What do these grades mean for reception children?

[BottySpottom]

Sorry if this has been done before, but they didn't give grades in recpetion when my oldest was there & we have been given no guidance at all (only for SAT scores and these don't look like SAT scores).

Against each subject is a little bar - partially greyed out and with a number next to it. There is no key, but it looks as though the maximum score, if scored, would be 10. There are 13 subject headings in total and then a total score presumably out of 130. No idea if this is a nation-wide thing or school specific.

Thank you.

Ask your school, ask them what were they thinking giving you scores with no explanation of meaning.

Suspect it is the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, which iirc is a scale up to 9. Info here

Lljkk - will ask them tomorrow, but just idly wondering tonight (very impatient).

Lizs - thanks, that's very helpful. So it is out of 9, not 10.

Sorry, next dim question (good job it's not me being graded!) - does anyone know what the average or expected score for the year is? DC is 6 in Sept so old for the year.

Thanks again.

There won't be an average , it is a scale for the whole of Foundation Stage(age 3-5) but most should score 8 in some areas by end of Reception

It's out of 117. 78 is the average which (theoretically!) converts to 2b at end of KS1 and 4b at end of KS2.

So if you count up the 'a' boxes (achieving) boxes that should give you a total.

Thanks both, but bit confused now as Lizs you seem to be saying '8' is the expected level, but noonit you seem to be saying '6' is the average (presumably if total is 117 and there are 13 sections).

6 is considered average
9 is working above expectations consistently

the dispositions and attitudes strand is considered to be the best indicator of future success.

So if my daughter receives a report saying she is working at the expected level that would equate to a 6 I guess. Exceeding would maybe be an 8.

I would love to have the figures and I have asked for them. Will have to wait and see whether I get them.

My daughter is moving into a mixed year1/2 class at end of reception which suggests she is one of better children but her report as it is doesn't really indicate it.

Hi, just got my son's scores. Didn't even know we would be getting this sort of thing so was a bit of a surprise.

Ours comes with an explanatory letter regarding scores.

1-3 indicates your child is still progressing towards the early learning goals.

4-7 indicates your child has achieved some of the early learning goals in a particular area of learning

8 indicates your child has achieved all the early learning goals in a particular area

9 indicates your child has achieved all the early learning goals and has demonstrated significant abilities in a particular area of learning.

Hope that helps.

We just had the recption report too, the covering letter said 6-8 is good, 9 is working towards key stage 1 (i.e. very good)

We had this at pre school too.

mrz that is interesting about "the dispositions and attitudes strand is considered to be the best indicator of future success." as dd got 8's and 9's for nearly everything apart from dispositions and attitudes which is got 7 for! I thought it was because she is a 'daydreamer' and doesn't concentrate enough! Will be intestesting to see at the end of KS1 and KS2 to see!

bottyspottom we were told that '6' is the average and that should be hopefully achieving at least that in most things.

But surely dispositions and attitudes is one of the least measurable aspects of the reports?

So might not be that reliable a score?

Current research identified four essential elements needed
. Communication and language skills;
? Attitudes and dispositions;
? Social competence and self esteem;
? Emotional well being.

sometimes referred to as Advancement Attributes?.

The Dispositions and Attitudes element is seen as vitally important

Attitudes and Dispositions to Learn
The child shows:
Independence;
Creativity;
Self Motivation;
Resilience.

But how do you quantify those things? It sounds quite subjective yet teachers are expected to stick a score on them.

It's actually a completely different system to that used by teachers in schools and I'm afraid we aren't part of the study so I can't say how it works. I do know it is a longitudinal study following children from reception through to the end of education.

I found the scores useful in knowing what my son is good and weaker at, relatively, at this age. I fully expect that to change though.
His teacher's covering note said to bear in mind the child's age. I think my son has matured massively during this year, from just four to approaching five. He is still younger than some of his classmates were when they started reception though, and is now noticably less mature than the 'autumn girls'.
I fully understand what my SIL said now about it actually being more of a worry having an autumn born child than a summer born one (she has both) - she felt a massive expectation for her autumn born to be in the top achievers, and much less 'pressure' with her summer-borns.
My son's teacher said that six was average and that is what is got for dispositions and attitudes (missed point 6, put attained points 5 and 7). I have always thought that he is broadly average though!

Just to clarify when teachers say 6 is average they mean a score of 6 NOT the actual point 6. Points 4-8 aren't hierarchial and can be achieved in any order so a child could achieve points 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 = score of 6 or 1,2,3, 4,5,6 = score of 6 or any other combination.

If you goggle the EYFS And look up the Statutory Framework. It explains it. In appendix 1 it explains how they should assess and the assessment scales. It lists all the areas (as you have in the report) and explains how it gets graded.

So 1-3 = working below the Early learning goals
4-8= Drawn from the ELGs themselevs (as someone says, not hierarchical)
9= Exceeding the ELGs consistently.

It [framework] is an okay read, and does explain it quite well!!!

By 'not hierarchial' do you both mean that they can achieve different scores in different areas?

OOh good my DD is at level 8 for that and hasn't started school yet !

No I mean (in any area - reading - number - Creative etc) that point 8 isn't more difficult than point 4 and point 5 isn't easier than point 6 etc.

katiestar they aren't levels

I thought they were scale points ? To say they are not hierachical is a bit odd IMO.I mean ,for example ,blending sounds usually comes after knowing letter sounds doesn't it

Page 6 of the EYFS Profile handbook states

"Scale points 4?8
Describe the attainment of a child in the context of the early learning goals.
They are not hierarchical and a child may achieve them in any order."

Point 6 in Linking Sounds to Letters is

Blends sounds in words

to achieve this point the child has to be able to hear the word when an adult says the sounds no written letters required so no need for the child to have achieved scale point 4

Links sounds to letters, naming and sounding letters of the alphabet

which requires the child to be able to match letters to phonemes and also letter names.