School Reporting End of Year Levels

[Randomnames]

DD's report stated 1B writing 1A reading and 1A Maths and 37 phonics. We are all very happy with it as the detail shows that she has really enjoyed her learning this year. but I queried the level for Maths with her teacher as during the year teacher has always said she is very strong in Maths and contributes well during those particular lessons!!.

Also her school Maths work book said 2C on the work sheets since April (which is when I noticed) - and the goals on the report for when she starts year 2 relate to the 2A level descriptors.

I mentioned this to teacher and he said - "Oh yes - she is now actually 1A writing 1A reading and 2C for Maths - as the reports were based on May half term assessment??

Whilst I understand the practicalities for this -
If levels are going to be reported (and I understand it is only a requirement at yr2 and 6) shouldn't this be made clearer to parents that the levels relate to the previous term, as they are after all "end of year reports".

I am only aware of this because I asked but many parents wouldn't and would be left to think their child is not showing that they understand aspects of the curriculmn being taught in school and may then be going over work in the summer that they think their child needs more help with (yes I am talking about myself )

The cynic in me feels that they under rate to show a bigger improvement by the end of yr 2. Am I jumping to conclusions? - if so that's not the intention but I do have a keen interest in my daughter's education and try to work alongside the school.
However if they are giving incorrect information - it doesn't help.

Levels in Year 2 are also reported around May time.

I think it's standard to assess around May for other years - it takes time to get paperwork together and reports written.

And ... does it matter whether she is a 1A or a 2C? It actually doesn't make a blind bit of difference to howshe progresses? (and levels are going soon anyway).

Thanks redskyatnight - but your post doesn't really answer anything I asked.

I am not querying the process. but the reporting to parents that it is end of year but in fact relates to the previous term. - I would think as a parent you would only know this if you are a teacher or very close to one.

Also I didn't say it made a difference to how she progresses - but maybe it's just my wording!

May half term was only about 5 weeks ago though and it takes time to write reports. If they were using February levels you might have more to be concerned about.
I was going to say the same as RedSky that as the SATS will be reported from about May time then the school aren't trying to show a bigger rate of improvement, it will be a year of improvement.

I doubt many teachers expect the parents to be using the report to work out what the parents need to be teaching the child over the holidays . They are meant to be on holiday!

Well if you already have DD's report it is clearly not reporting her level at the end of the school year (which is still 2 weeks away). I'm not a teacher but would imagine the whole report writing process takes at least 3-4 weeks. Taking into account May half term, that pretty much does take us back to May.

I don't think you can use a sublevel to work out what parts of the curriculum your child needs to work on?? I suspect most parents are hazy about the difference between 2c and 1a tbh so it really doesn't matter to them. I'd consider myself an involved and interested parent and I wouldn't have a clue.

I take your point about progress, but tbh it's quite a big jump for a child who has just scraped a 2C by the end of Year 1 (July), to get a Level 3 in KS2 SATS (as assesed in May)- maybe the school are managing your expectations?

Thanks LittleMissGreen -
Does that mean that during the 6 weeks holidays the teachers expect children not to do any learning?
Luckily our school isn't like that and actively encourage parents to still support children's learning over the holidays. Then I guess it's not such a struggle for them to re-adjust when they return in September .
and if we are not expected to use the report for guidance - what can we use?

You can support your child's learning without making them work on whatever aspects of the national curriculum they are not secure on ... :)

Redskyatnight "I take your point about progress, but tbh it's quite a big jump for a child who has just scraped a 2C by the end of Year 1 (July), to get a Level 3 in KS2 SATS (as assesed in May)- maybe the school are managing your expectations?" -

I think you are right on this - I didn't think of that.

But your 1st paragraph I will end it there as I think we are at cross purposes.

random - I am a teacher. I have 3 dcs. We will not be doing any formal academic learning over the holidays.

We will be doing lots of educational stuff, like playing, and building, picnics, family walks and swimming and cycling, and reading, reading, reading (can't get their noses out of books)

Schools (most of them) expect the kids to be kids over the summer.

The only time i would be concerned is if my kid had really struggled, and then I would quietly and gently do enough so that they didn't fall back.

Thanks steppemum - I think during the 6 weeks - as well as doing "educational stuff" and being kids - which lets face it, is what the majority of families including mine will be doing, there would also be time for a little "academic stuff" - whether formally or informally.

whatever suits you, I am just saying that most schools do not expect it, and they certainly don't expect you to use the levels on the report as a basis for doing that. Most parents wouldn't know how the level on the report relates to activities over the holidays anyway

(I am not being dismissive of parents, I just mean, if they have 1a for writing, most parents don't know what a piece of 1a written work looks like, so it doesn't help with holiday activities.)

I've never done formal learning with mine over the summer. We do lots of vaguely 'educational' things - visiting museums, old houses, science places, long walks looking for bugs, birds trees etc, baking etc. If we go away on holiday they may write a diary, but that mainly consists of sticking train/attraction tickets etc in a book and writing a sentence or two about where they went. This year they may keep doing the online maths as they enjoy it.
I guess if you have to do formal learning, with no guidance, then the report would be the place to start, but I wouldn't know whether to be consolidating what they already know, or branching into new areas. Do you not get given a project to do, or some idea of structure at all from the school if they expect you to do something?

Tiggytape - Thank you

LittleMissGreen - Thanks - yes my children get projects as well. I considered this academic as it usually involves research and writing something up.

The KS1 results must be finalised by the beginning of July (3rd July ths year) and reported to the LA by the end of the summer term. The school might decide to use only their assessments from the middle of May but they're probably a bunch of idiots if they do. Unless they are assuming not one of the children in their year 2 cohort is going to make any progress between 23rd May and 3rd July this year.

OP, if the teacher can tell you now that she is working at a particular level, then I think that is the level that should have gone in the report. The same with any targets or next steps. It's a fairly pointless exercise putting in next steps from assessments in May if she ight have achieved them by the tie you get the report.

RafaIsTheKingOfClay. Thank you - that is the main point of my initial comment but the thread lead somewhere else. I have an older child and had never needed to query this before. It's only that the levels reported and the goals beside them were so far apart.

On the 'reports taking so long' point:

I write the bulk of my reports (32 x 1000 words or so) over half term because it is the only time that I have the uninterrupted time to do so.

I base levels (above / below / in line with expectations for age) on the most recent assessments at that point.

Between then and the point when the reports come out, I obviously continue to assess the children. In the week or 10 days running up to the issuing reports, I review every one, changing the grades to reflect new asserssments, and altering the wording of the reports as needed to reflect changes. Obviously a child COULD mnake massive progress in the 2 weeks of term after the reports are finally printed and issued, but when issued they are as accurate as I can manage.