Recording attainment with the P levels

The P levels

Children with significant learning difficulties usually have their attainment and progress recorded as P levels. P level is short for performance level indicator and describes the achievements of children with special educational needs who are working below the national curriculum level 1. Ranging from P level 1 to P level 8, with the first three levels subdivided, they provide a common language to describe children in different settings.

The first three P levels are not subject-specific as they relate to a child’s general development and describe an increasing involvement with their surroundings or other people. Assessment is made by observing the child’s responses in specific situations. P levels 4 to 8 reflect increased skills in specific subject areas.

What the P levels tell us

• P level 1(i) describes a child who is encountering experiences, and where their participation is only through another’s provision of stimuli.
• P level 1(ii) describes a child who shows awareness of something happening and can pay attention to an event or person.
• P level 2(i) describes a child who pays attention and begins to respond and to show the ability to distinguish between different people, places or events.
• P level 2(ii) describes a child who shows a more consistent and focussed response; they may turn their head to follow movement with their eyes, or move other body parts.
• P level 3(i) describes a child who shows intentional participation and may anticipate familiar events.
• P level 3 (ii) describes a child who shows preferences and will seek to join in with, or vocalise about, the activity or other people. It may include a range of non-verbal communication sounds.
• P levels 4–8 cover the points where children gain and develop skills in different subject areas within a range of experiences at a pre-national curriculum level.