Yr 7 mid year reports - any point?!!
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Tense
Sound very similar to my Ds's first Y7 report (although his had...Target Level- Achieved level - Approach - Conduct - Homework
Levels were 'NC Levels' and the other three were marked 1-5.... apparently any child with a 4 or 5 on the report had a meeting with the form tutor and their parents.
There was a similar report in March and then a very lengthy one in June, running to 4 pages.
Sound very similar to my Ds's first Y7 report (although his had...Target Level- Achieved level - Approach - Conduct - Homework
Levels were 'NC Levels' and the other three were marked 1-5.... apparently any child with a 4 or 5 on the report had a meeting with the form tutor and their parents.
There was a similar report in March and then a very lengthy one in June, running to 4 pages.
I have just found my DSs "report" in his blazer pocket. Apparently it was given to him in an assembly at the end of term. It is just a sheet of paper and was not in an envelope. I have not had to sign for it therefore he had never given it to me I would not have known.
All it gives is a list of his targets and his actual scores - again these range from 2A to 6A. I have no idea what these scores mean. There is nothing about his effort or conduct in class or about him as a person. I am very disappointed in the school for this. Becuase they were not sealed the boys have all compared their scores. My DS is unhappy because he feels that he has not done very well and certainly doesn't understand the 2A especially when a friend of his in another class (with different teacher) has a 4A and they are of similar standard in this subject. He tells me that he has the highest targets of all his peers and says that he is not able to reach these targets because they are too high.
I am furious that at 12 years old he is even having to think like this.
Sorry for my rant but just needed to get it off my chest.
All it gives is a list of his targets and his actual scores - again these range from 2A to 6A. I have no idea what these scores mean. There is nothing about his effort or conduct in class or about him as a person. I am very disappointed in the school for this. Becuase they were not sealed the boys have all compared their scores. My DS is unhappy because he feels that he has not done very well and certainly doesn't understand the 2A especially when a friend of his in another class (with different teacher) has a 4A and they are of similar standard in this subject. He tells me that he has the highest targets of all his peers and says that he is not able to reach these targets because they are too high.
I am furious that at 12 years old he is even having to think like this.
Sorry for my rant but just needed to get it off my chest.
2stressed,
This may be an interim report - I'm surprised you were not aware that it was due as most schools put the date of issue of these on the school calendar. Perhaps you could suggest this to the school if not?
Have you had a Parents Evening yet? If so presumably the teachers talked to you about how well your son has settled in.
Why don't you write to the school and ask for an explanation of the levels? Sometimes they are ased on a specific piece of work rather than an overall level - these can give 'strange' results as I know by looking at my DC's levels which certainly didn't always match with their strongest subjects!
Hope this helps -
This may be an interim report - I'm surprised you were not aware that it was due as most schools put the date of issue of these on the school calendar. Perhaps you could suggest this to the school if not?
Have you had a Parents Evening yet? If so presumably the teachers talked to you about how well your son has settled in.
Why don't you write to the school and ask for an explanation of the levels? Sometimes they are ased on a specific piece of work rather than an overall level - these can give 'strange' results as I know by looking at my DC's levels which certainly didn't always match with their strongest subjects!
Hope this helps -
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Yes it was for Spanish.
Thank you for your replies. The idea of the text message is a good one or posting it on the website. I think I am going to contact the school and see if that is possible.
I have calmed down a bit now - I just didn't what to be cross about first this morning a) finding it in his blazer two weeks after he had been given it, b) the lack of personal comments or c) the fact that it is all seems meaningless as I have no idea what marks he should be getting.
This parenting lark is hard sometimes - I now realise the 11+ was the easy bit
Thank you for your replies. The idea of the text message is a good one or posting it on the website. I think I am going to contact the school and see if that is possible.
I have calmed down a bit now - I just didn't what to be cross about first this morning a) finding it in his blazer two weeks after he had been given it, b) the lack of personal comments or c) the fact that it is all seems meaningless as I have no idea what marks he should be getting.
