another school report question

[cluttered]

Hi, my son has just got his Year 5 report but unlike many schools we haven't received any actual levels. Could anybody help me with an interpretation of the phrases: working at the expected level, working just/a little beyond and working beyond the expected level?

The last one refers to his maths where I heard he achieved just off a 5b in the last SATs test although we weren't told officially. So I am assuming he will be high level 5 by the KS2 SATs, which is excellent progress from his 2a in KS1 SATs.

However he is working just beyond the expected level at literacy which I am thinking may equate to 4a in KS2 SATs which is not such good progress from his level 3 in KS1 SATs. Or would the expected level for his age refer to anything on target for level 4 in KS2 so he may still get level 5? It's a bit strange in our school because the reports just get handed out with no opportunity for discussion unless you specifically seek it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

4b is the expected i Y6, but on our reports if they're working at a 4c-4b it counts as expected level for Y5 cohort.
3c at Y2, 4c at Y4, 5c at Y6 is OK progress,
So at a 4a in Y5, he's doing OK and has made acceptable progress.

Thanks Goblinchild, so it seems like just beyond the expected level would be 4a so he is on target for level 5.

Is "beyond the expected level" with no qualifier, code for level 5 in year 5 then? As I said I am fairly sure he is already level 5 in maths.

We have expected levels for our Yr 5's as

Below average less than 3b
Average 3a/4C
Just above average 4B/4a
Above average 5+

but, as you say, we would expect rather more of children level 3 at the end of yr 2!

Level 5 in arithmetic is usual. Level 5 in reasoning and applying is less so.

Do the SATs test reasoning and applying to any great extent or just mainly focus on arithmetic? Could you please give me an example of reasoning and applying, is it knowing how to tackle a problem that is set out in words rather than as a sum?

I think one reason for DS's relative lack of progress in literacy may be his loss of interest (until lately) in reading. I received rather mixed messages from the school in that through reception and year 1 I really encouraged him to read at home but was then basically told I was being too pushy and would put him off reading! So I backed right off and left the choice of whether to read at home completely up to him, but then at end of Year 4 was told his progress was much less than in Maths so started trying to get him enthused again. Finally he has developed his own love of reading and is begging me for books to read, currently reading To Kill A Mockingbird. So hopefully he is back on track again.