Statutory Assessment Update Spring term 2018

General information

  • The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) send out email updates every Tuesday during term time, unless there are exceptional circumstances, to provide information, actions, reminders and deadlines for primary assessments. Alternatively, schools can access all of the assessment and stakeholder updates on GOV.UK.
  • STA have published their2018 information and resources leaflet which contains links to the most-used collection pages. The leaflet can be used to help navigate your way around GOV.UK and access collections of guidance about key stage 1 and 2 tests, practice materials and teacher assessment, amongst other subject areas.
  • A KS1 planner and a KS2 planner have also been published. These contain important dates and submission deadlines for the KS1 tests, teacher assessment and the phonics screening check, and for the KS2 tests and teacher assessment.
  • STA have published a 2018 primary assessment video on the STA media and training site. The video is accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation which local authorities and schools can use for additional staff training.The video outlines the minor changes that come into effect this year for assessment at both key stages 1 and 2. It also summarises changes that will come into effect over the next few years following the 2017 public consultation on primary assessment.
  • STA have produced guidance videos which demonstrate how to apply for early opening, compensatory marks for spelling, additional time and timetable variations for the key stage 2 tests. A video showing schools how to notify STA of a start-time variation has also been produced. These videos can be viewed on the STA media and training site.
  • In response to the primary assessment consultation STA have published revised teacher assessment frameworks for Key Stage 1 and 2. The framework includes the revised framework for the assessment of English writing which include a more flexible approach and revised ‘pupil can’ statements that place a greater emphasis on composition, while statements relating to the more ‘technical’ aspects of English writing (grammar, punctuation and spelling) are less prescriptive.
  • A pupil’s writing should meet all the ‘pupil can’ statements within the standard they are judged to be working at. However, when assessing English writing, teachers can use their discretion to ensure that, on occasion, a particular weakness does not prevent an accurate judgement of a pupil’s overall attainment being made. The overall standard of attainment, set by the ‘pupil can’ statements, remains the same. A particular weakness is an aspect of an individual pupil’s writing over which a teacher can use their discretion to determine that, despite them not meeting or only partially meeting the relevant aspect of the framework, the pupil is working at a given standard. This means that having assessed a pupil against all of the statements, the teacher judges a particular weakness to be an exception to the pupil’s overall standard of attainment.Teachers should use their discretion on a pupil-by-pupil basis: the only consideration must be whether the weakness prevents an accurate judgement of the pupil’s overall attainment from being made. When a teacher deems that a pupil meets a standard in English writing despite a particular weakness, they must have good reason to judge that this is the most accurate standard to describe the pupil’s overall attainment. Teachers must be confident that the weakness is an exception: valid reasons for a particular weakness are likely to vary from pupil to pupil. A teacher’s professional judgement about whether a pupil has met the standard overall takes precedence over the need for the pupil to meet all ‘pupil can’statements if the pupil is judged to have a particular weakness. This does not mean that a teacher’s professional judgement takes precedence over that of a moderator, and teachers must be able to justify their decisions during moderation.
  • Pupils’ writing upon which teachers’ base their judgements must be produced independently. The national curriculum is clear that writing should also be produced through discussion with the teacher and peers. STA expects schools to be clear on the level of independence of the work presented. Schools must identify independent work, and clarify the degree of support a pupil has received.
  • In 2018, teachers must make judgements for each eligible pupil against the standards set out in the teacher assessment frameworks or the interim pre-key stage standards.
  • The ‘pupil can’ statements within the KS1 and KS2 teacher assessment frameworks for English reading, mathematics and science are unchanged. To avoid schools having to adjust to changes in these frameworks this year, revised versions will be published for use from the 2018 to 2019 academic year. For KS1 there will be revised versions for English reading, mathematics and science. For KS2 there will only be a revised version for science as the requirement for schools to report teacher assessment judgements for reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 is being removed from the 2018 to 2019 academic year.
  • The interim pre-key stage standards are for pupils who are working below the lowest standard in the relevant TA framework. Pupils who are working below the lowest standard in one of the TA frameworks because they cannot communicate in English should be assessed using the interim pre-key stage standards. If a pupil has SEN and is working below the interim pre-key stage standards, their statutory outcome should be reported using P scales. P scales are used for pupils working below the interim pre-key stage standards, to report a statutory assessment outcome when they have reached the end of year 2 or year 6.STA will remove the requirement to assess pupils engaged in subject-specific learning using P scales from the 2018 to 2019 academic year onward. P scales will be continue to be used for the 2017 to 2018 academic year.
  • Updated exemplification for writing has been published which takes into account the new, more flexible approach. Schools can choose to use the 2016 exemplification materials for English reading, mathematics and science atKS1 andKS2 in 2018.If teachers are confident in their judgements, there is no requirement for them to refer to the exemplification materials. Local authorities may also find the materials useful to support external moderation visits.

