Making sense of the School Report - Attainment Scores

Now that your child's year-end report has arrived, how prepared are you to understand it? In preparation, the school should have answered the following questions:

1. What is the name of the in-school assessment? The school may have purchased the assessment, or the teacher may have created it. Consider the difference between the two.

2. When were the assessments completed? For example, a March test results included in the report present the obvious question - Why has my child's development not been included until the end of May?

3. Is my child attaining a low, average or high score in comparison to their class and in comparison to national standards?

We live in a world driven by numbers. Confusion will continue if we do not understand how assessment scores are derived and related to our children.

So what do the letters A to E on your child's report card actually represent?

Generally, A-E school report grades mean:

A = Outstanding

The child has a very high level of competence, knowledge and understanding of the content at their year level.

B = Good

The child has a high level of competence, knowledge and understanding of the content at their year level.

C = Sound or satisfactory

The child has a sound level of competence, knowledge and understanding of the content for their year level, and learning is on track.

D = Basic

The child has limited competence, knowledge and understanding of the content at their year level. This means they are below the standard expected.

E = Very low

The child has a minimal level of competence, knowledge and understanding of the content at their year level. Evidence of learning demonstrates very limited achievement at this year level. This means they are well below the standard expected.

Parents need to interpret the information in the report so you can determine your child's strengths and work out how their learning is progressing and what areas they're having difficulty in. This may involve having a discussion with your child or a follow-up meeting with your child's teacher.

We support all students, including gifted students using various strategies to enhance their learning experience. A free 20-minute consultation is available to discuss whether we are a good fit to support your child.

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