use of question and exclamation marks. Capital letters are used to mark some proper nouns and always for the personal pronoun ‘I’. There is some use of internal sentence punctuation, including commas to separate items in a list and apostrophes to mark contracted forms.

Children’s handwriting is legible. Capital and lower-case letters are accurately and consistently formed with appropriate spacing and consistent size.

Grammar and vocabulary

Children working at the expected standard are able to:

demonstrate familiarity with some word classes and their use, including nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs

apply this terminology to identify familiar words within each word class when presented in a context

recognise different types of sentences, including statements, questions, commands and exclamations

write different types of sentences including statements, questions, commands and exclamations when prompted

understand that the coordinating conjunctions and, or, but link words and clauses and use them to construct and extend sentences

add a subordinate clause to a main clause using a simple subordinating conjunction (eg when, if, because, that) when prompted

combine or expand given words to make noun phrases, clauses or sentences

identify the present or past tense forms of familiar, regular verbs and some highfrequency irregular verbs (eg has / had)

apply correct endings to regular verb forms to indicate present and past tense, including the progressive form to mark actions in progress (eg the lion is running / Ellie was shouting)

demonstrate Standard English subject-verb agreement (eg we were as opposed to we was)

identify and select some appropriate language for the context such as formal, informal or Standard English as appropriate

understand that the prefix un- can change the meaning of some words use some straightforward suffixes to form nouns and adjectives, including the suffixes –er and –est to form comparative adjectives.

use some straightforward suffixes to form nouns and adjectives, including the suffixes –er and –est to form comparative adjectives.

Punctuation
Children working at the expected standard are able to:

identify and use appropriate end punctuation for demarcating different sentence types (full stop, question mark and exclamation mark)

identify and use a capital letter to start a sentence, for names and for the personal pronoun I

identify and insert commas in a list of single words

use apostrophes to construct simple contracted verb forms from given full forms, using correct spelling

identify the correct use of the apostrophe to denote singular possession and sometimes use the apostrophe correctly for this purpose.

Spelling
Children working at the expected standard are able to:

usually accurately spell simple monosyllabic and polysyllabic words, including high-frequency homophones and near-homophones in context

draw on their developing phonological, morphological and lexical awareness to apply the rules and patterns set out in the statutory Appendix 1 of the 2014 national curriculum.

Let the grammatical arguments begin. Oh, what joy!

If anybody thought things were bad with masha's lists, just wait till the grammarians have at it. Masha will look like a holiday beside the Med, trust me!