EYFS

  • The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that the EYFS profile remains statutory
  • The EYFS assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) for 2018was updated in October 2017to provide further clarification for EYFS providers and local authorities.
  • TheEarly Years Foundation Stage Profile 2018 Handbook is now available to download. The handbook contains detailed information about the background and purpose of the profile. It also explains how practitioners should complete the profile. Headteachers and other managers of early years provision should make sure those involved in assessing the EYFS have a thorough understanding of the handbook
  • LAs must ensure that all providers are visited regularly as part of a cycle of moderation visits. They must be notified of whether the EYFS profile assessment is being carried out in accordance with requirements. 25% of settings must receive a moderation visit each year.
  • The 2018Foundation Stage Assessment and Reporting Arrangements booklet states that LAs have a statutory duty to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the assessments made by early years providers in their area. They must set up and carry out moderation arrangements to:
  • ensure the consistency and accuracy of judgements made by different practitioners
  • reassure practitioners that their judgements are accurate, valid and consistent with national standards
  • assure moderators that an acceptable level of accuracy and validity has been achieved for assessments recorded and reported by the settings for which they have responsibilities
  • Further information can be found following the link EYFS Profile 2017-18. Documents around best practice guidance and revised statutory materials will be added to the link as they are released.

Phonic screening check

  • Schools should administer the phonic screening check from Monday 11th June to Friday 15th June. Pupils who were absent during the phonic screening check week can take the check during the week Monday 18th June to Friday 22nd June.
  • Schools don’t need to order standard materials for the check. Materials will be sent to schools based on data from the year 1 autumn school census.
  • Schools will receive their check materials, including any braille orders, in the week beginning Monday 4th June unless STA has agreed to an alternative date. Additional check materials can be downloaded from NCA tools from Monday 11th June. This includes the mark sheet and modified versions, excluding braille. Schools must keep the check materials secure and treat them as confidential when schools receive them, or download them from NCA tools, until Monday 25th June.
  • 10% of schools will receive an unannounced monitoring check during the check week
  • STA will publish the threshold mark on Monday 25th June on GOV UK and NCA tools.

Key stage 1

  • The Assessment and Reporting Arrangements (ARA) have been published. This guidance sets out the statutory requirements for key stage 1 (KS1) national curriculum assessments and reporting for the 2017 to 2018 academic year.
  • The KS1 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test remains optional from 2018 onwards. Schools may choose to administer the test and use the results to inform TA, but there is no requirement to do so.
  • Practice test materials are available to help teachers prepare for the 2018 tests. These include past versions of KS1 national curriculum tests and KS1 sample materials. Alongside the test materials are mark schemes and test administration instructions.
  • Maintained schools, academies and free schools do not need to place a test order for standard versions of KS1 tests because STA will calculate the quantities they require based on their autumn census data. Modified tests must be ordered on NCA tools, if required.
  • Schools will receive English reading and mathematics tests materials in the week beginning Monday 16th April. All test materials, including completed tests, must be stored securely and treated as confidential from the point they are received in school until Friday 1st June.
  • Schools must administer the KS1 tests in English reading and mathematics during May 2018. The tests do not have set days for their administration and they may be administered to groups of pupils on different days. Schools must administer the tests in accordance with STA’s test administration guidance which will be published in March 2018.
  • KS1 2018 tests: access arrangements guidance has been published. The guidance details the access arrangements available and informs schools how to use them appropriately.
  • Schools will require a secure understanding of the revised teacher assessment framework for English writing in order to ensure that teacher assessment judgements are accurate. Some of the statements in the revised framework for writing remain unchanged. There is now a specific statement regarding writing about real events and its inclusion means a pupil must have written about a real event to achieve the ‘expected standard’. The phrase ‘simple coherent narratives’ has also been included and was not in the previous interim framework. The National Curriculum states that to organise ideas coherently for a reader requires clarity, awareness of audience, purpose and context and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.
  • Maintained schools and academies must report end of KS1 TA data to their LA by Thursday 28th June.

