Business and Economics Department Assessment Strategy
Assessment within the department has the following purpose:
- To give students feedback which they can act upon to make exceptional progress over time
- To inform future planning and teaching
- To inform the school’s reporting process
GCSE Business Studies
- Through year 10 and 11, regular assessments are carried out at the end of each module and results are recorded on a departmental spread sheet. The averages from these assessments are used to calculate a current grade which will inform teachers and pupils of their progress.
- Formal internal assessments and PPE examinations will be analysed question by question at the end of Year 10 and throughout year 11 to give detailed feedback to pupils and issue them with personalised targets.
- Classwork will usually be assessed using self and peer assessment. Pupils can be asked to numerically mark their work and/or list targets for improvement. Teachers may choose to write a comment to acknowledge the pupil’s own, self-identified targets and this may be done as the teacher has discussions with pupils during lesson time.
A Level Business and A Level Economics
- Formal assessments are carried out at the end of each module throughout the A Level course and marked in accordance with examination mark schemes. The results are recorded on a central departmental spreadsheet and analysed. Students will be given self-reflection time following assessments alongside feedback from teachers to ensure they understand their current progress and address any misconceptions they have made.
- Sample Assessments and past examination papers will be used to allow students to practice exam questions and verbal/written feedback should be given to students to help them improve their exam technique.
- Classwork will usually be assessed using self and peer assessment. Students can be asked to numerically mark their work using a formalised mark scheme and/or list targets for improvement.
Home Learning
- At GCSE and A Level, home learning will be set regularly in accordance with the whole school policy. This will be usually be marked by self/peer assessment for routine generic marking e.g. definitions, calculations. A mixture of self, peer and teacher assessment (verbal or written) will be used for marking essay style questions. For A Level home learning, formalised mark schemes will often be used to inform marking and therefore appropriate grades (A-E) will be awarded.
- Teacher feedback (written or verbal) will be given for home learning to help with pupils specific difficulties. Time spent giving feedback should help:
- Identify common errors
- Motivate students to correct/improve
- Re-teach parts of the lesson
- Inform future teaching
Teachers will provide time for pupils and students to act upon the feedback that they have been given. For GCSE pupils this will usually take place during lesson time and for A-Level students they will work on specific targets for improvement in study/home learning time.