Prizes

[Neolara]

My dc's school has a prize giving system where lots of kids got prizes for a range of different stuff - doing well academically, being kind, trying hard etc.. Probably about 40 kids out of maybe 160ish in total. Last year, my dc won the prize for best overall academic achievement in the year. This year she didn't win anything.. If it's anything like last year, I think about 10 kids will have won something to reflect good academic achievement.

Now obviously, if dc doesn't deserve to get a prize, she doesn't deserve to get one.. That's absolutely fine. She appears completely un-bothered..

My question is, in my position, would you consider contacting the school to see if there's an issue re progress? To go from being identified as the top performer to not even in the top 10 suggests that perhaps things may be going a little awry.

I am aware asking about this could make me look like a complete nutter and the ultimate pushy parent. Which I'm really not.

To put it into context, I've been pretty unhappy about some of her teachers (e.g some point blank refusing to differentiate) and standards in some subjects (e.g she does not know how to make negatives in French despite being near top of top group). At parents evening virtually every teacher said she was not making expected progress but was still top of the class. Most teachers told me to ignore progress measures because the school was introducing a new system and the staff had not got to grips with it yet so assessment was unreliable. However, from what I've seen, it is seems likely that at least in some subjects the school are not providing sufficiently differentiated work to extend high attainers and ensure they make appropriate progress.

I am going to look like a knob if I ask, aren't I? On the other hand, I've been considering moving her to another school because I've been so unhappy about some teaching. Aaagh. Don't know what to do.

Isn't it quite possible that she has made huge progress, but other students have made even more progress?

What year is she in? Does she want to move? If she is happy and doing well, why would you move her?

Best academic achievement does not IMO mean you are the top student,it means you are the student who has achieved most "to their own ability". Just because she hasn't got a prize doesnt mean she hasn't made progress. I've given the same award in my class this term to my lowest ability child as they have made more steps progress than anyone else and has done AMAZINGLY, doesn't mean they have to be the most able.

Hang on, her teachers all said she wasn't making expected progress? That's the bit to focus on, not the prizes. What did/do they suggest to help?

Ignore the prize thing.
If you approach the school, It's the bit about her not making progress that you should be talking about.
Maybe she's just reached a plateau for a bit? Dd did that in year 8 but then leapt forward in year 9.
If they've changed their grading system it may also look like she's not made as much progress as she should
Does she want to move? If she's happy there, a move could unsettle her progress further

Assessment is unreliable, as are any measures of 'expected progress' so the school isn't lying on that score. The DfE scrapped levels and replaced GCSEs all at the same time so there isn't a system for assessing kids against levels, they definitely can't assess against GCSE grades (although many are trying to) and schools are making their own stuff up which is largely nonsense.

Prizes for academic achievement are subjective too, so you can't take the lack of a prize as an indicator of anything. Perhaps they didn't give her one this year because she had the top prize last year, for example.

That doesn't mean that your concerns about the school are not valid, but I'd focus on concrete things you're not happy about, like quality of teaching, if you're planning to move. The next school's assessment system is likely to be just as crap.

She may also have been second in every subject but different kids have been top in all the subjects she takes so they pip her to the post.

If a quarter of the kids win a prize I would be surprised to see over the course of her school life to see that pretty much everyone "wins" something. It is like being "star of the week" in KS1!

In some schools it can be a bit like pass the parcel, when the music stops (prize giving) who hasn't yet got a prize but deserves one will next get it, if your DD got one last year she may be bottom of the list to get one this year, it isn't always a matter of it going to someone who has ticked all the academic boxes. DD got an award this year for a particular subject but wasn't the top scorer in that subject, another girl who got an award for music was the top scorer, so DD was the next one to get it as I assume they didn't want to give one girl too many awards. Each school will have their own quirks.

yes I agree you are mixing up two issues. I would park the prize giving and focus on if your DD isn't making progress and why this may be.

I agree. Ignore the prize thing, but I'd be worried if she wasn't making expected progress. Do you have targets etc?

LadyPenelope68 What distinguishes "effort" from your definition of "achievement" as you explained it ^ ?

Thanks all - you've offered some helpful perspective. Was having a late night wobble when I posted. As you suggested, the prize issue is really an irrelevance. I guess it just made me think about the other stuff. I've had a chat with dd and it appears she is continuing to do well in assessments and I got her report which suggests teachers think she is making appropriate progress. (Although I have a whole other thread about the report.) I still feel that she is not really being extended appropriately in some subjects and maybe this is the issue I need to pick up with the school.

I think some excellent schools near me do have well developed assessment of progress. I would expect nothing less although I do accept there is a learning curve!

Poor teaching and lack of differentiation, slows progress. This and lack of coherent assessment would worry me. It rather suggests they are not evidence based when considering progress or quality of teaching and learning. I think you are right to talk to staff about whether learning is tailored to her needs or the needs of the class in general. How could she make better progress?

Op your posts are a bit confusing. First, like others have said, forget about the prize thing, that's neither here or there. Second, you said At parents evening virtually every teacher said she was not making expected progress, but you then go on to say in your last post i got her report which suggests teachers think she is making appropriate progress .

Whatever the case may be, this is what you need to focus on and if in the event you meet with her teachers pls don't mention anything about prizes, you will have lost them at that point.