Content of Primary School Reports

Summary

The requester sought information on how primary schools communicated attainment levels to parents in 2018-19 and any related Department policy. The Department disclosed guidance letters sent to schools but confirmed it holds no specific policy mandating what information schools must send home.

Key Facts

• The Department of Education, Sport and Culture does not hold a policy regarding what information schools send to parents with end-of-year reports.
• The Department issued a letter in June 2019 to primary schools to accompany end-of-year reports for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
• Most primary schools sent the Department's letter to parents, while some used amended versions or alternative communication methods.
• The response included the original email sent to schools and the accompanying letter as attachments.
• The request was received on 14 October 2019 and the outcome was communicated on 7 November 2019.

Data Disclosed

• 2018-19
• 14 October 2019
• 7 November 2019
• June 2019
• 18 October 2019
• 957965
• Key Stage 1
• Key Stage 2
• 43 pages
• 4 documents

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held by the public authority

Original Request

i request a copy of the information provided to parents (whether by letter or otherwise) of pupils in each of the Island's Primary Schools for the academic year 2018-19 regarding the level of attainment achieved by children in each year group. eg, if a school does not provide parents with levels attained by their child other than at the end of each Key Stage, a copy of the letter which accompanies the annual written report explaining that position to parents, or where a school does provide attainment levels for each subject for each child each year, how is that communicated to parents, together with any letters relating to the levels. i also seek any and all Department policy and guidance issued to primary schools pertaining to the same.

Data Tables (36)

Full Response Text

Corporate Services Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road, Douglas IM1 5EZ Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im Our ref: 957965 7 November 2019

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 14 October 2019 and which states:

"I request a copy of the information provided to parents (whether by letter or otherwise) of pupils in each of the Island's Primary Schools for the academic year 2018-19 regarding the level of attainment achieved by children in each year group. e.g. if a school does not provide parents with levels attained by their child other than at the end of each Key Stage, a copy of the letter which accompanies the annual written report explaining that position to parents, or where a school does provide attainment levels for each subject for each child each year, how is that communicated to parents, together with any letters relating to the levels. I also seek any and all Department policy and guidance issued to primary schools pertaining to the same."

In order to identify and locate the information that you asked for, we needed to clarify if the request related to the information which is provided to parents with the end of year school reports to explain attainment levels. You advised: I seek a copy of what is sent home with school reports regarding levels of attainment. Department policy and guidance While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. This is because the Department does not have a policy in relation to what information the schools send to parents with the end of school reports. However by way of advice and guidance the Department issued the Primary Schools with a letter to accompany the end of year reports for key stage 1 and key stage 2.
The email which was sent to the school with the letter attached is enclosed. Accompanying information with end of year reports I have enclosed the letter which was issued by the Department to Primary Schools in June 2019. The majority of the primary schools have sent this letter with the end of year reports for pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2. The information about levels of attainment which the remaining schools have communicated in an amended version of the letter or in an alternative way is also enclosed. These letters have been issued to pupils at the end of key stage 1, key stage 2 and in some cases all year groups. Please quote the reference number 957965 in any future communications. Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post. An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested. In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date. Yours sincerely

