School report - does this sound right?!

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Year one. Just got school report.

Phonics screening result - 39 out of 40 correct.

Phonics reading level - RWI, moved up to Grey after last assessment in May. (Pretty sure would've carried on moving up if they did another assessment since) Top set in his class.

For phonics and reading on the school report we have attainment and progress at 'expected' level.

Does this sound right?
I am a parent and I genuinely don't know, so not being controversial - just curious.

passing the phonics test is pass or fail and if you pass it’s evidence you’re working at expected. Is the school through to year 6? If so I find schools reluctant to award greater depth as it ties them to needing to achieve that at year 6 to make expected progress in the eyes of ofsted. If they’re borderline they always go for the lower option.

Yes could well be - just having the phonics isn’t an indicator of reading ability in terms of comprehension etc. This is really not something to stress over.

@Hollyhead thank you for replying.
I had the phonics test result with the report and it says 39/40 correct, which I'm not surprised with as on the day he said he found it easy.

But the report is dated one week prior to the actual test, so prob not taken into account at all.

Just wondering what would better than expected look like at this age.

Last time we had school reports we were told that the 'exceeding expectations' grade didn't exist anymore. That DC are graded as either meeting expectations or not. (DD also got 39/40 on her Yr 1 phonics this year)

Should say, last reports were end of yrR, not had yr1 reports yet. Grades may have changed again in the meantime!

Well, we do have it as an option on the report - below, at expected, above.
Our school is pretty bad scores-wise- their overall result for the phonics screening this year is below the national 75%.

The teacher would have had a pretty good idea of how your child would do in the screening anyway. The result is rarely, if ever, a surprise.

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut yes, they prob change often! Lol.
Well done your DD for her screening test result.

Could be. Expected is a very broad range; it's quite a big jump to Greater Depth. Passing the phonics screening is great but if children know phonics they do tend to get high 30s - the scores tend to be at the extreme ends as children either know the sounds or don't.

Our year one reports say the pass for phonics screening is 32. Doesn't say what it's out of, my son scored 39.

One of my children got 40/40 in the phonics test and was expected. I don't think the phonics test goes beyond what would be expected.

It's always out of 40.

This is my understating too. My yr1 also did the phonics test this year. There was a meeting for parents beforehand, the way they explained it was that passing the phonics test is basically bare minimum. The theory is that all chicken should ideally have reached that stage by the end of year 1.

Thanks for the replies.

Just to clarify for those unfamiliar with RWI - grey band is the highest/ last band. And ds is pretty comfortable with his reading and comprehension at that level.

I do accept and understand 'expected' must be a very broad range though.

I’m not a teacher but at the school my kids attended ‘exceeding’ was very very rarely given. I believe this is because if Ofsted see a child is exceeding one year and then not the next they start asking questions as to why not and it causes a level of pressure and expectation that is unhelpful for both teacher and child. It’s really not something to get het up about, just be pleased your child is meeting targets rather than not.

@Flippertyfeckerty that makes so much sense. Thanks.

I hate RWI. Dullest books ever and rigid with teaching! (Misses point). I am sure the scheme was made just so children pass their phonics screening. It sucks all the joy out of reading for pleasure. It's great your child has got to the end as hopefully now they'll be able to get some decent books to read

Exceeding doesn’t exist as a formal level anymore in KS1 as far as I understand. I’m a TA and my teacher told me that a couple of weeks ago.

Yes, we've already been to the library picking more exciting book for over the summer.
He loves reading and I had high expectations for that to be reflected on his report.

Greater depth is still very much a grade. It's only in EYFS (reception) that exceeding no longer exists.

I just double-check for the fact words used on the report -
gradual, expected, accelerated

We got 'expected'.

It's out of 40

Double-checked for the actual words*
(Sorry, pressed 'post' too soon)

The only year groups that have definite ways to prove 'greater depth' are in Y2 and Y6, where teachers have to assess against nationally set objectives that say whether children are working below, towards, on track, or at greater depth.

Other years groups don't have these objectives set out. The National Curriculum just has objectives for each year group (Y1 Y3 Y4 and Y5) and if your child meets those objectives they are 'at the expected age'.

Some schools have made up their own 'greater depth' objectives for those year groups, and will assess against those. Some schools simply say children are 'at' the expected level, as laid out by year group objectives in the National Curriculum.

At my school we removed the 'exceeding/greater depth' tick box on reports for Y1, Y3, Y4, and Y5 as we simple assess against National Curriculum. That doesn't mean you child isn't exceeding, just that there isn't a set way of deciding that. From what you say about your child's levels, then they are on track to be 'greater depth' when they are assessed in Y2 if they continue to make good progress (said as a Y1/Y2 teacher). However, this has been the last year of SATs in Y2, and I'm not sure what will be happening next year with assessment in Y2, so you may well just have to wait and see....