DD2'd school report is in and we have Ed Psych on Thursday.

[lougle]

So her report:

100% attendance (through blood, sweat and tears)

Attainment: B's for everything (in line with National Expectations for a child in that year group) except Reading, which she's got an A for (Above National Expectations for a child in that year group).

Effort: B's for everything. ("Good")

No mention is made of the fact that she's taken 5 months to settle in the class. No mention of dragonflies or the reasons for it.

Lots of very positive wording which glosses over gaps, IMO:

English
'tries hard to concentrate'
'with encouragement will offer an opinion'
'understanding of the main points during comprehension activities is developing'
'she is being encouraged to refer to the text...'
'beginning to vary the style of her writing',
'she must check that the language she uses fits in and makes sense.', 'shown that she can punctuate....however does not do so consistently', 'sometimes writes statements instead of sentences.'
'needs to consistently use connectives.'
'trying hard to form her letters carefully and join neatly'.

Mathematics
'DD2 tries hard.'
'She works with an adult when new concepts are introduced'
'...will then try to continue independently'
'usually listens during mental maths...tries to answer questions'
'being introduced to a range of apparatus'
'understanding of addition and subtraction facts to 10 is improving.'
'has experienced working with simple one step word problems. and is being encouraged to select her own practical apparatus....rather than just using fingers.

Personal and Social
'DD2 has experienced working in a variety of situations but benefits from working with a partner or in a group so she can develop her ideas before working independently.'
'Although she sometimes doesn't follow the instructions correctly she will now 'have a go' and not worry.'

So...I'm going to look like a fruitloop with the Ed Psychs, aren't I?

They'll hear about a child who is meeting 'national expectations.'

Yet, the teacher has been telling me that DD2 can't do x, y and z, isn't listening, etc. She agreed with me that 'Y3 is going to be a disaster'....

Meh. I'm fed up of this journey now. Stuff Holland, where's the plane to Italy?

[RaRaTheNoisyLion]

From that report, she sound fine! Better than fine.

[lougle]

Yup. Doesn't she just.

[RaRaTheNoisyLion]

But you aren't imagining it because you KNOW the school haven't been fair with the 'information'. You know there is more, and you know that they know there is more.

Elephants in the room are still there even if you close your eyes.

[lougle]

To me 'has experienced' is a catch-all ranging from 'has done x,y,z' to 'was in the room at the time...'

I hate how cynical I have become.

[RaRaTheNoisyLion]

DS' communication book always says 'ds did good thinking about Noah and the Flood in RE'.

And I always think 'How on EARTH can they claim that?'

It isn't personal. Bet all the kids got similar. I doubt it's even an attempt at cover up, or even thought about too much. Though not a cut and paste job the reports are mass-produced probably at midnight on a Sunday and the specifics are no doubt too time-consuming to go into.

Add to it the teacher may not actually have any worries about the child (rightly or wrongly) and hasn't even remembered or linked the EP visit with the report being written at the time.

Perhaps ask for a separate report/list/document with all the teachers concerns, difficulties, interventions?

[MariaNotChristmas]

Lougle, you've been spoiled with special school.
This is how the reports are often done. Overview

[AlarmOnSnooze]

Lougle, you need a breakdown of the national expectations for year 2. Isn't the expected level for end of year 2 a 2b/2a? (Forgive me, it's late and got a tonne of stuff going in here, so can't think straight, but am sure it is).

I am not entirely sure, but I think number bonds to 10 are a level 1 prerequisite, aren't they? So your dd2's report does not agree with itself - she cannot be working as expected for a year 2 chd and not be absiyely secure on number facts to 10...

You need to go through the levels and point out where each woolly statement doesn't match up to the expected outcome for a year 2 child (or poor out where t is the expected leve for a year 1 child) and so on.

When I met with dd2's head teacher to discuss her progress I got a load of flannel until I pointed out that my ds2's report was not even consistent with itself let alone with the actual levels being thrown about. I had similar discrepancies between apparent working level and actual levels according to NC levels.

Ask for the actual Nc levels your dd 2 is workin towards - the school have to have a paper trail showing this, and it is information that should be readily available so quick to come by. That will tell you more than the schools own assessment of A or B or whatever, and is data that cannt be hidden behind.

[lougle]

I know, Maria. I do know, but it's still depressing.

I know that reports are positive, etc., but I expected at least some reference to her anxiety, etc., even if it was phrased in a 'hasn't she'd come far...' way.

[bjkmummy]

lougle I share your pain as im in a similar scenario and we are in year 5 now. all I hear is what good progress she is making and yet she is nearly 4 years behind but no one talks about that just the positives - it makes you want to scream and seriously makes you think that you are losing your mind as you believe you are the only one who are seeing it

[Ineedmorepatience]

School reports are crap lougle really they are a waste of a tree.

You know what you know!

