ThomasReadePrimary School Assessment Policy

The importance of assessment in the learning process cannot be overestimated. It enables teachers to plan effectively to meet the needs of individuals, groups and the whole class.

Definition

Assessment within the primary school is the process of measuring what children know, can do, understand and are able to apply. It is an essential part of the cycle of planning, teaching and learning, evaluating, recording and reporting.

Aim

We aim, through using our assessments, to realise the maximum learning potential of each child.

Guidelines/Objectives

Assisting Children in the Learning Process

By carefully and systematically observing and questioning children and looking at the processes and products of their learning, teachers will assess children’s levels of attainment and diagnose their strengths and weaknesses. This information is used to differentiate planning, which enables children to move to the next stage of learning. By sharing our on-going assessments with children it enables them to become more aware of the stage they have reached and their next target.

Assisting Teachers in Evaluating Curriculum Provision

Teachers will determine the effectiveness of their teaching through the use of the assessment process. Elements that contribute to efficient teaching and learning are detailed in Appendix 1. Continuous monitoring should lead to improved standards.

To Provide Information for Others

Assessment also provides information for parents, other colleagues, and the receiving school at transfer to the next phase. It also provides essential information when referring pupils to specialist agencies.Appendix 3 is an assessment guide for parents called

“Assessment at Thomas Reade Primary School”

Formative and Summative Assessment

Assessment is both Formative and Summative.

Formative assessment is part of our daily classroom practice.

  • What we discover about the child informs our plans for their next steps and may require modification of daily or weekly planning.
  • Teachers identify specific activities in their planning, which will be used to assess the child’s stage of learning (see Appendix 2). From this assessment staff can select or modify activities from their medium term planning which provide the next steps of learning for the child.

Summative assessments indicate what a child has achieved. These assessments may take place at the end of a unit of work, at the end of a year or at the end of a Key Stage.

Assessment and Tracking

In Terms 2, 4 and 6 teachers standardise their assessments, in terms of age related expectations, in whole staff moderation meetings. This moderation is based on a focus from the SDP. The results of these levels are reported to parents at Parent Consultation evenings in Terms 2 and 4 with the final assessment of the year feature of the Summative Reports. Children’s progress is closely monitored using the child’s individual tracking sheets which are kept by the child’s class teacher and on line in the school office. Children who are not making progress are targeted by their class teacher for intervention strategies.

Recording

Daily assessments which need planning action are noted on the reverse of weekly numeracy and literacy plans. Brief notes and subsequent planning show that these assessments have been used to inform planning. This may happen from one day or one week to the next. On other occasions, when the end of the block of work has been reached, the notes will inform future planning when revisiting a subject area. The information gathered from on-going and end-of-unit assessments in English, Science and Maths is recorded on individual progress sheets held in the teacher’s class file.

Assessments in phonics are recorded on the Jolly Phonics Assessment Sheets which are tailored to children’s individual needs and the Dolch Sight Reading Record of Tricky Words (these feed into children’s targets on their IEPs). Teachers use this information to plan word-level work appropriate to individual children’s needs.

Group Reading Records are held by the class teacher. They record achievements and next steps for groups or individuals within groups, and are filled in at each Guided Reading session.

Marking

Quality marking should enable all pupils to understand their own achievements and know what they need to do next to make progress - see our Marking Policy.

Planning

Long Term
/ Long term planning is the curriculum framework which is revised every two years
Medium Term
/ Literacy and Numeracy are planned on the strategy’s medium-term planning sheets. All other subjects, including other aspects of the English curriculum, are planned on whole school medium term planning sheets.
This planning will show key objectives and activities which are annotated to show differentiation. Teachers select from these activities for short term planning when their assessment of the children’s needs directs their choice of activity. Assessment activities at the beginning of blocks of work will allow teachers to differentiate the work to individual children’s needs.
Weekly Planning
/ Planning sheets from the Literacy and Numeracy Curriculum are used for weekly planning. In Maths, days four and five may be planned in outline. The final decision on appropriate work is based on the teacher’s assessments of the children’s needs in the first two or three days of the week.
In all other subjects, weekly activities are based on assessment and taken from the medium term planning. Plans may need to be adapted to the needs of all children.

Reporting

In Term 2 parents are invited to discuss their child’s targets with the class teacher. In Term 4 parents are invited to discuss their child’s progress relating to the targets set. In Term 6 a summative report is prepared and sent to parents. This will describe children’s achievements and next steps. Parents are offered the opportunity to discuss this report with staff if they wish. Parental Clinics take place in Terms 1, 3 and 5. These are used to discuss either school or parental concerns.

Reporting on Transfer

On transfer to KS 3 the receiving school receives individual records; Age related expectations in Maths, English, Science and ICT; copy of the summative reports to parents; SEN information; Key Stage II SATs outcomes in English, Maths and Science and Yr 7 targets in English, Maths & Science.

There are also ‘face to face’ meetings between Year 6 class teachers and Heads of Year 7 and Secondary School SENCOs.

Year 6 transfer procedures are updated, by County, each year and copies are kept in the school office.There is a transfer document for children who change school within the Key Stage – this is also held in the school office.

Target Setting

In Term 1 based on an analysis of SATs and summative assessments by the Literacy and Numeracy Co-ordinators staff make assessments of children’s level of attainment in Literacy and Maths, and this informs target setting. Children have a record of their personal targets in Literacy and Numeracy and these are regularly reviewed.

In Key Stage 2 children’s individual targets and cohort targets are compared to the Family Fischer Trust Data Base to ensure required progression.

