This levels business then...

[SmileAndNod]

How do we parents know what exactly level 1B in maths (for example) means our child can do? Is there a look up sheet somewhere? And will it guide us as to what we need to be working on to reach the next level? Are they supposed to reach certain levels in certain years? How are we supposed to know if our child is where they are supposed to be?

Sorry that was a lot of questions! Am I right in thinking that levels won't be given until year 2, but that the school will have levels for their own tracking purposes?

Re: 1st question = It's linked to the National Curriculm which can be googled or try DfE website, but our school has an edited parent friendly version on their website.

Qst 2 - I will leave that to the professionals / those who are sure.

I asked a few weeks ago - levels only have to be reported at end of EYFS, Yr2 and Yr6.

levels won't exist from september, each school can choose their own method of measuring it.

current yr1s will still do the old yr2 SATS and I therefore assume will get NC levels next year but I might have got that bit wrong. The current R children will be on the new SATS I believe.

Google the subject and nc level 1b descriptors and there will be explanations of what this actually means they can do. Google 1a and you should then be able to see next steps.

Q1. I've read teachers on here describing sub levels as follows: 40-50% of that level criteria met = c. Nearly all of that level criteria met = b, All the that level criteria plus elements of the next level met = a. Therefore a person described as being 4c has met approximately 40-50% of the level 4 criteria. However, knowing the level will not tell you which elements your DC are secure on and which your DC need to work on - you will need to speak to the teacher for that information.

Q2. Some schools use APP, but many don't. Again that is something you need to speak with the teacher about.

Q3. Refer to Q1 and 2. Knowing the level alone is largely meaningless if you don't know what elements of the level your DC are secure on/need to work on.

Q4. There are a number of grids that detail expected levels at the end of each year. This link may help.

However, as nonicknameseemsavailable said, levels as we know them will cease to exist soon - meaning a new way of measuring progress will be implemented.

Simple answer is you don't know exactly what your child can do from being told they are level 1B. It means they have met some of the level 1 criteria but not all .. what you don't know is which bits they can do and which bits they can't.

Thank you. I'd like to know if there's anything I can be helping with over the summer holidays - not that I plan for Ds to be working for six weeks, he seems shattered and needs a rest! We were just going to do the summer reading challenge at the library and maybe go over some addition facts every so often. Does that sound ok? Some in his class have started withtutors

Will fill in the form to speak to his teacher - she'll be glad to get rid of me next year I'm sure

Hi SmileAndNod:

agree with what people are posting. Would suggest that as a general guide to progress through nevels for a notional child MN has this: www.worksheetworks.com/english/writing/handwriting.html - tables at the bottom explain how much progress is 'expected' per year from where you're at (upper table) based on stage/ table at bottom explains notional target at the end of a given school year.

The new national curriculum programmes of study set out what should be covered in a given school year. As a parent I'd take that as what should be mastered in a given school year. Information here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum - scroll down to programmes of study by subject and then have a read for whatever school year your child will be in next year.

My advice is it is in your interest to fully understand what it is your child should be learning/ capabable of doing by the end of a given school year.

It may not help if your school is unwilling to teach some things (e.g. times tables to x12/ long division with remainders expressed as a decimal to 2 places) - but then as a parent you can decide if this is important to know and if you choose - you can fill in the gaps accordingly.

My advice for your parent/ teacher meeting is to ask:

Is there anything you would like us to be working on over the summer?

I've often found the answers to these questions are the most honest & useful in any conversation with a teacher I've had. Don't settle for I'll have to think about it or just keep doing what you're doing - ask what would be the next logical thing for your DC to be working on.

With one particularly unhelpful teacher I used to suggest wild things like - should we be working on square and cubed roots like the super school down the road is doing already? It would jolt this person into a more reasonable response - 'Oh no, I wouldn't go that far but DD1 clearly needs to put in the work on her times tables.' - and I'd know (or have it confirmed) what we needed to be doing.

HTH

Sorry SmileandNod:

Just got on to see if you replied and found my link to Mumsnet progress through NC Levels didn't go in (got a worksheet I posted on another feed).

Anyway here is what Mumsnet think is notionally how you should expect a 'typical' child to progress through NC Levels during primary: www.mumsnet.com/learning/assessment/progress-through-national-curriculum-levels

Thank you, that is helpful. For some reason I thought levels corresponded with year groups, ie you need to be level 2 in year 2, a level 6 in year 6.

We've not been given sub levels in the end of year report, just whether they are at, above or below the expected level. Also have a few things that we need to work on next so that is helpful at least.

So don't they correspond to year groups then? Dd (yr4) has just brought her report home with grades of 4a (writing), 4b (reading) and 4c (maths). I thought the 4 related to her school year. Is that not right?

Frozen - her levels mean that she's doing really well and is above where she should be at the end of year 4.

Thanks Ladygracie.