January 2016

 Clarify what the national curriculum tests are and what they involve.  Explain the changes in the way they will be reported.  Roles and responsibilities of school.  How you can help your child at home.

Introduced in September 2014 (as your child started in Y1) More challenging, with higher standards expected. Will be assessed for the first time this year – end of Y2 and end of Y6.

 New tests will be taken in May 2016  Small groups with the teacher  Include:  A grammar, punctuation and spelling test  2 reading tests  2 maths tests including an arithmetic test.

2 papers  1 test and questions combined – 30 mins  1 test and questions in a separate book – 40 mins  All children will have the opportunity to take both tests.  Questions get progressively harder through the paper.

15 mins - Spelling test 20 mins - Questions about vocabulary, punctuation and grammar New to KS1!

2 tests  1 arithmetic test – 20 mins  1 written reasoning test – 35 mins

 Each child will be given a ‘raw’ score from the test.  Converted to a scaled score  Reported as working below, expected or working at a deeper level of understanding.  Parents informed in end of year reports.

Teachers will use the tests, and the work children do every day, to decide whether your child is:  Working towards the expected attainment level  Working at the expected attainment level  Working at greater depth within the expected attainment level

  Secure with year group phonic expectations – pass phonics test in Y1 or retake in Y2.  Recognise simple recurring literary language.  Read ahead to help with fluency and expression.  Comment on plot, setting & characters in familiar & unfamiliar stories.  Recount main themes and events.  Comment on structure of the text.  Use commas, question marks and exclamation marks to vary expression.  Read aloud with expression and intonation.  Recognise: ◦ commas in lists ◦ apostrophe of omission and possession (singular noun)  Identify past/present tense and why the writer has used a tense.  Use content and index to locate information.

 Using capital letters and full stops in most sentences, using ? and ! in some sentences  Using sentences with different forms – statements, questions, exclamations and commands  Using expanded noun phrases – adjectives  Using present and past tense correctly  Using the words ‘and, or, but’ and ‘when, if, that, because’  Spelling many words  Spelling contracted forms of words – don’t, I’m, didn’t  Adding suffixes to words e.g. – ment, -ness, - ful, - less, - ly  Joining some of their letters  Writing capital letters and digits of the correct size, in relation to lower case letters  Using correct spacing between words

 Compare and order numbers up to 100 and use =.  Read and write all numbers to 100 in digits & words.  Say 10 more/less than any number to 100.  Count in steps of 2, 3 & 5 from zero and in 10s from any number (forwards and backwards).  Recall and use multiplication & division facts for 2, 5 & 10 tables.  Recall and use +/- facts to 20.  Derive and use related facts to 100.  Recognise place value of any 2-digit number.  Add & subtract: ◦ 2-digit nos & ones ◦ 2-digit nos & tens ◦ Two 2-digit nos ◦ Three 1-digit nos  Recognise and use inverse (+/-).  Calculate and write multiplication & division calculations using multiplication tables.  Recognise, find, name and write 1/3; 1/4; 2/4; 3/4.  Write and recognise equivalence of simple fractions.  Tell time to five minutes, including quarter past/to.

 Quality first teaching in Year 2  Targeted interventions through triage system  Phonics and maths interventions organised by experienced Associate Professionals  Regular assessment and detailed tracking to ensure we ‘plug the gaps’ from previous years.  Focus on basic skills in maths  Golden hour – Read, Write Inc. and Reciprocal Reading  Talk for Writing approach  Additional grammar lessons for all children in Y2.

 Make sure your children come to school....on time, having had enough sleep and breakfast  Talk to us if you have any concerns, worries or would like more information  Support children with homework  Read with your child regularly  Practical learning at home - see our ‘How you can help your child’ guide on the school website  Practise spellings and spelling rules  Help learn 2, 5 and 10 times tables