Reception school reports, how detailed?

[Moonbabysmum]

My daughter is in reception and has brought home her first school report. It consists mostly of tickboxes, of attainment, progress and effort, and then lists the subjects. Shes got identical 'marks' in each column.

So she shows the same level of effort in her favourite subjects as her least favourite? Even though the teacher discussed how difficult it is to motivate her for certain things, and also how well she is doing in some areas. Everything is identical.

There are literally two comments which are personalised for her, and that's it.

I wasnt expecting war and peace, but maybe a short sentence on each subject, or at least it jot to look so blatantly like a cut and paste job.

Are my expectations off, or is this below what they should he providing?

@Kite22

It's a setting with a CM and 2 assistants, so more akin to a small nursery. They have about a dozen kids, and the CM takes the lead with the reports (different handwriting).

So no, it's not 30, but it's a dozen, and hugely detailed, with a page written every day, and summaries even few months, covering each heading off the result years Framework individually. I appreciate that may not be the norm, and school is using some getting used to.

hugely detailed, with a page written every day, and summaries even few months, covering each heading off the result years Framework individually. I appreciate that may not be the norm, and school is using some getting used to.

You're right it's certainly not the norm. I think it's a huge waste of time, especially as they're handwritten.

So did you want a box ticked that says 'low effort' for arts and crafts?

Maybe your perception of her low effort is wrong, and it's actually average...and the ones thanks are low are those refusing to do the work...?

And so, you get a report with low effort box ticked...now what?

Any report given out now will be an interim report and tick boxes are standard for this. The main report will be later in the year. At my school and every other school I've ever worked on we only send out one written report per year so a termly report is going above and beyond the norm.

*As others have said, it won’t be her main report. It’ll just be a termly tick box one.

Seriously, don’t overthink it.*

That's sensible. There are lots of other aspects which are frustrating (mostly relating to lack of communication in general, contradictory communication, things (non covid) that have been promised that haven't materialised).

This came at the end of a long week scrambling to find costumes, pound coins, and expecting us to be psychic.

I miss my childminder.

So did you want a box ticked that says 'low effort' for arts and crafts?

I'd love her to love it instead, but at least a low mark would have indicated they'd thought about the grading, and would actually give me more faith in the others being actuate.

Whatever, it's not a big deal. It's just a big change from what I'm used to.

I'm starting to really realise how outstanding my CM is though (she does 3 meals a day as well, including 2 hot meals cooked from scratch). She is basically a child God in my eye, so maybe that's what I need to bear in mind 🙂

I think you're expecting too much

Generally with schools, no news is good news.

You're right it's certainly not the norm. I think it's a huge waste of time, especially as they're handwritten

Completely agree @Whinge

@Kite22

Given its not at the expense of the amazing care that she provides, it's up to her really. I certainly won't complain when she goes advice and beyond.🙂

[quote Moonbabysmum]@Kite22

Given its not at the expense of the amazing care that she provides, it's up to her really. I certainly won't complain when she goes advice and beyond.🙂[/quote]
She's not providing care though is she. She's spending a huge chunk of every day whilst she's supposedly looking after your child writing a page of notes for approximately 12 children. Even if each page only takes 10 minutes which is optamistic she is spending 2 hours a day writing a page of nonsense.

Her approach is fucking ridiculous and not at all what I would want for someone looking after my child. Perhaps it's just me being pedantic but I'd rather they were doing what I was paying them to do and look after and interact with my child.

It’s shit!

I’m a teacher (and a mum!) and the ticky boxes and drop down options have completely taken away the personalisation of report cards.

Our school doesn’t even do them now, just ‘tracking’, which is basically a bunch of meaningless numbers and ticky boxes. Pointless!

Bring back the old report card, I say. I was reading my DH’s old ones from the 70s/80s - almost every report card said he was ‘lazy’. All of mine said I was loyal.

@cansu

There will not be comments for individual 'subjects'. In reception. I think you are pushing to describe areas of the curriculum as 'subjects. Would you describe cutting out shapes and colouring them in as art?? The teachers assess whether your child is meeting the expected goals for their age.

No they don’t At the end of reception they do but no goals for autumn term Guessing independent as state school don’t tend to do termly reporting

[quote Moonbabysmum]@Kite22

It's a setting with a CM and 2 assistants, so more akin to a small nursery. They have about a dozen kids, and the CM takes the lead with the reports (different handwriting).

