A colleague asks for help with a child's first form report, it has just started at secondary school. It's all gobbledegook to the rest of the office.
The question is: How can a child score (1 is best, 4 is worst)
Homework: 1; Effort: 1; Behaviour: 1; Progress: 4.
This is repeated fairly consistently across several subjects. To me it looks as though the child is trying its best but has no hope of doing better*. However, the child's target ability is described as E- (E-for-excel being the top, and the minus being a bit below that) but its current ability is D (Developing, being the third grade). [For the education of the class: Excel, Secure, Developing, Forming. What was wrong with ABCDE?!]
Does anybody actually know the answer?
Thanks
_______________________________________
*I remember getting a similar sort of grade at school for Art: tries very hard, fails.
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Why is he asking colleagues rather than the school? Did he or his partner go to the parents evening last term? Standard practice to have a parents evening part way through the term for year 7 pupils.
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School reports are obfuscated to hide the real standard of education.
Progress is a delta score to measure achievement compared to last time's or last year's status.
So, if a student is already at top level last time and remained there it will indicate status quo or 1.
Someone who came bottom last time but now topped the class will have best progress score.
Ask teacher to explain the scores.
This is now normally it is done in schools (primary - not sure about secondary).
GD = Greater Depth
S = Secure = this is national target level
D = Developing
E = Emerging
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>> School reports are obfuscated to hide the real standard of education.
What is that meant to mean?
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>>*I remember getting a similar sort of grade at school for Art: tries very hard, fails.
I had 'Has absolutely no artistic ability' on a report.
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>> I had 'Has absolutely no artistic ability' on a report.
History is littered with reports that seem ludicrous now. Look at the famous "Can't sing. Can dance a little."
What a thing to write about Einstein.
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I once got "I thought he'd left" on a report. And Dai Brace, the lecturer concerned, was not being sarcastic. A little unfair though, I didn't miss *all* of his classes.
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"will never be unemployed while the circus is in town - clown of the class"
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It's all carp.
Eldest got dreadful secondary school reports including the likelihood of failing several of her key GCSE's including STEMs.
Totally ignored the fact that she had taken them a year early and got "A" and "A*". Most of her studying was done at home because the teachers at her school were useless and couldn't keep a class in order.
She walked out of the heads office, at 14, telling him to "check his facts" when he said, "You will really need to try harder with your English Literature GCSE! as you are heading for a 'D'! " She got an "A" grade at GCSE the previous summer.
Careers counselling was just as terrible. She was told to aim for being a nurse which she might be able to do if she was lucky.
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>> I had 'Has absolutely no artistic ability' on a report.
Me too. Sport reported me as tries hard but achieves little. I was and remain useless at anything requiring me to hit, kick or catch a ball. I could actually turn up mid field at swimming or cross country but focus was on rugger and cricket.
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My youngest 2, twins, were just 16 when they got their last school reports. They were doing well BUT the comment from their Physics teacher was
"Although they will do well in the Higher Physics Exam they are making a major error in going to University in October. Too young! & I can assure you that failure in the 1st year is a high probability. They should delay University & come back to do a 6th year which will better prepare them for University."
24 years on - The Physics teacher still teaches Physics & takes basketball - a good teacher BUT not so good at his guidance.
The twins walked out with 1sts - 1 is a Consultant Process Engineer working on Oil Projects around Europe & Africa.
His twin heads up a dept on exploration, installation & production of oil & fracked gas for a major oil/gas producer. His judgement on buying cars is not so good - bought a brand new Discovery in September - it is off the road AGAIN - awaiting parts ........did not take my advice on what to buy.....buy anything with a Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura badge.
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>> >> focus was on rugger and
>> cricket.
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Rugger - first year report: "He tries hard but is still too small"
Divinity - "He has attended lessons this term"
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He tries hard but is still too small"
That's what they said about Shane Williams
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So it's not just us being silly. It doesn't make any sense to anybody here. Hopefully parents' evening next month will provide some clarification!
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From a report on my brother: "For a boy of his age, holds too much energy in reserve."
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School reports don't seem what they used to be. In the old days they were works of clever understatement and concealed meaning, compiled in a smoky common room by schoolmasters in tweed jackets and worn gowns who enjoyed the Times crossword.
Now they appear to be compiled by the sort of people who do customer feedback surveys.
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>> Now they appear to be compiled by the sort of people who do customer feedback
>> surveys.
Often composed of anodyne comments selected from a drop down list on prepared form.
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As a long-retired teacher who is probably pretty much out of touch with present practice, I've so far avoided commenting on the issues raised. But undoubtedly there has been a trend to tailor everything to targets, to systems and to pre-determined categories.
The "best" (i.e. most amusing) comment I was witness to was my first "line manager" (they weren't called that then), during a mammoth mass report-writing session in the staff room, writing one word on some unfortunate student's English report: "Chews".
This was much discussed amongst the assembled colleagues and he justified it on the basis that this was the most salient feature of the lad's contribution to the subject.
Last edited by: Focal Point on Wed 17 Jan 18 at 12:49
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Understanding a school report - commerdriver
