School end of year report - rant

[Handywoman]

Hello all, not been here for a while

So, I knew the new national curriculum meant no more levels.

I knew the maths curriculum got suddenly a lot harder and that school couldn't give a monkeys about what that means for my dd2 and....

I knew that the school would probably use this as a nice, tidy excuse for not being able to give me any clue as to whether my dd2 (who is in Y5 with ASD, and who never tells me anything about school) has made ANY academic progress this year......

But, opening up and reading today's report made for utterly grim, depressing reading. A whole list of descriptors for maths, literacy, science with a tick in the box 'below age related expectations'. It's actually the most depressing thing I've ever read from school.

Oh, yeah, plus some bland comments about how dd2 'can be proud of how she has worked this year'

Yes, but has she learned anything in maths?????????????????????? English???????????? Anyone??????????????????????????????

The response form will get short shrift from me.

And it has a section for 'pupil comments' well I'm sorry, but there is absolutely NO WAY I am showing this to my daughter. She already thinks she is rubbish at everything. It would crush her to read it.

is it TOO MUCH to ask for the teacher to tell me what my daughter has learned or got better at, in a year, one thing??????????

I know that I already know how inept and rubbish the system is. But right now I allow myself an evening of ranting, and feeling and drinking

(Off tomorrow, to rob a bank to send her to the local private school which is brill for quirky kids, or to give up work and home ed.......)

As you were............

I feel your pain. Well, in anticipation as I've not had dd2's end of year report yet (she broke up a week ago )

The whole removal of levels, and the new descriptors seem designed purely to enable more of the wishy washy double speak which sounds good without actually saying anything. It is infuriating. I've hated it ever since I asked (wrt dd1, who was then in a specialised ASD setting) what the school could hand on heart, bottom line, point to to say definitively dd1 had learned that year. Answer? "It depends on what you mean by learning" ffs. It was a straightforward question, asked to try to pin down what should be going on her statement (then being drafted). Yet even then, at the point where we were all on the same side (allegedly), working towards the same goal (apparently), all I got was waffle bollocks, and cagey defensiveness.

Its shit. It really is.

I feel your pain. It's a problem for the teacher when the school adopts a set format for reports but she coud have included a hand written description of the things your child can do. It is so disheartening to receive a negative report.
If you wanted to you could access KS2 sat papers free from www.sats-papers.co.uk you can access yr 5 alternative sat papers. Taking a maths paper you could look at it with your daughter and check the things she knows or recognises she's been taught; similarly with Science. Later on in the summer she may even fancy having a go at some of the paper.
It's not what you want and you may feel it's not your job but it is one way of helping your daughter.
Best wishes.

There was a fabulous letter from a head doing the rounds on fb recently. Its aim qas to reassure parents that their kids weren't failing despite what the scores said. In year 5 they have spent 1 year following the new national curriculum and 2 years following the old. The old curriculum doesn't count so effectively they are 2 years behind. As a result most kids will fail to reach the expected standard.

the twins got their reports one was honest thoughtfull well written with posertives and negatives with a lovley summery of all that ds has accomplished this year and how he was really trying hard and it was noticed by the staff, and how we should be proud of his achievements both academically and socially.

the other was a copy and paste job of all the things i would love ds2 to be able to do but he hasnt got a hope of achieving.... fantastic vivid imagination ... he has no imagination ... a great group of close friends... nope - concentrates and listens well in class..... nope works well in large and small groups... nope.

I would take it up with the school but the teacher is leaving not surprised

met ds2 new teacher this week she already knows more about him and the way he likes to work in class than his last teacher (she had him for a moving up session) and has promised to study up on skylanders (favorite topic) over the holidays :)