From: To: DESC, iCaseWork FOI Subject: FW: Letter for yr 2 and yr 6 reports Date: 18 October 2019 15:55:00 Attachments: Report Letter for 2019 from Dept.doc Hi ,   It was a very simple email that went out – see below.   Kind regards,   Education Improvement Service Department of Education, Sport & Culture Hamilton House Peel Road Douglas   IM1 5EZ Isle of Man Tel: +44 (0) 1624 email: www.gov.im       WARNING: This email message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be subject to legal privilege. You must not copy or deliver it to any other person or use the contents in any unauthorised manner without the express permission of the sender. If you are not the intended addressee of this e-mail, please delete it and notify the sender as soon as possible. No employee or agent is authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of any of the Departments or Statutory Boards of the Isle of Man Government with any party by e-mail without express written confirmation by a Manager of the relevant Department or Statutory Board. RAAUE: S’preevaadjagh yn çhaghteraght post-l shoh chammah’s coadanyn erbee currit marish as ta shoh coadit ec y leigh. Cha nhegin diu coipal ny cur eh da peiagh erbee elley ny ymmydey yn chooid t’ayn er aght erbee dyn kied leayr veih’n choyrtagh. Mannagh nee shiu yn enmyssagh kiarit jeh’n phost-l shoh, doll-shiu magh eh, my sailliu, as cur-shiu fys da’n choyrtagh cha leah as oddys shiu. Cha nel kied currit da failleydagh ny jantagh erbee conaant y yannoo rish peiagh ny possan erbee lesh post-l er son Rheynn ny Boayrd Slattyssagh erbee jeh Reiltys Ellan Vannin dyn co-niartaghey scruit leayr veih Reireyder y Rheynn ny Boayrd Slattyssagh t’eh bentyn rish.   From: Date: Wednesday, 19 June 2019 at 15:47 To: Primary Headteachers PrimaryHeadteachers@doe.sch.im Subject: FW: Letter for yr 2 and yr 6 reports   Dear Colleagues Please find attached the updated letter to accompany yr 2 and yr 6 reports this year. Many thanks     Department of Education, Sport and Culture Rheynn Ynsee, Spoyrt as Cultoor Education Improvement Service Hamilton House Peel Road  Redacted Reda t d Redact d Redacted Redacted Redact Redacted Redacted Redacte d Redacted Douglas Isle of Man IM1 5EZ   Tel: (01624) Mobile: (07624)   Email:   Web: www.gov.im/education   Isle of Man. Giving you freedom to flourish   WARNING: This email message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be subject to legal privilege. You must not copy or deliver it to any other person or use the contents in any unauthorised manner without the express permission of the sender. If you are not the intended addressee of this e-mail, please delete it and notify the sender as soon as possible.   WARNING: This email message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be subject to legal privilege. You must not copy or deliver it to any other person or use the contents in any unauthorised manner without the express permission of the sender. If you are not the intended addressee of this e-mail, please delete it and notify the sender as soon as possible. No employee or agent is authorised to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of any of the Departments or Statutory Boards of the Isle of Man Government with any party by e-mail without express written confirmation by a Manager of the relevant Department or Statutory Board. RAAUE: S’preevaadjagh yn çhaghteraght post-l shoh chammah’s coadanyn erbee currit marish as ta shoh coadit ec y leigh. Cha nhegin diu coipal ny cur eh da peiagh erbee elley ny ymmydey yn chooid t’ayn er aght erbee dyn kied leayr veih’n choyrtagh. Mannagh nee shiu yn enmyssagh kiarit jeh’n phost-l shoh, doll-shiu magh eh, my sailliu, as cur-shiu fys da’n choyrtagh cha leah as oddys shiu. Cha nel kied currit da failleydagh ny jantagh erbee conaant y yannoo rish peiagh ny possan erbee lesh post-l er son Rheynn ny Boayrd Slattyssagh erbee jeh Reiltys Ellan Vannin dyn co-niartaghey scruit leayr veih Reireyder y Rheynn ny Boayrd Slattyssagh t’eh bentyn rish. Redac Redacted

Information for Parents/Carers of Children in Year 2 and Year 6

If your child is in Year 6 or Year 2 their end of year report will contain information about the National Curriculum levels they are achieving in English (reported as reading and writing in KS1), mathematics and science. On-going teacher assessment has been used to assess these levels and the Department of Education, Sport and Culture moderates these assessments, across schools, to ensure consistency.

At the end of Key Stage 1, the range of performance is expected to be between Levels 1 and 3 with the majority of pupils attaining Level 2 for reading, writing and mathematics. This is reported in three sub levels graded ‘A-C’ with ‘A’ being the highest. A very small number of children, who have identified learning difficulties, will be achieving against what are called ‘p- levels’ and this indicates they are working towards Level 1.

To provide a context for your child’s results the table below shows how children, at the end of Key Stage 1, achieved on average, across the Island in 2018.

At the end of Key Stage 2, the range of performance is expected to be between Levels 3 and 5 with the majority of pupils attaining Level 4.

To provide a context for your child’s results the table below shows how children, at the end of Key Stage 2, achieved on average, across the Island in 2018.

