Writing ELG - pressure to make it harder

[AnonyMouse_44318]

I just need to run something passed other EYFS trained people to help my sanity.

 

I feel (as I'm sure many of us do) that I'm regularly in a battle to fight a "diluted year 1" curriculum rather than EYFS, and treated like I don't know what I'm talking about despite being in EYFS for years, but something happened recently that really bothered me.

 

To cut the issue short, I was given a list of criteria for writing that children 'have to achieve to get the writing ELG'. Yet these are not in the ELG as far as my understanding goes. The two I have the biggest issue with are;

1) Saying children need to use full stops in correct locations.

2) that children need to know "most" of a list of common irregular words and this should be at least 80% of a list I've been given.

 

I disagree with both as the first one (full stops) as this is actually a year 1 objective and isn't mentioned at all in development matters or the ELGs.

I disagree with the second one as the ELG says the children use "some common irregular words". 'most' or 80% is specifically for exceeding which states "many irregular high frequency words".

 

I've explained that I absolutely do teach about full stops, and I teach reading and spelling for common irregular words etc, but that I'm not willing to adjust my marking of ELG or not based guidelines which are not ELG!

 

I'm awful at standing up for myself and let a HUGE amount of things slide and give in to often to things I know aren't right (if I'm honest with myself), but is this something I really should be putting my foot down on?

 

[AnonyMouse_33773]

Something I've never understood is why children are expected to be able to read and write before starting school, in term after their fifth birthday.

[AnonyMouse_73]

Hi flibble, welcome to the forum, I'm sorry to hear you are feeling under pressure over this. What moderation support do you get in your LA? Are there any clusters you will be attending where you can have this conversation?

Have you looked at the exemplification materials as some but not all of the examples there have full stops. Could you show this to your head and ask him/her to show you where it says that they need to write 80% irregular words and have correct full stops? Failing that can you make contact with your moderating team to ask for their support?

The range of samples included in 'expected' is huge for writing.

 

I'm just at the beginning of my moderation journey, but I'm sure Catma will be along any minute with her moderation hat on...

[AnonyMouse_3307]

Here I am!

 

Making up new criteria is one of my absolute top irritations!

THe ELG is as written and is statutory. The exemplification shows writing that does not have punctuation. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/360534/ELG10___Writing.pdf. This too is a statutory document.

You absolutely do not have to be using punctuation to be defined as writing simple sentences as a reception child.

KS1 Writing, vocabulary and Spelling states children should be taught to develop their understanding of the concepts set out in English Appendix 2 by:

Beginning to punctuate sentences using a capital letter and a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark

 

Please share this with your SLT and if you have no joy then please talk with the moderation manager in your LA.

Cx

[AnonyMouse_44318]

Thanks everyone. Catma, the "beginning to punctuate..." bit you quoted was the year 1 target I referenced as having seen so definitely suggests this is too much to demand for ELG.

What are your thoughts on the 80% of a list of common irregular words? I feel that amounts to "many" from the exceeding statement and not "some", which could just be 2 or 3 (but hopefully more) from the actual ELG.

 

Moderators I've had have always put me as spot on, or slightly too harsh. Not the other way round as is being implied by making these new demands.

 

Sigh... I wish I was a moderator, perhaps then my opinion would finally be trusted!

Edited January 25, 2017 by FlibbleJibblet

[AnonyMouse_1469]

I have just had a visit from my EYAT. One of the things she wished to discuss was that the cohort who left our setting in the 2014/15 year have acheived 3% lower marks against the national average for writing and could I give any explanation for this?? The print out showed that there was also a slight dip for moving and handling. Everything else was well above, or 100% ( even where national averages were lower than this.

I could cry...........the children will have been in school for a year when this was done ( ELG's, I assume?).....PSED....100%....no comment..............maths etc, all above.....no comment. I have been advised to buy an Alistair Bryce Clegg publication to point me in the right direction. In spite of being 'wonderfully resourced. I can see writing and mark-making opportunities everywhere in here, so why are the children not scoring higher?'. I could bloody cry, honestly. We haven't even seen an EYAT for over three years. I don't know

[AnonyMouse_19920]

I have just had a visit from my EYAT. One of the things she wished to discuss was that the cohort who left our setting in the 2014/15 year have acheived 3% lower marks against the national average for writing and could I give any explanation for this?? The print out showed that there was also a slight dip for moving and handling. Everything else was well above, or 100% ( even where national averages were lower than this.

I could cry...........the children will have been in school for a year when this was done ( ELG's, I assume?).....PSED....100%....no comment..............maths etc, all above.....no comment. I have been advised to buy an Alistair Bryce Clegg publication to point me in the right direction. In spite of being 'wonderfully resourced. I can see writing and mark-making opportunities everywhere in here, so why are the children not scoring higher?'. I could bloody cry, honestly. We haven't even seen an EYAT for over three years. I don't know

Oh Narnia, I feel for you - as the school must have been aware of the lower marks when the children entered the schools so surely they should have been supporting this in the children first year. We can only provide opportunities to write/make marks we cannot force children to use them

You provide lots of opportunities in different areas of the room for the children to use - perhaps make an adult more available to support this area using different media - sand, cornflour,paintbrushes and water etc (bet you do already) - can't really think of

anything elseBy the way congratulations on the other areas.

[AnonyMouse_1469]

Yup, all of the above. PLUS the teacher telling at least one of the parents that their child is 'incredibly special' as to how they work. My own estimates of where the children were was honest and the mark IS 'only' 3% against the rest of the country. I don't want to blow it out of proportion, but i'm p'd off that we get NO communication from the school itself. None. so, how do you work in partnership to improve things................even on a minor level...................when doors are firmly shut in your face?? I'm slightly ever so sick of this

[AnonyMouse_19802]

Yup, all of the above. PLUS the teacher telling at least one of the parents that their child is 'incredibly special' as to how they work. My own estimates of where the children were was honest and the mark IS 'only' 3% against the rest of the country. I don't want to blow it out of proportion, but i'm p'd off that we get NO communication from the school itself. None. so, how do you work in partnership to improve things................even on a minor level...................when doors are firmly shut in your face?? I'm slightly ever so sick of this

Feel your pain Narnia and your not alone! I constantly get 'stick' from our feeder school reception teacher for what they "can't do" nothing re their good points!! Last year I asked her if she could just give me an idea as to what groups our children ended up in by the end of the Autumn term - nothing! I said this might help us see where we could improve attainment - nothing!

I have just recently asked if we could have a meeting to talk about Sept 17 cohort - shan't hold my breath!!

If you don't get partnership with school it does make you feel rather insignificant - despite all the fantastic work we do to help the children be 'school ready'.