Help from any Scottish teachers!

[fortuneofthefearless]

Hi all!

Just need to reach out and see if there are any Scottish teachers who feel the same way as I do.

Once again we are at the end of the year and it's time to asses. Once again I have been unable to get through the whole curriculum but have taught a large proportion of it and I am assessing and having to use teacher judgement to decide who is passing 1.1/1.2/1.3.

I am finding that precious staff have been, to put it bluntly, coerced into passing children who were clearly not ready for their next level because of how it would look on attainment data figures at council and government level.

I have a group of children I am reluctant to pass. On paper they are the model pupils, lovely jotters, give 100% etc, but they're just not ready. I have a suspicion they were not ready last year but the support given at middle first level has kept them going. Now all of that is being removed to set up for a more independent p4 year, they are now flagging up as concerns.

All I do every year is panic and worry that I'm going to be blamed and criticised for not having a high enough attainment figure in my class across maths and literacy, especially literacy. I'm finding that when you compare children who have passed certain levels, they have been passed at e.g. primary 2 or primary 3 level, yet are reading a stage 5/6 ORT book and have a reading age that is less than 6m to over 1 year below chronological age.

It just makes absolute no sense to me anymore. I don't know what's expected of me. I'm disheartened and worried about not passing them incase I'm hauled over hot coals, but equally worried not to because it would do the children a complete disservice.

Thoughts/feelings/suggestions please?

Thanks! 😊

Sigh. This happens a lot in England too! Especially when children move between Key Stages - at then end of EYFS and at the end of Year 2 (your P3). It’s frustrating and annoying but I have always bitten the bullet and been honest in my assessments. At the end of the day it doesn’t help the child if they are having difficulties that aren’t picked up. In my school we have three data points though so this would be picked up before the end of the year. If you have assessments to back up your judgements you should use these as evidence. Pardon my ignorance if the Scottish system is very different. I just look at it as doing my best for the child and their receiving teacher.

I completely agree, it's about ensuring the best path is chosen for the child. We also have 3 assessment points, unfortunately some of mine are really only showing now as a lot of the end of year scaffolds are being removed and it's telling. I also find that even though there are assessment blocks, sometimes I feel like I'm assessing different groups at the wrong time etc. It's all just a bit of a mess to be honest. Kids being passed into this stage with a reading age of 6.5 and reading books below a standard year 2 level? It just makes no sense to me .