Key stage 2

  • The Assessment and Reporting Arrangements (ARA) have been published. This guidance sets out the statutory requirements for key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum assessments and reporting for the 2017 to 2018 academic year.
  • The order of the KS2 tests in the 2018 test timetable is different from previous years. Schools must administer the English grammar, punctuation and spelling test on Monday 14th May and the English reading test on Tuesday 15th May.
  • KS2 test results will be available in the ‘Pupil results’ section of NCA tools from 7.30am on Tuesday 10th July and not from midnight as in previous years.
  • Schools can apply for a review of marking by Friday 20th July. Schools will be informed of the outcome of review applications on Wednesday 12th September.
  • The biennial science sampling tests will take place between 4th and 15th June 2018. Science sampling materials to support primary school teachers with science teaching and teacher assessment at key stage2 have been published. Selected schools will be informed that their school has been selected to participate in the tests on Monday 23rd April. The test results will be reported as national data only.
  • Practice test materials are available to help teachers prepare for the 2018 tests. These include past versions of KS2 national curriculum tests and KS2 sample materials. Alongside the test materials are mark schemes and test administration instructions.
  • Maintained schools, academies and free schools do not need to place a test order for standard versions of the KS2 tests because STA will calculate the quantities they require based on their census and pupil registration data. Modified tests must be ordered on NCA tools, if required by Friday 24th November.
  • Schools will receive their test materials, including any modified test orders, in the week beginning Monday 30th April. Schools won’t be sent KS2 mark schemes. They will be published on GOV.UK on Tuesday 29th May. All test materials must be stored securely and treated as confidential from the point they are received in school until Friday 25th May.
  • If tests are incorrectly administered to pupils who have been registered using codes ‘B’ ‘U’ or ‘J’ then their completed test scripts must be sent for marking. This includes if a pupil starts the test and is unable to complete it. These pupils will be awarded test outcomes based on their achievements in those tests. Their test results will be included in the performance tables and must be included in the annual report to parents.
  • Pupils with EAL must be registered for the KS2 tests even if there is a valid reason why they will not take them.
  • Tests must be administered on the days specified in the statutory timetable. The KS2 test week commences Monday 14th May. Schools must administer the tests in accordance with STA’s test administration guidance which will be published in March 2018.
  • KS2 2018 tests: access arrangements guidance has been published. The guidance details the access arrangements available and informs schools how to use them appropriately.
  • Information about how to apply for a timetable variation and reschedule the key stage 2 tests has been published. A link to the information is on the statutory assessment page on Essex Schools Infolink.
  • The LA will carry out unannounced KS2 monitoring visits to at least 10% of schools before, during and after the test period.
  • Maintained schools and academies must report end of KS2 TA data using NCA tools by Thursday 28th June.
  • The guidance about applying for a review of marking for KS2 national curriculum tests has been updated this year. Review applications can be made via NCA tools from 10th July to 20th July. Schools will be informed of the outcome on 12th September 2018.

Moderation for Key stage 1 and Key Stage 2

  • Teacher assessment guidance forkey stage 1 and key stage 2 has been published to help schools and local authorities understand the statutory requirements for teacher assessment and moderation in 2018. The guidance has been expanded this year to cover all aspects of teacher assessment, beyond the previous focus on moderation, to provide comprehensive information about teacher assessment for each key stage. It includes guidance for making robust teacher assessment judgements without gathering excessive evidence, details the moderation process and provides information about the new, more flexible approach to the assessment of English writing. There is also a new section on assessing pupils with disabilities.
  • To prepare for statutory moderation all LA moderation managersattended a regional training event this year. This training was cascaded to all moderators within the LA during February.All moderators must sit a standardisation exercise set by STA and only those who successfully complete it will be approved to moderate in 2018.
  • LAs will inform schools on, or after, Friday 18th May if they are going to receive an external moderation visit. LAs must give at least 2 schools days’ notice of the moderation visit and also advise who will be attending the meeting. LAs are required to ensure that at least 25% of maintained schools and 25% of academies are moderated each year.
  • External moderation arrangements that are communicated to schools by LAs that lie outside the scope of the teacher assessment guidance are by local agreement only and must be clearly stated as non-statutory.
  • LAs will carry out moderation visits from Monday 4th June to Thursday 28th June.