End of KS1 % below Level 2 % at Level 2+ % at Level 2B+ % at Level 3 Reading 19.3 80.7 70.7 32.8 Writing 13.2 86.8 71.4 18.6 Mathematics 7.5 92.5 79.9 20.8 Science 4.4 96.5 89.8 27.7 End of KS2 % below Level 4 % at Level 4+ % at Level 5 English
9.6 90.4 39.0 Mathematics 10.4 89.6 39.3 Science 6.2 93.8 44.3

Dear Parent, In the core areas of English, Mathematics and Science, we have focused our report writing on the progress that your child has made as well as what we believe will most benefit their learning. We have also included whether your child is working towards, within or beyond the average national attainment levels for their age group.
Progress The expected progress for a primary school pupil is one National Curriculum level (3 sub-levels) every two years. Depending on their starting point, a pupil can be making better than this expected progress but may not have reached the average attainment grade for their age group. Attainment (grade or National Curriculum level) The average, and most common, grade that pupils attain by the end of Yr 2 is a secure level 2 (2b) but some children will be working above or below this level. Pupil input We have also included a short pupil input section towards the end of the report. As in previous years, once you have received your child’s report you may wish to arrange a meeting with their class teacher to discuss the report. Please make arrangements via

in the school office. SUBJECT AREA Teacher Assessed Grade Speaking and Listening Reading Writing Maths Science To provide a context for your child’s results the table below shows how children, at the end of Key Stage 1, achieved on average, across the Island in 2018. End of KS1 % below Level 2 % at Level 2+ % at Level 2B+ % at Level 3 Reading 19.3 80.7 70.7 32.8 Writing 13.2 86.8 71.4 18.6 Mathematics 7.5 92.5 79.9 20.8 Science 4.4 96.5 89.8 27.7 (Ballaugh Primary School) Dear Parent, In the core areas of English, Mathematics and Science, we have focused our reports on the progress that your child has made as well as what we believe will most benefit their learning. We have also included whether your child is working towards, within or beyond the average national attainment (levels) for their age group.
Progress The expected progress for a primary school pupil is one National Curriculum level (3 sub-levels) every two years. Depending on their starting point, a pupil can be making better than “expected” progress but may not have reached the average attainment grade for their age group. Attainment (grade or National Curriculum level) By the end of year 6, the average and most common grade that pupils attain is a secure level 4 (4b) but some children will be working above or below this level. Pupil input We have also included a short pupil input section towards the end of the report. As in previous years, once you have received your child’s report you may wish to arrange a meeting with their class teacher to discuss the report. Please make arrangements via

in the school office. SUBJECT AREA Teacher Assessed Grade English Maths Science To provide a context for your child’s results the table below shows how children, at the end of Key Stage 2, achieved on average, across the Island in 2018. End of KS2 % below Level 4 % at Level 4+ % at Level 5 English 9.6 90.4 39.0 Mathematics 10.4 89.6 39.3 Science 6.2 93.8 44.3 (Ballaugh Primary School) Braddan School Information for Parents/Carers of Children in Year 2
July 2019 As your child is in Year 2 information is provided about the National Curriculum levels they are achieving in English, Mathematics and science. On-going teacher assessment has been used to assess these levels and the Department of Education, Sport and Culture moderates these assessments, across schools, to ensure consistency. At the end of Key Stage 1, the range of performance is expected to be between Levels 1 and 3 with the majority of pupils attaining Level 2 for reading, writing and mathematics. This is reported in three sub levels graded ‘A-C’ with ‘A’ being the highest. A very small number of children, who have identified learning difficulties, will be achieving against what are called ‘p-levels’ and this indicates they are working towards Level 1. To provide a context for your child’s results the table below shows how children, at the end of Key Stage 1, achieved on average, across the Island in 2018. Data for your child: Subject Area Level Achieved Mathematics Science Reading Writing Speaking and Listening Thank you Mrs L Oates Head teacher End of KS1 % below Level 2 % at Level 2+ % at Level 2B+ % at Level 3 Reading 19.3 80.7 70.7 32.8 Writing 13.2 86.8 71.4 18.6 Mathematics 7.5 92.5 79.9 20.8 Science 4.4 96.5 89.8 27.7 Braddan School Information for Parents/Carers of Children in Year 6 July 2019 As your child is in Year 6 information is provided

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