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Fury over Harry Potter and the KS1 Sats
Primary teachers are shocked and concerned about new official reading assessment guidance that includes a real example of a six- or seven-year-old reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
The guidance issued by the Standards and Testing Agency, which administers the Sats tests and assessments, states that the child, “Pupil H”, would be assessed as working at greater depth within the expected standard because she could read words such as “international magical co-operation” without any hesitation, and used phonics and morphology to read unfamiliar words such as “consignment” and “Transylvanian”.
But teachers on Twitter expressed concern that not only did the standard seem “totally unrealistic”, but that the content of the book, which was released as a 12A certificate film, was inappropriate for young children.
Totally unrealistic for a 7 year old (real or imaginary)
— Angela Bell (@bell111_a) December 10, 2018
Is this what our education system has become? Neither of my children accessed HP until much older, they are both doing extremely well in life! My heart breaks. Let children enjoy books that are relevant to their age. This is a child genius not GD. Saddened by this today.
— Amanda Swift Fletcher (@AFleccie) December 11, 2018
Did I go to sleep and wake up in a parallel universe where the writers of the walking dead have written our GDS standards? This is ridiculous. Harry Potter is not for 6 year olds. Roald Dahl I would get, Dick-King Smith yes but Harry Potter- come on.
— C Badger 🦡 (@badgeml1968) December 10, 2018
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire??
— Ian Eagleton IS AWAY! (@MrEagletonIan) December 10, 2018
1) These standards are RIDICULOUS
2) Is this an appropriate book for a Y2 child in terms of theme and content?Does it give the message to children/parents/educators to just 'read up' whether they're emotionally ready for it or not? pic.twitter.com/sWVXby6e2d
Can someone at @educationgovuk please explain how Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire is appropriate independent reading material for 7 year olds please? Does this now mean Year 2 classes can watch the film rated 12? pic.twitter.com/0YMoaOCsdK
— Miss Cleveland 📚☕️ (@MissNCleveland) December 10, 2018
The guidance goes on to explain how Pupil H’s comprehension skills demonstrated that she was working at greater depth.
It gives an example: “She [the pupil] also compares the book to what happened on Easter Sunday because ‘Jesus rose from the dead without turning into a zombie and Voldemort rose from the dead without turning into a zombie’.”
I have known a very small number of Y2 children who have been ready to get stuck into HP books. Not sure they could demonstrate all that’s in this commentary. Comparing characters to Jesus might be a step too far. Maybe it’s in there because it’s nearly Christmas!!
— Rob Hardcastle (@HardcastleRob) December 10, 2018
The guidance adds that Pupil H’s broad vocabulary allowed her to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words, such as “vacated”.
“She reasons aloud to the teacher: ‘Vacation. Isn’t that a holiday? Well, would it (the meaning of ‘vacated’) be the seat that she left, because it’s like going on holiday because you leave something to go on holiday?’,” the guidance states - an explanation that is described as “outstanding”.
Pupils at the end of Year 2 are assessed on their reading by teachers, who judge their standard based on their work throughout the year, as well as a test. The exemplification guidance provides examples of pupils’ work that teachers can use to support their judgements, but does not have to be used.
Last year, the proportion of children reaching the expected standard dropped slightly, from 76 per cent in 2017 to 75 per cent in 2018, but the proportion assessed as working at greater depth rose from 25 per cent in 2017 to 26 per cent in 2018.
The latest guidance also raised another question among its critics: what does a child who has mastered such books in Year 2 do next?
We can finally make use of the King James Bible that Michael Gove sent us. #highexpectations pic.twitter.com/aoSv6nYm4d
— Mr B-L (@JamesBlakeLobb) December 11, 2018
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We do not issue a set list of books that children have to read. We provide teachers with examples from reading texts - which are drawn from popular books that many young people at this age are known to be reading - to support teachers in making judgments as to the level and depth of understanding that children should be demonstrating at this stage in their education. These examples were developed in collaboration with a number of nationally recognised experts in English reading.”
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