Is this common practice ?

[nursiecat]

My yr3 child has come home from school upset following an end of year reading assessment. She was told she had not done well enough in the test and was made to re-do it in the afternoon.

I have told her she can only do her best and not to worry. I am now wondering if she was marked too high in yr2 and her teacher is struggling to show enough progress.

I didn't think they did 'tests' in year 3 and therefore if the teacher feels she is an NC level ? then that is what she grades her as. It must be an internal school thing I think in which case it really can't be very important IMO.

I didn't think they did tests in yr 3 either. Her predicted NC level was 4a at the last parents evening, which I questioned, as I thought this was too high. I think the school may be putting too much pressure on her now because she is not reaching this target, and the test appears to prove this.

There are optional SATs that are internally marked and there are also other sorts of reading tests. What the school uses will be up to them. I don't think many of the schools round here use the optional SATs,most use teacher assessment/APP to give a level.

4a is a very high target for the end of year 3. I'm assuming for that to be the case she was assessed as level 4 at the end of KS1. Doesn't quite seem right to make a child think they're not doing well because they missed a target that high.

She got level 3 in yr2 sats, 3a teacher assessment. I agree its unfair to make her feel she has done badly in the test, and i'm puzzled as to why she had to do the same test twice on the same day. If she didn't know the answers in the morning, she wouldn't suddenly know them in the afternoon, especially after her confidence had taken a battering. I don't suppose theres anything I can do about it though, just let out my frustration on here.

3a??? That's 1 full level progress they are expecting across year 3. Never mind level 6, if they expect that level of progress throughout KS2 she'll be nearly level 8 by the end of year 6! They are being ridiculous.

When I questioned the target at parents evening, I was told two sub levels per year is the bare minimum expected now, therefore her target was 4a. I have always really liked the school, but it appears to have changed since it received its outstanding Ofsted report .

sounds utter madness

But 2 sublevels from 3a is 4b. Which would still give 6b in year 6.

I know some schools are insisting on 2 sublevels bare minimum across KS2 now but I don't think it's all that achievable particularly for children assessed at the higher levels in reading and writing at KS1. There are plenty of 7 year olds that have the maturity to read and write at level 3. I suspect there are considerably fewer 11 year olds with the maturity to read and write with the skills required for level 6.

NC levels are supposed to be stopping soon, I believe. Maybe this will take the pressure off DD and she can get back to enjoying learning.

NC levels will cease to be used, yes, but schools must still demonstrate progress... and one would expect a high-flyer to make accelerated progress when compared with the average.
Development isn't a continuous straight line curve though- it has plateaus, and even troughs occasionally- and just because she isn't where they hoped she would be this term does not mean she won't be come September, or even July next year.

I don't really think she is a high flyer though, i think she's a girl who loves learning and tries really hard, and now for whatever reason is being put under too much pressure.

That s one of the problems about such targets early bloomers are pushed too much while late bloomers are overlooked.

National expectation is a 2B in End of KS1, so anyone on a 3, partic 3a, is a high flyer!

I don't think it's all that reasonable to assume that high flyers will make accelerated progress compared to average. Particularly in reading there seems to be a sort of ceiling of attainment. I would argue that it's probably easier to go from a 2 to a 5 across KS2 than a 3 to a 6.

Quick look at the headline data for KS1 in 2009 and KS2 2013 suggests that it might be the case that it is easier to go from a 2 to a 5.

The proportion of children achieving level 4 at KS2 is significantly lower than the proportion of children from the same cohort who achieved level 2 at KS1 in 2009. Meanwhile the proportion of children achieving level 5 is almost double that of those achieving level 3 at KS1. And while 26% achieved level 3 at KS1 the percentage of children achieving level 6 in the reading tests is less that 0.5%

Obviously there are other things that might explain that but its not as simple as higher achievers should be expected to make accelerated progress.

It is so sad. I believe all children love learning especially through play. It seems often children are given some unrealistic targets that are rather too high or too low. In a either of these cases often put a lot of presure on children and those involved. Please let children be children let them enjoy learning and playing

I'm a year 3 teacher and I've been made to do exactly what you're saying in the past. The test she did will have been an old optional SATs paper. Most schools do them at the end of the year (it's the only test mine do although I'm hoping to conveniently forget them because I'm confident with my levels and can't see the point for the sake of it).

It's not your daughter, the teacher, it's probably not even the school. They are receiving external pressure and many schools have already linked pay to the progress children are making. I personally wouldn't have been happy with a child coming up to year 3 as a 3a because it's very hard to get into level 4 at year 3 (they often read a lot and read it well but need more breadth and depth to reach lvl 4).

Blame Gove.

DD is worried her maths wont be good enough today. What an awful system! I feel like screaming shes 8 yrs old, leave her alone. From the replies I have received, it sounds like it would be the same if she moved school.

I think it is wrong to assume that all bright kids are competitive and all kids that are less academic are lazy or unsupported or low IQ. It is nothing worse than keep encouraging caring professionals and organisations to compete with each other such as schools and hospitals in public sector. It is samular to telling your children to hate each other. People feel stress and fetup and have to cheat.
Sometimes children do well in a particular year\s simply they love the lessons because a particular teacher or their parents able to spend more time with them. Children are robots.

It sounds like her target is too high. We're also expected to show progress of at least 2 sublevels, but a target of 4a for Y3 is exceptionally high. She may have been assessed too high in Y2, but then the Y3 teacher shouldhave eestablished this by last October, and adjusted her score accordingly.

As for repeating the test- is it at all possible that she may have been messing around and not focusing? Apologies if your daughter would never do that, but some would! If a child has not made a decent effort with their work, then I think it's fine to make them 're-do it. I'd be less likely to insist on this with a test, but it would depend on the child.

If she tried her best, concentrated but just didn't do well them there's no excuse at all for making her repeat it.

Should have said 'adjusted her target', not score.

I don't think she would mess about, daydream possibly. It would explain why she had to do the test again I suppose. I don't honestly think she would get the level they want her to be at, however hard she tried.

Or maybe she wasn't messing around but the teacher genuinely thinks her performance in the test does not represent what she is capable of and wants to give her another chance?

I agree with you that it is wrong to put her under too much pressure

Maybe worth a chat with the teacher.

I have an appointment for this afternoon. The teacher confirmed DD was asked to do the test twice as she only scored 4c and she should have done better!

Kind of hoping she was messing around a little now, as I don't like the idea of an 8yr old being told your best is not good enough.