Good luck

[AlarmOnSnooze]

god, forgive typos from last night - would like to say it was because I was tired, but sadly it's fat fingers, as always! Still, hopefully it mostly makes sense.

lougle, it is a minefield, and you know schools usuallyl try to make out nothing is wrong until it is well past being obvious.

just keep trying to point out the inconsistencies, and ask how both statements can be true.

[OneInEight]

Sometimes we feel that what is not said on the reports is far more useful than what is said e.g. the reports for my two never say ds is a popular member of the class with lots of friends or works well in a group etc.

[lougle]

Interestingly DD2's says she is a 'popular member of the class with a growing number of friends...' Funny how she can never find someone to play with in the playground, very rarely talks about class mates and has only been invited to 3 parties in her entire school life.

[OddFodd]

To be fair to the school (and I don't know the back story here so feel free to kick me), DS's school reports tend to err on the positive because I think that's what school reports do (and what most parents what to see)

His CAMHS assessment form tells a totally different story though:
'He finds X particularly difficult. He cannot sustain attention for long.'
'He needs substantial amount of support to organise himself and often loses/forgets things' etc etc

Any ed psych worth their salt should take a school report with err ... a pinch of salt!

[OddFodd]

Sorry - the form I mentioned was completed by his CT and provided by CAHMS

[ouryve]

DS1's school reports have always been wonderfully honest. Last year's really was a case of the good, the bad and the downright exasperating - and it was written with warmth. I submitted it with my tribunal papers, as it did a good job of expressing how such an able boy was unable to access a full curriculum.

[lougle]

I wouldn't mind positive and true, OddFodd. But when a child hadn't settled in the class for 5 months and could not even copy a 3 word title from the white board independently because of her anxiety, etc., and has only just started to work independently at all, it seems a little strange not to mention this, even in terms of 'has made recent improvements' or 'has worked so hard to overcome her anxiety...', etc.

She's 'in line with national expectations', yet can't count money, can't use her number bonds to 10 to help her with other sums, can't punctuate sentences consistently, etc., and she's in year 2!

[OddFodd]

I agree with you that 'has experienced' means nothing more than 'was in the room when ...'.


DS is achieving at 2B in maths which is apparently average but cannot use money, tell the time, do any kind of sums other than simple addition and is also in year 2. I've never really looked into this before but looking at the expectations for 2c attainment, they're pretty low so I'm not surprised your DD is achieving 'national average'. And the expectations for 2b are very broad (plus the instructions I've just read say 'To award a sub level then best fit should employed. To award a level then the majority should have been achieved.'

Basically, pretty much any child who has been in school since reception is going to make the level 2 grade. 2c includes things like 'I am beginning to recognise number statements eg 8+6=14'

[Bilberry]

I don't know the levels and expectations but to me the comments suggest she finds it hard to concentrate, needs a lot of encouragement and some one-to-one support at her work. 'Trying' and 'understanding is developing' is not the same as being able to do or understand. The comments don't seem to fit with the levels. We don't get anything as helpful as levels in our reports (curriculum for wooliness excellence) so may be I try to read too must into the comments...

[youarewinning]

Every single report I have for DS says 'developing socially' 'working more independently' 'getting more confident at speaking out in class' every. Single. One!

That's your angle! If it's always developing why hasn't she yet 'got it'. Also it's proof that it takes half the year before they settled and confident enough to speak out.

Also there's lots in that report to back up your language argument - makes statements, doesn't often use connectives, sentences can be non sensical, forgets punctuation. Eg they're language is disordered therefore actually putting it,on paper become difficult because writing is an extension of spoken language.

They have to be positive in reports - it's taking what the positive comments are actually saying.

(Plus that literacy report says the same as my DS's) who is year 5 and he's only working at year 2 level for writing so it may be her literacy is at the correct level - which is great.

[Handywoman]

School reports are a joke. Can't believe I used to take them seriously.

[lougle]

I'm thinking 'what can I say to them??'

The bottom line, for us, is that regardless of whether she has a diagnosible condition or this is just her personality, it can't be acceptable that she misses half of each year (whether technically present or absent) while she adjusts to the new class!
If her report grades are true then it's testament to her intelligence that she's managed to meet national expectations whilst being absent for half the year (100% attendance but complete disengagement without constant support).
If her report grades are incorrect, then it shows the effect that this has on her.
Either way, it is wrong and unfair to suggest that she is working to her ability.
She needs a plan and strategy to deal with this persistent problem and she can't afford for everyone to wait around until someone joins up the dots and diagnoses her.

[lougle]

I've been in tears this evening. I want my girl back. I want her to be content with who she is.

[AlarmOnSnooze]

Lougle, I hope all goes well today. You are doing a great job, and your dd is so lucky to have you. Someone will join the dots, and hopefully in the not too distant future.

Will you have any contact with Ed psych ? Are you able to write notes to be handed over / represent your views at all?

Am thinking of you

[Handywoman]

Oh Lougle the school report probably feels like a kick in the teeth but it really isn't worth the paper it's written on. Hope EP appt goes well. Can your DH attend with you?