So no, it's not 30, but it's a dozen, and hugely detailed, with a page written every day, and summaries even few months, covering each heading off the result years Framework individually. I appreciate that may not be the norm, and school is using some getting used to.[/quote]
That is poor practice

Op i get what you mean. My dc1 was very very good at reading. Still only got met expectations end of receptIon. The teacher was clearly just ticking random boxes. I shouldnt have been very surprised as generally the school just doesnt put any effort in. (Every year since it has been exceeding on dc report for reading).
I would just ignore effort marks. Noone else can know how much effort you put in. My dc is pretty bad at pe but actually despite that might have put in more effort than others.
Eyfs stuff is odd dc1 at nursery behind as wouldnt hold pencil in tripod.... But now y4 still holds it strangely as does dc2.
Dc school i think expanded too much and the HT doesn't really supervise well and i would mark them as maybe 3/10 for effort. Things lile only listening to readers once a half term - they usually were relying on parents going in doing it. Really kids learn to read at home as they arent getting enough practise at school.

The push is on for teachers to spend less time recording individual info and to spend more time engaging and teaching in Reception.
Big books are used to record the class progress and not individual progress. We only have two subjects where we have individual books now. The reports will reflect spending less time on paperwork.
Exceeding has now gone and it is about a broader approach for all child having more teacher time.

OP sounds like a nightmare parent tbh. Most schools don't do written reports until the end of the year because 1 in 4 primary teachers work over 60 hours a week. Writing detailed reports for every child every term would bump that number even higher.

OP the childminder has set you some very unrealistic expectations. She should also be moving away from those detailed assessments now to. The new EYFS (that reception will also be using) make it clear we should be fine less written observations and assessments and more time engaging and teaching.
I think you need to chill out a bit

My daughter's report from reception was so utterly useless I tore it up and threw it in the bin.

[quote Moonbabysmum]@Kite22

It's a setting with a CM and 2 assistants, so more akin to a small nursery. They have about a dozen kids, and the CM takes the lead with the reports (different handwriting).

So no, it's not 30, but it's a dozen, and hugely detailed, with a page written every day, and summaries even few months, covering each heading off the result years Framework individually. I appreciate that may not be the norm, and school is using some getting used to.[/quote]
This is absolute madness!

Reminds me of a ridiculous school I worked in where I had 16 dc in a reception class and I had to listen to every one of them read every day.

I longed to ask the parents what they thought the other dc were doing while I was listening to readers for the whole afternoon every single day.

@YellowDots

Madness or not, Ofsted love her. The parents love her. The children love her. Somehow she manages to deliver really amazing care, whilst making at least 2 hot meals a day from scratch, a huge variety of homemade resources and activities etc. I assume she doesn't sleep or something tbh. Her detailed reports do not detract from the care she provides in any way.

I think you're right @Moonbabysmum

If they are bothering to do these interim reports they should be tailored to the child and actually report their efforts and attainment. Otherwise they shouldn't do them or shouldn't do them in that format. Either they could use the tick boxes properly or drop them in favour of a short personalised paragraph or drop the interim report entirely and just do one at the end of the academic year.

(And yes I have worked in early years!).

How do you know they don't reflect your daughter at school? Children often present differently in school.

Also a cm with two assistants and 12 children (4 each) is a very different ratio to the 1:15 ratio in fs.

The Early Years curriculum has changed this year and children are now graded as either expected or not (emerging). The exceeding grading has gone. The most important thing at this stage is whether or not they are happy and settled. I wouldn’t be worrying about how they’re doing in every subject at this point!

[quote Moonbabysmum]@YellowDots

Madness or not, Ofsted love her. The parents love her. The children love her. Somehow she manages to deliver really amazing care, whilst making at least 2 hot meals a day from scratch, a huge variety of homemade resources and activities etc. I assume she doesn't sleep or something tbh. Her detailed reports do not detract from the care she provides in any way.[/quote]
Looking forward to future Ofsted inspections, they won't love her if she continues to provide this level of reporting. As other posters have said there's been a huge shift away from detailed reports, and more focus on providing engaging learning opportunities.