Assessment / Reporting
Assessment is integral to high quality teaching and learning in our school. It helps teachers ensure their teaching is appropriate and that learners are making good progress. All staff in our school are involved in regular discussions and training regarding assessment for learning strategies, teaching and learning and feedback and marking. We have systems in place to ensure consistency and regularly carry out book scrutiny and moderation of work across year groups, Key Stage teams and, when possible, with other similar schools in our locality. Assessment judgements in our school are backed by a body of evidence which include observations, work in books, discussions with children, practical activity, independent challenges and testing as well as information gathered from learning walks and pupil interviews. Our last end of Key Stage moderation from our Local Authority, confirmed high expectations, tight consistent judgements by teachers who competently knew their children, the standards at which they were to be assessed, their strengths and target areas.
The main purpose of assessment in our school is to help teachers and children plan the next steps in their learning. Children are encouraged to assess, review and improve their own work and to identify what they need to do next to develop their skills. Staff use pink and green marking – ‘tickled pink’ to identify successes in work completed and ‘green for growth’ to support and guide children to make improvements and address target areas.
In lessons, children are encouraged to choose appropriate work (mild, spicy or hot) and to challenge themselves as much as possible. Assessments are made on a day to day basis through the use of assessment for learning techniques – verbal feedback, discussion, questioning and marking (formative assessment). Assessments are also made at the end of each unit, teaching concept or year’s work through appropriate tests or challenges to assess embedded understanding (summative assessment).
Teachers use day to day outcomes of assessment to check and support their teaching. Outcomes of assessments help teachers to address any gaps in teaching and learning for individuals or groups of children and to identify any relevant interventions required to address misconceptions. Assessment also allows teachers to identify those children who are managing concepts competently and require greater challenge or breadth in application.
As well as ongoing teacher assessment, Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) are carried out according to Government guidelines at the end of Y2 and Y6, marking the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Foundation children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals and progress reported at the end of year. Year 1 children undertake a phonics test which can be retaken in Year 2 if expectations are not met.
Our assessment system is based upon discrete, qualitative and concrete descriptions of what a pupil is expected to know and is able to do in each subject area within each year group. Children are taught the relevant skills, knowledge and vocabulary and assessments demonstrate how competently the children are accessing, applying and mastering these expectations. Documents outlining the progression in each subject can be found on our website under ‘Curriculum’ and year group plans can be found under ‘Classes’.
Children who find year group expectations challenging will be supported through criteria identified for prior year groups and interventions will be put in place to support ‘catch up’. For those successfully tackling year group expectations, challenges will be set which develop a breadth of learning developing a deeper understanding of the curriculum.
Reporting to parents
Parents receive termly reports which identify their child’s attainment in the context of end of year expectations in reading, writing and maths. These are sent out to parents at the end of the Autumn and Spring terms and include targets for development in reading, writing and maths. This report also includes a judgement about a child’s attitude to learning/learning behaviours.
Working below
A small number of children may be accessing skills below that expected as skills identified for prior year groups need consolidation and /or further teaching.
The main purpose of assessment in our school is to help teachers and children plan the next steps in their learning. Children are encouraged to assess, review and improve their own work and to identify what they need to do next to develop their skills. Staff use pink and green marking – ‘tickled pink’ to identify successes in work completed and ‘green for growth’ to support and guide children to make improvements and address target areas.
In lessons, children are encouraged to choose appropriate work (mild, spicy or hot) and to challenge themselves as much as possible. Assessments are made on a day to day basis through the use of assessment for learning techniques – verbal feedback, discussion, questioning and marking (formative assessment). Assessments are also made at the end of each unit, teaching concept or year’s work through appropriate tests or challenges to assess embedded understanding (summative assessment).
Teachers use day to day outcomes of assessment to check and support their teaching. Outcomes of assessments help teachers to address any gaps in teaching and learning for individuals or groups of children and to identify any relevant interventions required to address misconceptions. Assessment also allows teachers to identify those children who are managing concepts competently and require greater challenge or breadth in application.
As well as ongoing teacher assessment, Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) are carried out according to Government guidelines at the end of Y2 and Y6, marking the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Foundation children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals and progress reported at the end of year. Year 1 children undertake a phonics test which can be retaken in Year 2 if expectations are not met.
Our assessment system is based upon discrete, qualitative and concrete descriptions of what a pupil is expected to know and is able to do in each subject area within each year group. Children are taught the relevant skills, knowledge and vocabulary and assessments demonstrate how competently the children are accessing, applying and mastering these expectations. Documents outlining the progression in each subject can be found on our website under ‘Curriculum’ and year group plans can be found under ‘Classes’.
Children who find year group expectations challenging will be supported through criteria identified for prior year groups and interventions will be put in place to support ‘catch up’. For those successfully tackling year group expectations, challenges will be set which develop a breadth of learning developing a deeper understanding of the curriculum.
Reporting to parents
Parents receive termly reports which identify their child’s attainment in the context of end of year expectations in reading, writing and maths. These are sent out to parents at the end of the Autumn and Spring terms and include targets for development in reading, writing and maths. This report also includes a judgement about a child’s attitude to learning/learning behaviours.
Working below
A small number of children may be accessing skills below that expected as skills identified for prior year groups need consolidation and /or further teaching.
Parents receive a more detailed written report of their child's progress at the end of each academic year which also includes strengths and target areas. This provides a final assessment as to how well a child is performing against end of year expectations.
Parents are welcome to make an appointment with class teachers to discuss their child's progress if they feel this is required at any other times during the year. All consultations with parents focus on what has been achieved, what children need to do next in their learning and suggestions for supporting learning at home.
We have an ‘open door policy’ and parents are encouraged to come into the classroom before school in the morning or after school to share in their children’s learning. We have open mornings twice yearly where parents are able to take part in lessons alongside the children and we welcome families in to see children’s topic work and to share in cross-curricular achievements at various points during the year.
- Children who meet w+ at the end of a year are in line with expectations
- Children reaching ‘s’ are reaching expectations and showing greater mastery.
- Children exceeding the expected will show attainment at ‘s+’ representing understanding and application at greater depth.
Parents are welcome to make an appointment with class teachers to discuss their child's progress if they feel this is required at any other times during the year. All consultations with parents focus on what has been achieved, what children need to do next in their learning and suggestions for supporting learning at home.
We have an ‘open door policy’ and parents are encouraged to come into the classroom before school in the morning or after school to share in their children’s learning. We have open mornings twice yearly where parents are able to take part in lessons alongside the children and we welcome families in to see children’s topic work and to share in cross-curricular achievements at various points during the year.
