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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Shock school report

122 replies

FakeItUntilIMakeIt · 05/07/2025 13:46

DD came home with her school report today and it is not great. . Some background is that DD learnt diddly squat in Reception as she has a hearing impairment and spent most of the time sat at the back of the class looking out of the window. Grommets at the end of Reception and then Y1 school report said that she was at ARE for all NC subjects apart from reading and writing where she was working towards. I was reassured by the teacher that she was only one term behind in reading and as her reading caught up her writing would as well. Both parents evenings have been positive this year will DD doing particularity well in Maths, improving in writing but easily distracted.

DD received her Y2 report today and she is below expectations in reading and working towards in most national curriculum subjects. She has also not passed the phonics screening check again! This came as a shock as at parents evening I was told she was doing well particularly in Maths (which she is now WT) and was progressing with her reading but struggled with concentration. I’ve asked if there is anything extra I should be doing at home and I’ve been told no. I’ve had to chase DDs school repeatedly as she can go weeks without being home a reading book. We always compete the spelling homework and DD normally gets 9 or 10 out of 10.

My main concern is that DD is 8 in December and is not phonically secure and struggles to read. At her age I was reading basic chapter books.
The is a drop in session to discuss reports so I will be attending that. What would you suggest I bring up with the teacher? What would to recommend to help DD catch up. My concern is that DD is a well behaved polite and friendly girls so she is easy to forget in class.

OP posts:
U53rn8m3ch8ng3 · 05/07/2025 13:49

Id want to know why she isn't bringing home reading books for sure. Where is she up to, why is she so far behind and what are they doing to improve her standards, what are they going to give you to do at home.
They can't say you don't need to do anything then seemingly not bother with her either!

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 05/07/2025 13:53

What books are you reading at home? Most parents in my daughters school ignore the books sent home by school after year 1 as the kids are reading their own books at home.

What was her score on the phonics screening? Did you do any practice at home with her ahead of it?

Pancakeflipper · 05/07/2025 13:54

I would be asking school about interventions to support your daughter. Usually this involves small groups of pupils who need some extra support in areas.

I'd also be asking for exact issues and what action plan/support/aims will be in place for the next academic year and this be reviewed at least termly with you.

Can you chat to her teacher for next year? Can they give you some work yo do over the holidays?

You might want to consider some private tution/support to build her confidence (not to to work her hard)..

It sounds like she's decreasing the gap between her and her peers but just needs a little extra help.

FakeItUntilIMakeIt · 05/07/2025 13:57

DD has had two teachers this year. Reading books are normally sent home on Friday. If I book doesn't come home I message the teacher who then says she will pass it onto the Monday teacher. She then doesn’t bring home a book on Monday I message again and Monday teacher says she will speak to the teacher who she does phonics with as she can’t find it, etc, etc.

OP posts:
Zizibobo · 05/07/2025 14:21

DD also Y2 here. We just read our own books at home. I signed up for The Bear Can Read which really supported her reading. Does your school offer any apps to support learning? I ensure DD does 10 mins of Reading, Doodle English, Spelling and Maths each day or at least 5x a week.

Michele09 · 05/07/2025 14:25

Could you take her to the library if there is one once a week after school to choose her own books.

Silvertulips · 05/07/2025 14:26

Lack of concentration, hearing difficulties, being social, struggling to read, and spell

She needs a dyslexia screening check.

UncertainPerson · 05/07/2025 14:29

My Y2 kid loves graphic novels, would these be a good stepping stone?

RatherBeOnVacation · 05/07/2025 14:29

Also consider screening for Auditory Processing Disorder. My DD had glue ear as a baby and toddler and sounds very similar to yours. She has all the classic symptoms!

CarterBeatsTheDevil · 05/07/2025 14:37

FakeItUntilIMakeIt · 05/07/2025 13:57

DD has had two teachers this year. Reading books are normally sent home on Friday. If I book doesn't come home I message the teacher who then says she will pass it onto the Monday teacher. She then doesn’t bring home a book on Monday I message again and Monday teacher says she will speak to the teacher who she does phonics with as she can’t find it, etc, etc.

I think I would push quite hard on why they've allowed a situation to arise where she doesn't bring home a reading book for weeks at a time. I would also get some early readers and make sure you are hearing her read something every night even if it's not a school book. Does your kid enjoy reading?

Wasitabadger · 05/07/2025 14:41

Hearing impaired individuals cannot always hear phonics. I am a bi-lateral hearing aid user and I cannot hear phonics. With regards to encouraging reading you need to step up and engage as a parent. Find age appropriate books on her interests from the library or make going to a book shop a fun activity. Take time each day (even just 10 minutes) to read to her, not in a monotonous tone, be silly use different voices show how reading can be fun. Use subtitles on television/videos to develop decoding the words.

Hazelmaybe · 05/07/2025 14:46

I agree get a dyslexia screening check. School doesn’t sound great they should be having her in intervention sessions. You may have to work on this at home if the school aren’t supporting her. I have known children get to year 6 and still haven’t made any progress. They just float through primary. If you can afford a private assessment I would get that done. Read to her as much as you can so she is developing the vocabulary and understanding.

Simonjt · 05/07/2025 14:47

Our son has a hearing impairment, due to this phonics doesn’t work in the same way, it isn’t unusual for phonics to fail in children who have a hearing impairment.

What sort of books does she read with you at home? What intervention from medical professionals is she receiving due to her hearing impairment?

