Review Date December 2016

BURNLEYROADACADEMY

Policy for Assessment, Recording and Reporting

Introduction

Assessment is an integral part of the educational process and should be used to support learning by identifying any areas needing development and informing future planning. Judgements can be made about children’s achievements based on knowledge which is gained through a range of techniques.

Records can be kept of significant attainments to inform curriculum planning and to report to parents and others. It is not sensible, or possible, to attempt to record all the information collected.

Reporting is the process of informing others, including parents, head teacher, Governors, the child’s next teacher or school and the child.

Assessment that is planned and integral to the curriculum is likely to provide the most useful information on children’s progress.

To enable this, AfL (Assessment for Learning) is implemented in order to integrate assessment into every day classroom practice. This is based upon the principle that pupils will improve most if they understand the aim of their learning, where they are in relation to this and how they can achieve it.

Aims and Purposes

The aim of the policy is to enhance the quality of the learning experience of all children in the school. A structured system should ensure continuity and progression for all children’s learning.

The purposes of assessment can be summarised as follows:

Assessment for learning(formative level): to recognise, record and report positive achievements in order to plan future steps in the learning process and to establish the rate of progress.

Assessment oflearning (summative level): to develop systems which provide the means whereby pupil achievements are recognised, recorded and reported.

Assessment for diagnosing strengths and weaknesses (diagnostic level): to identify, classify, record and report learning difficulties in order to provide appropriate support and guidance.

Assessment for Learning

Embedded in the assessment policy are the 10 principles of assessment for learning:

  • Be a part of effective planning of teaching and learning
  • Focus on how pupils learn
  • Be recognised as central to classroom practice
  • Be regarded as a key professional skill for teachers
  • Be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has a potential emotional impact
  • Take account of the importance of learner motivation
  • Promote commitment to learning goals and a shared understanding of the criteria by which they are assessed
  • Learners should receive constructive guidance about how to improve
  • Develop learner’s capacity for self-assessment so they can become reflective and self-managing
  • Recognise the full range of achievements of all learners

Assessment, Recording and Reporting Methods

Assessment

Assessment and Planning are very closely linked if a successful learning environment is to exist. Planning identifies learning objectives and assessment reveals how far children have acquired learning which, in turn determines future planning.

Learning objectives can be identified for each subject from the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies and the Schemes of Work and willform part of the teachers Medium Term Plans.

Formative assessment strategies, intended to raise achievement of individuals include:

  • Sharing learning intentions to encourage pupil involvement;
  • Target setting for individual pupils, in order that pupil achievements and targets are based on previous achievement, alongside aiming for the next level.
  • Self evaluation, against the stated learning intentions, to empower the child to realise their own learning needs;
  • Effective marking and feedback related to learning intentions;

Summative assessment strategies for judging the extent to which learning is taking place include:

  • Observation of pupils engaged in classroom activities;
  • Observation of pupils engaged in specifically designed assessment tasks;
  • Assessments opportunities can be identified in the medium term or short term plans;
  • Oral questioning;
  • Written questioning;
  • Written internally set tests;
  • Pupil self-assessment based on discussion with pupils;
  • Self Evaluation Sheets at end of some topics;
  • Peer assessment;
  • Foundation Stage Profiles/ Learning Journeys;
  • Single level tests to be taken when pupils are judged to be securely at an NC level in reading, writing and maths.
  • At the end of Year 2 & 6 pupils will complete SATs;
  • Diagnostic analysis of SAT results using theRAISE online tool

Diagnostic assessment strategiesto identify strengths and weaknesses may include:

  • Identifying and supporting Special needs pupils
  • Identifying and supporting able pupils
  • Ensuring a consistent approach to judging attainment
  • Supporting the professional development of teachers

Recording

Records will only be kept of significant progress by the child when they are likely to serve a number of purposes:

-to inform future planning;

-to inform teachers, parents, Governors;

-to ensure that legal requirements are met;

-to provide evidence of the achievements of children;

-to provide evidence for teacher assessments at the end of Key Stages;

Any records must be useful, manageable to keep and easy to interpret.

They will be kept across the range of techniques above and mayinclude:

  • The use of Primary Target Tracker to track progress of individuals and cohorts over a year on a termly basis and map this progress against prior attainment.
  • Primary TargetTracker used for tracking a cohort from Nursery to Year 6 and recording individual performance and targets.
  • Target Setting:
  • Quantative: tracking of targets from year to year
  • Qualitative: written individual targets in Maths and Literacy (indicated on a target sheet at the front of their exercise book.)
  • Non-recorded targets when pupils set themselves targets as a result of focused marking or discussion
  • Assessments made in exercise books based on learning objective of lesson in some subjects
  • Assessment jottings made on medium and short term planning sheets with the purpose of informing future planning
  • Guided reading record books/sheets
  • Annual report to parents to be kept as reference within school on how well a child is achieving.
  • Portfolios are being built up for each curriculum area by their subject manager and may include collections of different pupils work for each AT to illustrate the agreed standards for assessment. Levels to be agreed on a ‘best fit’ based.
  • Reading records, based on levels within which there are a range of books from different schemes
  • Teacher comments in pupils’ books.(See marking policy)
  • Written plans, mark books and notes.
  • Class teacher records of observation and progress / problems.

Reporting

There is a statutory requirement to report to parents (see Assessment and Reporting Arrangement for current year).

Opportunities for verbal reporting will be arranged each year when future learning targets may be discussed. Annualwritten reports will fulfil the legal requirements and will describe pupils’ achievements in all aspects of their time in school.

Requirements for informing other schools when children transfer from either Key Stage are followed and the Common Transfer Forms are passed on.

Reports to Governors also provided when relevant.

Resources

Staff will be provided with books for recording relevant information at own discretion. The school will choose the appropriate report formats.

Equal Opportunities

All children will be assessed when appropriate, using a range of differentiated strategies. Children with SEN will be initially identified by class teacher and their assessment and future progress will relate to any subsequent I E P’s.

Professional Development and Assessment Managers’ Role

Professional development opportunities will be provided for all staff through development of standardised materials in the school and where appropriate, through involvement in a range of training courses.

The Assessment Manager will organise sessions for staff to standardise material to ensure that levels awarded are of a common standard between classes. They will also keep up-to-date with national developments relating to assessment, and when necessary, inform other staff.

The Assessment Manager will also liaise with the Head teacher and/or staff after benchmarking and Value-addedanalysis of results has taken place during the autumn term. The information gained from this analysis will inform Curriculum Planning.

Health and Safety

There appears to be no Health and Safety implications covered by the Assessment, Recording and Reporting Policy.

Review and Evaluation

The Policy for Assessment, Recording and Reporting will be reviewed every two years as an agenda item at a Staff Meeting, next review – June 2016. This item will be led by the teacher with responsibility for co-ordinating assessment, recording and reporting. The implication of the Policy will be monitored by the Head teacher, who will, if necessary, call on external agencies to give specialist advice. The practice of assessment, recording and reporting in school will also respond to any statutory or developmental changes that occur within the review timescale.

The policy will be reviewed in December2016. Any agreed changes to the policy will be made before the policy is ratified by the governing body.

T. Theaker ~ July 2014

Policy agreed at the Governors Meeting on the …………………….

Assessment Policy