Ok, I have parent's evening this week...

[NewBlueCoat]

...help me be coherent, please!

It's for dd2. She would appear to be simultaneously scoring age appropriate (when levelled against end of year targets, so, erm, actually a bit ahead then ) or comfortably ahead (ie achieving end of year 3 levels when half way through year 2) and being marked either 'achieving averagely' or 'struggling' across core areas.

I had a meeting today where I pointed this out. It was acknowledged, but I just got a lot of flannel as to why it had happened.

PLease help me avoid parent's evening being a waste of time.

WHat can I ask that they can't wriggle out of? I am so crap at this, as of course to complain that her report doesn't reflect her achieving so far ahead is, well, a bit wanky, tbh. but it would appear to show a whacking great gap between potential and performance.

i am so fed up with it all, and just want to trust the school are doi g the right thing, but they aren't, are they? because there is this huge discrepancy between levels and performance.

I normally use my 10 minutes of parents evening to look at ds's work, smile and nod politely.

In my experience you don't really get enough time to discuss anything in detail.

Personally I would take the opportunity to look at ds's work to see whether the levels being given matched.

Oh gosh, yes, been there in Y3 with dd2.

Her levels were starting to look sluggish, reading comprehension a disaster, crying during spelling tests and demanding silence, struggling with mathmatical concepts. In the same report it described a girl who was mature, calm, taking responsibility for her own learning and very self directed. I was which one is it????

There followed some muttering, and during the consultation the teacher reeled off a load of far-off-in-the-distance targets for her to aim for. Me and exH sat there dumbfounded and went 'yeah, she's nowhere near ready to do that' then the teacher nodded sagely in agreement. Then after ten minutes of this we went home.

Doesn't instil a lot of confidence. Whatever you say there will be a million reasons why it is justified.....

no advice, but lots of sympathy. If you find a way through, do let me know

Thanks, I know you're right. 10 minutes isn't enough, but it's all I've got.

I had a meeting today with the Head (previous meetings with class teacher proving fruitless) to discuss where she started off 'well, dd2 is age-appropriate or higher in core subjects so not sure what the issue is'. And when I pointed out that the schools internal reporting was putting her at 'struggling and in need of improvement' and that the two results were not compatible she agreed and told me not to set too much store by NC levels

We talked it through, and surprisingly nothing was resolved... Now I have to talk to the class teacher who has given her the reports of 'struggling' while she is apparently achieving YR3 NC levels...

I know her school is a ridiculous high achieving prep, but I can't believe that scoring 18 months ahead of chronological age can give a 'struggling' result when compared to the rest of her class/year.

Just ask the question and remember the answer. It will be bollocks that will look stupid written down so writing down express continued confusion and ask if you have understood correctly. That should get them to pay attention.