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 05/07/2025 15:07

Silvertulips · 05/07/2025 14:26

Lack of concentration, hearing difficulties, being social, struggling to read, and spell

She needs a dyslexia screening check.

I was going to say the same thing. Because its a very broad tree, but finding out may help you see the areas where she needs extra help and places like Dyslexia Action have lots of techniques and advice. If her spelling is good, maybe its not standard dyslexia but they may stlll be able to give some pointers of where to get help.

Maybe also try to find someone to give her a bit of One to One attention, particularly for maths as from the sound of it... she flies under the radar a bit at school. Sometimes children whose attention wanders in class or who are distracted have gaps in their maths knowledge and if those are filled are perfectly capable.

If you are worried, get on top of the syllabus.. eg, get some CGP books for her year. They are very colourful and sometimes they put things in context for them.
I found that having audio books in a book series they really enjoyed really amped up their reading skills, because they are listening to the words, the intonation, their place in the sentence structure. It increases their vocab and prediction skills and it really helps and I think its one of the most important things you can do. there must be so many on Audible or Spotify by now.
If she has to do any projects, there must be a tonne of You Tubes on the subject and you can set to sub titles.. so she can read anything she's missed hearing or can rewind etc.. use all the technology you can.

Is there a phone game for her age group, with instructions that she has to read.. for my son it was Pokemon.. he had to read all the instructions and directions and got very familiar with all the spelling and vocabulary. It also helped his reading and remembering instructions.. If its something she's interested in, she will work it out herself.

Try not to get too worried. She just needs a bit of help to catch up after having the difficulties last year. Children learn in fits and starts and sometimes they plateau for a while, but may have a leap upwards,

I've heard it said many times that not keeping up with reading and writing during the school holidays sets children back a bit.. so it seems like the ideal time to catch up (but make it as fun and lighthearted and as unschoollike as possible) . taking her to a library or similar to pick out her book of the week (plus icecream) Outings to galleries/museums/aquariums and then getting them to talk about them, was also something recommended to me. When they struggle with homework, or writing something I used to get them to talk through what they wanted to say first.. You could do a summer holiday diary, decorate it or press flowers or do it online with photos..music - what ever works to get her thinking about what she wants to say and then expressing it...would also really help her.
Also. Make an appointment with the school to discuss what they are doing to do to support her next year. She had a hearing problem. They should be doing something.

Im sure she will catch up soon. Best of luck.

Poonu · 05/07/2025 15:08

Do you take her to the library?

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 05/07/2025 15:12

Yes! as @UncertainPerson says.. Graphic novels. Great idea. We had TinTin and Asterix, but there must be something more atuned to her taste these days.

TeenToTwenties · 05/07/2025 15:15

Read every single day during the summer holidays when she is fresh, eg after breakfast.
You can buy phonics cards for RWInc and probably other schemes.
Go through these yourself, (we made a postbox from a cereal box, and posted in the ones DD could do).
Do a holiday diary to practice writing.

Has her hearing been properly checked recently? Where was she sitting for y2?

FancyCatSlave · 05/07/2025 15:16

It sounds like an absolutely shocking school. I’d be looking to move and before that getting an independent assessment of where she is and a check for any learning difference.
I know all kids are different but the school sounds completely ineffective.

RB68 · 05/07/2025 15:17

Read read and read at home, whatever sheis doing get her to read it, read with her on books at her level, read chapter books to her that she enjoys even if its all about fairies (Can you tell what I had to do) and she will get there. I had the same doubts at the same age - when she went to secondary she had reading at comprehension at equivalent age 17. Its almost like a light goes on some time between 7 to 9 and they get it - but lots of practice, read cereal packets, signs outside, signs in shops, etc etc

Brickiscool · 05/07/2025 15:18

The phonics screening is a puzzle because it looks bad for the school. At my school the children get a huge amount of interventions to try and help them pass. Every TA got moved onto phonics interventions the two weeks before the test.

So I'd ask the school what interventions she is getting.
Also I wouldn't rely on school reading books. You should be getting one a week. But I'd go to the library on top of that and work through the early readers section.
You could ask the school for set one , two and three phonics cards to practice.

Also I'm surprised school didn't send home alien word sheets for you to practice before the screening.

Michele09 · 05/07/2025 15:20

Who collects your daughter from school on a Friday? Can they ensure she has a book before leaving or if she is in after school club could you remind your daughter each week to ask her teacher.

MargaretThursday · 05/07/2025 15:22

Have her grommets come out again? And has she been retested for hearing?

Ds had three lots of grommets-even if you haven't seen them come out they may have dislodged and be sitting in the ear canal doing no good. I remember after his third set of grommets he was very excited to let me know that sh and ch don't make the same sound.

If she's not hearing then it's normal for them to get distracted and struggle with grommets, so I'd get that checked.
But also, as others have said, read with her, encourage her to read and find books she enjoys. Read one sentence each with a longer book, or just read to her so she can love having books.

FloofyBird · 05/07/2025 15:26

I'd consider asking for an EHC needs assessment if school aren't supporting her to catch up appropriately.

Theroadt · 05/07/2025 15:45

I think reading is down to parents at home reading with, taking to bookshops to browse…every single day. There is simply not dnough time at school. Is she dyslexic?

SENNeeds2 · 05/07/2025 15:54

are you reading with her? You can join online library mail order reading books - she needs to read every day sounds like she isn't.