This parenting lark is hard sometimes - I now realise the 11+ was the easy bit
Just to say, I am finding it incredibly hard understanding what is going on ( Yr8 ) at school with grades and interim reports and half yearly reports.
I won't mention their name, but they know who they are, I have contacted a Forum Member a couple of times asking for explanations for a 'numpty' parent - so may I join your gang - "those that are pleasantly confused by school grades".
In primary school, KS2 meant getting a Level 4 is what our kids are expected to achieve as set by the government, anything above that is good and a 5a is currently the top they can achieve so if your child is getting near that - all is very well.
Our school tell us what the child is expected to get based on KS2, what they have achieved to date, what they should be on, what they ought to reach next year, whether they are on target for this, what they might achieve if they carry on as they are now......
In my DS schools' favour, I have emailed his Head of Student Progress or something similar and received a prompt reply - of which I still don't really get. I will wait til after the end of year exams and if I am still a numpty I will then book an appointment with the head of year and get a real explanation in laymen terms of where we are and how we can help our DS or admire his fantastic results
I keep thinking that when 'I get it' it will become a complete revelation and I will wonder why I couldn't see it in the first place.
Let's all hold hands and do a group hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Ambridge
PS We started the school in Yr 8 and did Yr 7 at a prep school so I feel like I am a Yr 7 parent!!
I won't mention their name, but they know who they are, I have contacted a Forum Member a couple of times asking for explanations for a 'numpty' parent - so may I join your gang - "those that are pleasantly confused by school grades".
In primary school, KS2 meant getting a Level 4 is what our kids are expected to achieve as set by the government, anything above that is good and a 5a is currently the top they can achieve so if your child is getting near that - all is very well.
Our school tell us what the child is expected to get based on KS2, what they have achieved to date, what they should be on, what they ought to reach next year, whether they are on target for this, what they might achieve if they carry on as they are now......
In my DS schools' favour, I have emailed his Head of Student Progress or something similar and received a prompt reply - of which I still don't really get. I will wait til after the end of year exams and if I am still a numpty I will then book an appointment with the head of year and get a real explanation in laymen terms of where we are and how we can help our DS or admire his fantastic results
I keep thinking that when 'I get it' it will become a complete revelation and I will wonder why I couldn't see it in the first place.
Let's all hold hands and do a group hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Ambridge
PS We started the school in Yr 8 and did Yr 7 at a prep school so I feel like I am a Yr 7 parent!!
Working in a secondary school myself , I can see why parents are so confused about these half termly grade sheets - as teachers ,we were, when we first asked to produce them. They are a relatively new phenoma which are used by the school to prove to Oftsed they are 'tracking' progress, and that pupils are aware of their current attainment levels and what they are forecast to get by the end of yr 9. If the pupil fails to achieve this end of yr 9 forecast grade, the school will be deemed to have failed the child .
They are in ADDITION to the annual school report and parents evening.To be honest, I wouldn't attach much importance to these levels as they are often decided upon in a rush - more of a box ticking exercise for the school to cover itself rather than of any real meaning/benefit for your child. Parents evenings and full school reports will give you the true picture.
They are in ADDITION to the annual school report and parents evening.To be honest, I wouldn't attach much importance to these levels as they are often decided upon in a rush - more of a box ticking exercise for the school to cover itself rather than of any real meaning/benefit for your child. Parents evenings and full school reports will give you the true picture.
Is my daughter's school the only one that doesn't publish targets? The only targets published are general ones, applied to all the girls. I have no idea what my DD is expected to achieve.shana Lewis wrote: They are a relatively new phenoma which are used by the school to prove to Oftsed they are 'tracking' progress, and that pupils are aware of their current attainment levels and what they are forecast to get by the end of yr 9. If the pupil fails to achieve this end of yr 9 forecast grade, the school will be deemed to have failed the child .