Methods for Assessment

Assessment in the core subjects

  • We assess pupils against age related assessment criteria, which are short, discrete, qualitative and concrete descriptions of what a pupil is expected to know and be able to do in each year group.

  • Assessment criteria are derived from the National Curriculum.

  • The achievement of each pupil is assessed against all the relevant criteria at appropriate times of the school year each term: Formative Assessment is ongoing throughout the term. After certain units in maths or genres in writing, teachers may assess certain objectives that have been covered. Summative Assessments take place termly. In reading and maths, pupil are given assessments that give a standardised score, which inform the judgements given against the national curriclum assessements. 

  • Each pupil is assessed as either ‘Emerging’,  ‘Expected’ or ‘Working at greater depth’ in relation to age related expectation.  

  • Emerging is split into 3 levels: Working towards: When children are meeting up 35% or below of the age related expectations. Developing: When children are meeting between 35% – 65% of the age related expectations. Meeting: When children are meeting between 66% - 85% of the age related expectations.

  • Expected Standard: This is split into 2 parts. Secure: Children are deemed to be working at the expected standard once they have secured between 85% - 100% of the age related expectations and can apply them in a range of contexts. Mastering: This is where children have met 100% of the age related expectations and meet some at a mastery level.

  • Working at Greater Depth: Children are judged to be working at greater depth if they have met 100% of the age related expectations and roughly meet 40% (or more) of them to a greater depth.

  • Achieving “greater depth” standard for an expectation, a child must show continually that:

  • They rarely make mistakes
  • They work at a consistently rapid pace
  • They can consistently apply that objective in a range of situations
  • They can apply what they know to range of situations
  • They have an “unconscious competence” – they can do it without thinking.
  • When assessing agaisnt each objective, teachers give it a score of 1 - 3. 1 ( not achieved or working towards), 2 ( achieved and secure ) and 3 ( mastered). Each term, for each pupil, we take their average score to show their progress towards the expected standard. In Spring and Summer, we are then able to work out their value added progress. 

  • We use age related expectations to also assess Science and Physical Education. For other subjects, we assess agaisnt the Milestones. Milestones 1 is for Year 1 and 2 pupils; Milestones 2 is for Years 3 and 4; Milestones 3 is for Year 5 and 6. These are skills that need to be mastered by the end of that year group. The outcomes of this assessment is shared with parents on the end of school report: Working Below,Working Towards, Expected or Working at greater depth.

  • When assessing pupils against each objective, 

  • Assessment judgements will be recorded and backed by a body of evidence created using observations, records of work and testing using the Rising Stars and NFER end of year tests.

  • Assessment judgements will be moderated by colleagues in school and by colleagues in other schools to make sure our assessments are fair, reliable and valid.

Our use of assessment

  • Teachers use the outcomes of our assessments to summarise and analyse attainment and progress for their pupils and classes

  • Teachers use this data to plan the learning for every pupil to ensure they meet or exceed expectations. Teachers and leaders analyse the data across the school to ensure that pupils identified as vulnerable or at particular risk in this school are making appropriate progress and that all pupils are suitably stretched

  • The information from assessment is communicated to parents and pupils on a termly basis through meetings with parents and teachers. Parents and pupils will receive rich, qualitative profiles of what has been achieved and indications of what they need to do next.

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