School Reports Year 4 - Help decoding?

[slfk3]

Hello,

My year 4 son received his school report Friday and I am hoping someone can help explain it to me. I suspect when the teacher replies the answers will be "don't worry he is fine" so thought I'd see if any parent/teachers could give me advise.

He achieved WT for Spoken English collaboration and metacognition and EX for resilience and responsibility, EX for attainment. Then WT for reading metacognition and EX for the rest including attainment. There is nothing said about his "Spoken English" so I don't know what he is lacking or which are more important between learning values or attainment?
For reading it doesn't say he has any next steps in the written bit so not sure there.
On Mathematics reasoning all his learning values were EX but he got WT for attainment, not sure what to make of that. Same for Science.

Part of me tells myself to just relax, we did all his homeschooling work and he was home for both lockdowns so surely that is a good report given the circumstances. The other part of me says to try and find out more detail so I can support him going in to year 5 but I feel like I don't really even understand the report!

Attainment is where he actually is compared to other children and the standard for his age. Working towards =behind, Exceeding = doing great. All the rest is effort type stuff.

Thank you, so attainments the actual grade? And is that based on the class average or based on standards set externally? I grew up in the states where your grades were set by the class average and weighted accordingly. I'm a bit surprised if it's based on the class given he was assessed when they went back to school and I was told how brilliant his maths were and that he didn't need extra tuition.

You need clarification from the school if ex is exceeding (above where he should be) or expected (where he should be).

EX is expected. Sorry thought it was a standard abbreviation from school to school.

WT is working below year group.

Reading between the lines, I would say he is doing okay- maybe isn't that comfortable talking with his partner and struggles to explain things and talk about his learning but is generally going okay and is where he should be.
I think it is really hard to break it down into such minute detail on a report because children vary from day to day. I don't read anything on there that I think you need to worry about. (Year 4 teacher)

I think the attainmet is based on National Curriculum, not class average.

Thank you wonderpants, that would sound right. He is a bright child, but quiet and moved to the school summer term of year 3 so I think he is still finding his feet a bit. Just a bit lost on how the written summaries say he's doing really well but the actual grid says he's behind. Particularly after being told he was doing really well when they went back.

Thank you rogeutomato, that's what I had thought which would make more sense as I know a number of his classmates have been offered extra tuition but he wasn't and I could square how if he was below the class average he wasn't offered extra help. If it's against a national set of criteria then fair enough.

WT is not at the expected level relative to the national curriculum expectations for an average child in that school year.

It doesn't mean he is below his class average or even below where most students in Year 4 are this year across the nation when you take into account the impact of COVID.

He may be doing very well compared to most other Year 4 students given the exceptional circumstances students faced this year.

Speak to his teacher to understand why she thinks he's WT rather than expected (given its clear he's making the right effort). Focus on trying to understand what gaps need to be closed that you can help him with at home to support his progress.

Speak to his teacher to understand why she thinks he's WT rather than expected (given its clear he's making the right effort). Focus on trying to understand what gaps need to be closed that you can help him with at home to support his progress.

Exactly this. For a child who is making the expected level of effort, any teacher would be completely open to an enquiry from a parent about exactly where the areas of weakness were and what you can do to help. It may the that e.g. they used a standardised test that didn't allow for the fact that some topics will not have been covered in as much depth as usual both last year and this.

Thank you, I sent a dojo message Friday and awaiting a reply.

Ordinarily I'd be worried, but they've had a whole term of remote learning and you've said he's also moved??

I'd ask what plans are in place for him (and possibly others) to recover, and if there's anything you can do at home to help.