lack of progress

[999 mum]

hi,

my dc received their report today and it showed no progress in their literacy. The grade was 4c, i know that the teacher will say that it is a good grade for year 5. but they had that grade last year, so on paper they has made no progress - what should I ask the teacher?

any advice gratefully received, thanks

[Tolstoy]

Pupils should go up two sub-levels each year so if your DC was a 4c last summer they should be a 4a this year which would then put them on target to get a level 5 next summer. I would certainly want to know why there has been no progress and also reassurance that DC was still on target to reach a level 5 at the end of the key stage 2. If DC is not going to hit level 5 then why not considering a year ago DC was well on target of doing so?

[999 mum]

I think the school are only interested in getting as many to level 4 as possible. Literacy does not seem to be their strong point.

[wonderwoman]

The grade was 4c, i know that the teacher will say that it is a good grade for year 5.

4C is average for Y5. Y5s are expected to get 3A / 4C, and as said above an average child should make 2 sub levels progress a year. But you do have to look at the trend across a few years for, as a child may make 3 sub levels one year and 1 the next as they either just scraped in a sub level or just missed out. And some just suddenly take off, others find the increasing complexity of work difficult and appear to stall. And also IMO a child who has achieved 4C in Y4 is not an absolute definite for level 5's in Y6. They will be 4A / 5C, if they make average progress because to move up a whole level takes 2 years.

Was the 4C for reading or writing, or a combined English level including speaking and listening? Was it a level achieved in the Y5 tests or teacher assessment? If it was a test result, did the child finish? What type of questions did they lose marks on? What would the child need to do to raise the level of their writing?
That's what I'd be asking the teacher.

[T12ACY]

Similar thing happened to us in Y5 SAT results. I met with the teacher and KS2 head (who went on to revise the grade up a level and said it had been under reported....)

Defo get an appointment at the school and ask what plan they have to address this.

[999 mum]

Thank you for your comments and advice, I am seeing the teacher tonight.

[T12ACY]

And?????? Am very interested to know if they were able to put your mind at rest....

[999 mum]

Did they put my mind to rest - No!

Was it this teacher - possibly not. I saw the termly progress made, and it showed progress. The grade fell over the summer hols, apparently it is common among children.

I was told last year's grades were on an end of year assessment, whereas this year's results were based on all their work.

I will have to wait to see what his 11+ mock results are like, pity they don't do an English one!