How much progress in Year 2 England?

[2cleverlovingchildren]

Hi my daughter is in year 1 currently. She was allowed to take the KS1 past exam paper with the year 2s at her school before Christmas. She currently scored 100(maths), 100(SPAG), and 102(reading) marked by the teachers at school.

My question is how many scaled score marks would you expect a child to make in a school year? What mark would I expect her to achieve at the end of year 2?

Thanks. I have looked at Potential Plus and I’m considering whether the membership would be beneficial.

Not on social media. Only just signed up to MN as was looking for support and guidance.

Have you looked at Primary maths challenge? I'd use something like that to show high ability of your child. There are past papers so worth a look.

Taking ks1 in year 1 will really not prove much at all.

This

OP it's clear exams and results mean a lot to you. I can't help but wonder if the reason you want her to sit SATs early is because there's a chance she won't sit them next year, and you want the official results so you can tell everyone how well she did.

OP you seem to have already made your mind up on this, but another one here saying it's a bad idea to skip a year.
I've taught in the independent sector and have had pupils who skipped a year a year back in primary- even if they are incredibly bright it generally doesn't go well, although I realise your child is a September birthday so wouldn't be much younger than the others. Most I've taught though haven't been academically ahead by the time they get to GCSE though and end up with good but not excellent grades because things even out, they were just early. I always wonder whether they would have done better had they stayed in their year group.
If she is only one year ahead of her age group in primary (ie achieving expectations on SATS currently) then I would say she is nowhere near far enough ahead to skip a year - it's quite possible her peers will catch up.
The problem sounds like the school isn't doing anything extra with her, but this isnt going to be solved by skipping a year.
I do feel for you because my DD is in a similar position with English and Maths, although she loves History and Geography and Science and will happily sit and read an encyclopedia, but I really don't think skipping is the answer. You need to get on at them to stretch her within her year group with wider interests during school time.

She wouldn’t get bored as she’d take different subjects in the first few years then in the latter the ones to get into university. She’d just have more A Levels and a wider range of understanding.

This is depending on a 15/16/17 following your path and without using their own agency.

I think missing a school year is risky, a lot could happen in the LEA/ secondary schools in the next 5 years and if there's a change of management or policy they could then deny your request.

Speaking from a family with 'bright' children (not me, I was the boringly average one) please be careful and don't make a huge thing of it (like taking exams early etc). In my family it lead to bitter disappointment and dropping out when they went off to university and found out that the world is full of clever people and all of a sudden they're not the special one anymore.

To be honest my parents were told by the school that that's what would happen and didn't really question it! There was more of a culture of just doing what the school said in the early 90s I think!

I'm also a primary school teacher and honestly- it sounds like you need to move schools. I've taught many exceptionally bright children and it's a lazy option to send them to a higher year for some lessons. I've never had a problem stretching and challenging bright children who love learning within my own classroom and if this isn't being done, you need to seriously think about changing schools, not year group. Not least because childrens progress isn't linear and there's at least some chance that she won't continue to be so far above her peers for her whole school career.

I agree that it sounds like she’s in the wrong school rather than the wrong year group.

I would definitely look at moving to a more academic school over skipping a year in a failing school.

Some of the comments on this thread are ridiculous! Demanding the OP has a plan for what will happen at secondary/university transfer, and then when the OP says she has thought about it - other posters telling her how deluded and pushy she is for looking ahead

If you want your child to do something non-traditional in education then yes, you do need to look ahead. A relative of mine moved their child back a year so of course needed to check what would happen in the future with secondary transfer and A Levels etc.
One of my children is home educated so of course we have considered what kind of exams they might be able to access in 10 years time!

I have the same problem with my child. And the only thing I can do is teaching her myself, doing all the job that the school should do. I asked school several times, how do they stretch my dad, what they can give her as a challenge, but their answer isn't challenging for her at all and they don't have anything else.
I found that they have chess club at school and as it's something new for her it challenges her(for this year).

But every parents meeting I get very angry, as the teacher shows, "how much" he did this term, where's no his work at all.

I , decided to wait for 11+ so my could get to the grammar school.

Exactly the same position with a year 1 child. I have decided we will move school to somewhere with more children per year group. There's currently less than 30 children per year. We are planning to move to a school with 4 form entry in primary. Statistically there will be more children at/above/nearer my child's level. Whilst our current school is trying to stretch my child I think it would be better if there were more children in the same position. However there's no way I would want them moving year groups. One year group probably wouldn't help and after that then there is definitely a difference in social skills and maturity. They would also be at a disadvantage for PE. I also think that whilst they are advanced now, the gap will get smaller between then and their peers as they get older. The last thing you want is for them to struggle when they're older.

Have you had a meeting recently with the teacher? Could you ask for examples of the work that your child is being given? Even looking on twinkl for example you could look at the maths mastery examples, work on multiple step word problems etc.

My child still attends the highest level phonics set in his class for example even though they are above the level but the teachers ensure that they are challenged with additional comprehension questions, gets them to write out what might happen next etc... when they other children are working on the questions at the back of the book. There are lots of things that teachers can do to stretch children without moving up a class.

At home we do try and do some things though. They enjoy the verbal and non-verbal reasoning books which are a bit different from what they do at school. Chess and other board games are also good for gaining different skills.

I think you really need to sit down with the teachers to check what's actually going on in the classroom and also look into larger schools.

OP your DD sounds similar to mine and we decided to go down the route of an academic private school because I did not want her bored. I agree with you that she should be doing far more and they should be finding ways to stretch and challenge her. Sitting bored for most of the day is going to kill her drive and enthusiasm to learn no matter how much you try squeeze into evenings and weekends.

