Not the usual MN problem - I think the teacher has assessed my child too high!

[redskytonight]

DS now in Y7. Left Y6 with 5b in reading and 5c in writing. If I were being cynical I might think that the 5c in writing was purely to get him into the "Level 5 in everything" category for their stats. It felt like a stretch anyway (he started the year as 3c).

Y7 and his secondary school still use NC levels. Each term we get home a teacher assessed mark and an actual assessment mark.
At Christmas his TA level for English was 4b and assessment 4c
At Easter his TA level was 4b and assessment 4b.

He has brought home his English book, where he is mostly assessed against specific targets. In recent months it's nearly all at Level 4 with a very small number at level 5. His teacher is consistently writing "You need to do more", "You need to focus", "you have not included x y z", "you are capable of doing better than this". Obviously stuff there we need to work on ... but ...

... she has given him 5a in his school report!!! I cannot see how any of his work, any of the feedback or any of the assessments are even close to this level. DS was equally astounded and freely admits that he does not think his work is at that level. I do however note that 5a is 2 sublevels higher than his entry level.

He is definitely having a new English teacher next year so doesn't seem worth bringing it up. Does it even matter? (Am I just being cynical again!!)

redsky Various possibilities here:

1. Teacher had to give 2 sublevels above end of Year 6 grade or create lots of hassle for your son, you, her and her department (probably by giving him "differentiated" summer work that is expected to magic him up to 5a by September despite not attending school and, I hope, spending the summer having fun and relaxing with friends and family).

1. Everyone in Year 7 has to be 5a at end of Year 7 or the above happens.

1. Teacher mistyped - easily done (our report grades are entered by demonically fiddly dropdown boxes and all of the as and cs look almost the same in the tiny font).

1. Your son has made phenomenal progress during the last part of Year 7 and / or achieved outstandingly in his end of year exam. (Do you know his end of year exam. result?)

Has the teacher also written a comment on his report? This may give you some clues or explain how or for what he achieved the 5a. Do you have any literature from the school (e.g addendum to the report) that says what the "pass" grades are for each year, or similar? Otherwise you could drop the teacher an email. Or, as you say, the new English teacher will assess him in September. Regular reading over the holiday is the best advice I can give. (I'm an English teacher).

Sorry not to be more helpful!

Sublevels are made up, they don't officially exist. I'm sure your DS has made some progress over the year he has been at secondary, so why not call this progress '2 sublevels'? It's as meaningful as anything else.

Assessed too high would be that they've given him a level 7 or something. He was a level 5, he's still a level 5, they're not suddenly going to enter him early for GCSE or anything based on that so I'd just ignore it.