School report - does this sound right?!

[93656188o]

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.

Makes me realise unless I compare his report to someone from his year and his reading set I will be comparing two different things.
@LilyMyOneAndOnly

Year 1 teacher here also and was going to type out something similar. Ask your child’s teacher what they need to work on to have achieved GDS. The phonics screening score is largely irrelevant when assessing for GDS. It’s comprehension that’s more of a factor, plus things like reading expressively. We give our potential GDS children Year 2 SATs reading tests and if they score around half or more as expressive competent readers then it’s a good indication they’re working as GDS. The Paper 2s are really quite challenging! Some children are fluent readers but when you focus on comprehension they struggle to answer even the most basic questions or they’re fluent but monotone readers no matter how much you model expressive reading to them. We awarded 6/60 children GDS.

My son is at ‘greater depth’ for Year 1, he came off the reading scheme a few months ago as his (amazing) school recognised that he’s a sight reader and just cannot grasp phonics but can read fluently, they moved him into a comprehension group which is five students mixed from Year 1 to Year 3 and he’s doing great there. He didn’t do the phonics screening.

@Sunshinebuttercupsrainbows sounds like a great school.

He will have done the screening. There are only a very few exceptions such as selective mutism.

@WGACA it’s an independent special needs school, they don’t have to do it.

Exactly, and you even need the same teacher doing the grading! We have two year 1 teachers and there seems to be difference even between them with gradings!

Ah ok sorry! Yes independent schools don’t have to do it (the lucky things!)

@WGACA honestly the whole “not having to follow the rules” approach to teaching is the only way my DS is learning so I’m very grateful 😂 it makes me sad that state education is so disgustingly underfunded that it can’t be adaptive like this as so many children would benefit.

It’s bizarre how the levels work. Dd 10 is grade 5 on her instrument, grade 5 theory and can write basic composition. She got expected for music 😳
Her twin swims at county level and plays club hockey and athletics, she’s a brilliant athlete, also expecting in PE. So who knows!

My daughter has just failed her phonics screening test.
She has a number of the CGP workbooks, pitched at Y2, which she happily takes herself off to complete alone.
I think there’s is an issue there with phonics but it doesn’t seem to impact her comprehension levels.
I wonder if she’s the same as your son.

She’s just brought me some to mark and you can clearly see her reading level is good but she failed abysmally at the phonics screening 🙈

I have a child working two years above. They got exceeding because they are. However they had to pass the year two Sats papers at over 110 as proof.
Expected is what is required. In reality it’s a really wide breath and I preferred 1C,1B and 1A but what would I know , I’m only the teacher!!!!!

@GrinAndVomit oh bless her, but if she’s reading and comprehending then sod phonics, she’s doing great!

Thank you! I’ve not even told her about the phonics screening result.
She’s lovely and daft and clearly a little unusual in her learning.

We get every year's reports back to look at again with the current years report. I've just flicked through and ds had no "greater depth" scores in year one then gradually built up over the years. I think they can be reluctant to give it early on as they then have to explain it if it isn't maintained.

Also, the "evidence" you offer is all very much about the mechanics of reading. For greater depth they will be looking at a much deeper engagement and understanding of texts that goes beyond being able to read it and answer questions about it.

Getting 40/40 on the Phonics screen can’t be an indication of GD as it only includes ‘Expected’ sounds if you see what I mean. There are no sounds on there that a Year 1 shouldn’t know (in the eyes of the powers that be…) - if you know all of the Year 1 sounds you should pass it 40 out of 40. To access GD with the Phonics screen we’d have to include some Year 2 sounds as well (please NO!!!! 😂)

To the PP who said that most children score highly - this is simply not the case in all schools. My children typically do not.

Well done to your DS for having such a fab school year OP!