Y1 Parents evening

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Can you help me work out what questions I need to ask next week?

I don't understand the ratings/predicted outcome for end of Y1. What is the difference between working within and working in more depth? Or what are the right phrases?

I know they do PUMA and PIRA but don't understand them either. Are we just looking for 100 or better on each?

Anything else we should be asking about on the academic side? TIA

No you're looking at a judgement made by the teacher based on the school's assessment system

Is my child happy?
Is my child behaving?
How can I help support my child’s education at home? (Answer probably: read books, play with them, practise number bonds, limit screen time, feed them properly and give them regular bedtimes.)

You may be hoping your child’s teacher will tell you that you have a pint-sized genius who is working at greater depth across the board, but that isn’t really useful information you can act on.

I wouldn't really worry about the phrases. Would just find out if they are happy with your child's progress and if there is anything you could be working on at home. Our school give out a report at the end of the year with outcomes on. Are you worried about his progress in any area?

I'm not that good at reading between the lines or picking up on nuances. I've only just been told the teachers are not allowed to say anything negative. So last year, when they described him as lively, energetic and a bit of a wrigglebum, what they really meant was that he doesn't sit still or shut up when he's supposed to.

So I don't really know how to interpret what information they give. Earlier in the year they just read out all his stats for different things and had 8 different exercise books to look through with all the work he'd done.

I am happy I know all the 'other' stuff. He's happy, settled, has friends, misses the play based learning from reception but is managing the transition fine. He needs to work on his writing and we are doing what we can at home with that. He's generally not a naughty boy but can get caught out by playing with someone else who is naughty and he's stood next to them when something happens.

So do I not need to know what all the developing or deeper whatever's mean?

The only thing they have to report on in a particular way in Y1 is the phonics screening check. The rest is up to the school.

At the end of Reception you should have received an EYFS summary, with a level (emerging/expected/exceeding) on each of 17 categories. Based on that, you should have a good idea what to expect in parents’ evenings and reports in Y2. You’re looking for an acceptable (or better) level of progress from last year.

So, if your child’s school uses such measures as ‘working within’ and ‘working at greater depth’ in Y1 (schools can use what they like apart from the phonics check), and if your son was ‘expected’ for the ‘numbers’ goal in Reception, you should probably expect ‘working within’ for maths in Y1. If it’s less or more, ask why.

If the school are giving you stats you don’t understand, ask them to interpret them for you. Use the word ‘progress’: has he made expected progress? Is he where they think he should be, based on last year? What does he need to work on? How can you help at home?

Thanks so much, I'll go back to the EYFS and look for progress in those areas.