School reports

[mintyneb]

DD is in yr7. We've just been sent the 1st of 3 reports we'll get this year. It basically contains a 'working at' grade, a predicted GCSE grade (well one set based on her SATS results and one based on how she is working now) and an effort level for each subject. Comments won't be added until the last report.

Is this pretty typical for secondary school reporting? Just trying to settle in to a new way of doing things since moving from primary.

We don't even get comments later! Just a termly table of coded numbers and letters.

Yes that's what we get too.

They all vary - neither of my DC's schools doesn't give GCSE targets until Key Stage 4, but both have some form of "target" and a "working at" level.

Don't get too hung up on the reports, though. My eldest DC's levels have always fluctuated - for example, his English level actually appeared to be a whole level lower at the end of last year, compared to the start, which caused a panic in our house, but now he's been targeted a GCSE 8??? No idea how they calculate it.

Is this pretty typical for secondary school reporting?

It is at mine. It's also nonsense. Predicting GCSE results in Y7 is just silly.

Yep, same here. It's really of little value beyond a set of numbers.

Thanks all. So it's all pretty standard then.

At the minute I'm more interested in the effort she's putting in than what grade she might be getting in 5 years time!

The accompanying email to the report says if you have any queries about the grades to contact the teacher concerned. I might do that on one of the subjects just to try and understand what it is she's struggling with

That's exactly how my ds school do it.

They get a homework grade and effort grade.

In year 7 they got a progress score grade as well.

Yeah this is what we do, just numbers and no comments.

With hundreds of pupils in each year the teachers just don't have time to write comments. The reports sound the same as those DD used to get. I think it is pretty standard.

Same here except we also get a mark for homework.
No comments at all except something very bland from the form tutor (and last report that comment was what a great year DS had had - although half his teachers had said he was making no effort and his work was a cause for a concern )

We get termly reports containing figures for achievement (significantly above, above etc.) and effort. No targeted grades as the whole school is working towards 7-9 grades. Then once a year we get a very detailed written report with each subject teacher writing a long paragraph about DDs strengths and weaknesses. The form tutor also has meetings with each child to discuss their report each term and we have the usual annual parents evening.

PerspicaciaTick how big is the school? At DD's school there are about 270 - 300 students in each year. Writing detailed reports for each student would mean that the teachers had no time to do any teaching.

150 in each year group.

We get monthly crap sent out with the target, working and predicted grades.

I ignore them as they have never reflected what DC's have achieved in the actual exams.

Interestingly DD's reports were pretty accurate. She underperformed in one GCSE by one grade, and more or less got the grades she was predicted. She also achieved her predicted grades at A level.

DD was predicted C's at nat5 in 3 of her subjects. She got A's. She was predicted D for one, she pulled a B.

DS was predicted B's for all, he got A's.

DS has working grade C or below atm, despite finishing his work in half the class time and constantly having to wait for the class to catch up. He is always 90% or above in tests.

I do feel school make these grades lower to try and boost the pupils a bit, but I laugh a bit when I see DS's reports

Yes, it sounds pretty normal. That is what my youngest two DDs have had throughout their secondary school careers. A couple of very generic and impersonal "progress reports" followed later in the year with a more detailed one containing the teachers comments and observations.

No predicted grades at our school until Year 10. What's the point? We just get an attainment grade and an effort grade ie: B/V, B for level, and V for Very Good. Other effort grades might be E, G, S or U. We also get a full report at the end of the year, after exams, with % attained, average % for year, and comments from each teacher.

We get the same, but no comments ever. I'm OK with it, our school has very good communication with teachers so you can ask for more info if needed.

I don't mind the flightpath predicted grades. I realise they are very rough and ready in KS3, even more so right now when we have only had 1 full year for the new GCSEs. I like them as it gives me some idea that DD is 'doing fine, expect to pass', 'borderline pass', 'we need to intervene' (or theoretically 'doing great', but DD doesn't have any of those).

Plus also, when picking GCSEs in y9 (or even y8) you may well want to take current predicted grade into account. e.g. 'Should I do French or Drama - I like them both' - Knowing French is predicted 6/7, Drama predicted 2/3 gives valuable info I think.