I also agree with PP that putting her up a year is probably not the answer at this stage though. She is still young and so much can change. Also, from what you are describing, the school are not equipped to stretch the able children. So if she were moved up one year and then got bored, what would be the answer? I agree there is not much of an age gap and she would probably fit in but if the teaching is still just as poor at stretching her, the problems continue. I would be calling around other state schools to find out about spaces, particularly larger ones where there are more likely to be other children who are equally bright. Your time and finances are better spent facilitating a longer school commute imo. I would also contact the privates and confirm whether there are any other options for financial support - there likely won't be but it is always worth asking.

FWIW I do know more than one person who was moved up a year due to academic excellence but all three cases were in the private sector and the move was at Y5/6/7 level, not pre-prep. It was at the stage where they were confident they would manage all the social expectations. 2 of those people took a gap year before starting university and did some work plus travelling so they started in the correct age cohort. I am under no illusion my DD is that bright - I am certain she needs to remain with her cohort as she gets older and I don't think she will stay at the top of her class. Fortunately she is being stretched and motivated to work which is all I want

You say that's she's bored at school but can't ask for more work. It would be far more beneficial for her to work on plucking up the courage to ask with teachers herself - that sounds like something she needs help with. Those kinds of skills are just as useful as advanced calculus in primary school.

If you're worried about her not coping with failure, check her into some football classes which I suspect you might be sneery about as it's not academic. There will be children there who are far better than she is and she a)might learn a new skill and b) learn what it's like to have to work at something.

The above might seem snarky - but I get it. I have a similar aged child who was reading Tolkien in Y2. And you know what? What's the rush? He's happy in and outside of school, yes, finds it a bit boring at times, but school do push him and expect more. Could they push him more? Yes they could. But he's got the rest of his school career and does loads outside of school. Having an easy ride at school is not the worst that can happen.

Is your DD an only child?

@DazzlePaintedBattlePants read the OP's posts. Her daughter already does football.

The point still stands. Find something she's not good at.

I do agree with the idea of trying to find a bigger school where she might meet more children of a similar ability, although there is no guarantee they will be in her class. At some point she'll have to deal with not being exceptional in her cohort - whether it's if you move to a private school, when she goes to secondary, or at university.

Totally agree with you that things even out. At this point brain development is still playing a big role, the other kids might be behind her at the moment but they will start to catch up.

Don't get me wrong, she sounds clever and no one wants their child to be bored. I'd look at changing schools if at all possible.

I'm finding your story quite hard to make sense of. Your daughter (in reception) was in the top 5 ability range of the Year 2 class that she was taught maths and English with, right? Yet a year later (when she was in year 1) took mock KS1 Sats and achieved a score of 100. Without being rude, this does not seem like an exceptional performance. Your daughter is winter born, has been in lessons with older children since beginning school (and thus taught the full sats curriculum) and has achieved what would be a very average score if she was a few months older and in the year above. As an ex-KS1 teacher I see nothing that would warrant moving her up a year.

@GerardusMercator

"Your daughter (in reception) was in the top 5 ability range of the Year 2 class that she was taught maths and English with, right? Yet a year later (when she was in year 1) took mock KS1 Sats and achieved a score of 100. Without being rude, this does not seem like an exceptional performance. Your daughter is winter born, has been in lessons with older children since beginning school (and thus taught the full sats curriculum) and has achieved what would be a very average score if she was a few months older and in the year above. As an ex-KS1 teacher I see nothing that would warrant moving her up a year."

This is probably why the school failed ofsted.

Yes this is correct. She has admitted to not trying in the mocks as she thinks school doesn’t want to challenge her. I know it’s not an exceptional performance and that she can do much better (she had been ill the day before one of the tests and had them sprung on her with no preparation - on the days year 2 had done practice work she hadn’t been allowed into that room and had been kept doing year 1 work - the teachers didn’t know she was to sit the mocks, only the head who hadn’t communicated this and then last minute pulled her out to do them) but the point being it’s still a pass regardless and nobody would question it if she was the year above. She would fit into that class.

@2cleverlovingchildren so are you saying that all the pupils who sit SATs early and scrape a pass have the right to move up a year?

I've read the whole thread as also have a child in year 1 so interesting to hear different views on this. The main thing I take away from this is that the school is not a good one and clearly not the best environment for your child. Failing ofsted would be reason enough for me to move my child but if she isn't being challenged and dislikes school that makes it even more important. Is this not an option? Could you start looking to see if other local ones have spaces? Year 1 is still young enough to settle quickly and make new friends without too much disruption.

My kids (born July and August within their years) are 'greater depth' in all areas. Also a school recently out of special measures if that makes any difference. I was told that greater depth was at minimum working to the standards of the year above. This should be managed within the year group. No children receive lots of targeted prep before a KS1 mock and achieving the average score for a child in the year above (especially if your child is winter born) doesn't seem that exceptional. I'm sure your child is bright but I'm not convinced putting them a year ahead will help them at all.

I’m saying that was her schools criteria - not mine. I wanted her challenged they wanted to move her up for some subjects. She now needs moving up for all subjects. They refuse unless she sat the SATS. Then OFSTED happened and headteacher left. New academy overseeing things in the short term and now they won’t let her do SATS or move up but also won’t challenge. They’ve set the standard and she’s met it. They’ve moved the goal posts and won’t fulfil their promises.

They say there for us is reading for the school as it has too many students who struggle at it. They also have a focus of English writing ans handwriting is ann issue and EYFS. So she’s not EYFS and her handwriting is joined up and good. So all of the schools current focuses don’t benefit my dd

Oops it should say they say their focus is…