Staff pass on all targets and assessment information for individual children to their next class teacher at a Staff Meeting at the end of the Summer term.

Data Analysis

The Headteacher, Senior Management Team and Literacy, Numeracy and Science Co-ordinators analyse target and assessment data annually to:

  • track individual children’s progress
  • track cohort progress
  • track gender progress
  • track SEN/PP & EAl progress
  • set targets
  • monitor the progress of individuals or specific groups of children

This information is used to plan any action needed.

Formal Assessment

National testing takes place at the end of Key Stage 1 based on the class teacher’s assessment in English and Maths and at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, Maths and Science.

National Phonics Testing for children in Year 1 takes place in Term 6.

Years 3, 4 and 5 take summative assessments in English and Maths three times per year during assessment weeks in Terms 2, 4 and 6.

Evidence

In order to build a full picture of progress, each child has an “Achievement Book” This may contain the following:

English
/ unaided writing-Term 1
Term 2 (before Parent Consultation Evening)
Term 3
Term 4 (before Parent Consultation Evening)
Term 5
Term 6 (before Report writing)

Other Evidence of Children’s Work to be kept in the Folder

Maths
/ Summative assessments and Key Stage 1 SATs analysed and fed back to the children in Key Stage 2 for target setting.
The child’s folder will contain children’s individual records:
  • a copy of the admissions form with any medical information
  • a copy of the Annual Report to Parents

Teachers will hold children’s individual subject records in a class file for ease of access. These will be passed on to the next teacher each year and will eventually form part of the Achievement Folder.

Children’s individual progress through these objectives will be recorded as they move through the school. When an objective has been achieved, this will be highlighted with the appropriate year group colour as indicated below.

ReceptionOrange

Year 1YellowYear 2Pink

Year 3GreenYear 4Blue

Year 5SalmonYear 6Sea Green

Individual reports will be run off in Year 6 for inclusion in transfer data.

Staffing

Each teacher is responsible for on-going teacher assessment, summative assessment and the recording of children’s attainments. The Year 2 and 6 class teachers are responsible for the implementation of SATs for their representative years. The Headteacher has overall responsibility for the implementation of the SATs.

The Assessment Co-ordinator has overall responsibility for assessment within the school which is reported to Headteacher.

Special Needs

Assessment for children with special educational needs follows the guidelines under Children’s and Families Act of 2014

The code recognises two broad levels of provision; SEN and EHCP.

Thomas Reade uses the Oxfordshire SEN Action Record to maintain information about the identification, assessment and provision for each pupil. A Register is kept for pupils with SEN. Where concern is expressed that a pupil may have SEN, the class teacher and support staff take early action to assess and address the difficulties. The Oxfordshire Moderation Handbook descriptors are used to decide whether the level of provision should be considered SEN.

For more details, see the Special Educational Needs Policy.

Appendix 1

Elements of Effective Teaching/Learning

  1. Building of good relationships with individual children and the whole class
  2. Good use of the planning, teaching, assessing and recording cycle
  3. Creation of an orderly and purposeful working environment with good discipline and commitment to high standards
  4. Appropriate match of work for each child
  5. Appropriate time allocation
  6. Appropriate resources and materials (including personnel)
  7. Appropriate teaching style selected
  8. Appropriate learning style chosen
  9. Appropriate classroom management and organisation
  10. Teacher knowledge and enthusiasm
  11. An evaluative approach by both teacher and child

These points are expanded on in the Teaching and Learning Policy.

Appendix 2

Types of Assessment

“Sweep” assessment before topic/module begins

End of module, programme of study/topic assessment

Use of a range of assessment techniques including planned activities, tests, quizzes, etc.

Teaching Assistant may undertake an assessment activity under the direction of the class teacher

Direct observation of the children working

Marking is an important part of the assessment process – allowing a dialogue between child and class teacher to ensure targets are achieved

Rich questioning of the children – both orally and written as part of the ongoing assessment process

Appendix 3

Assessment at Thomas Reade Primary School

Background Information

You may or may not be aware that the assessment system in primary schools is changing. Children will no longer be awarded ‘levels’ but will be assessed against the content from the national curriculum on a year by year basis.

This will be the last year children in Years 2 and 6 will be tested on the previous curriculum and be given a level. The new national assessments will come into force in 2016 and children will be tested against the new curriculum and will be given a score out of 130 rather than a national curriculum level. This change is intended to provide parents, children and their teachers with a simpler assessment procedure which will give clear information and identify what your child can do, how this compares to what is expected in their year group and what else they need to do to improve.

Thomas Reade Primary School has been working with a number of other schools in the Abingdon Partnership to explore how the new changes can be implemented to ensure cohesion across schools, and more importantly, to ensure that you and your child know exactly what it is they need to do to improve and succeed.

Within all our work on assessment we are guided by these agreed principles:

  • All assessment is a true reflection of where children are in their learning.
  • Everything we do, as part of the assessment process, has an impact on learning.
  • Children, parents and staff are actively engaged in the assessment process.
  • Assessment processes are accessible to all, everyone understands and can see the point of them

National Assessment Points

From September 2015 onwards
Age 2 / 2 year old screening conducted by your health visitor
Age 4/5
Year R / Optional baseline test for Reception children taken within first few weeks of school.
(All schools will use a baseline test in September 2016)
Age 4/5 Year R / Children will be assessed against the seven areas of learning to see if they have achieved a ‘good level of development’.
Age 5/6 Yr1 / Phonics screening in June
Age 6/7
Year 2 / Children will continue to sit externally set tests marked by the class teacher in:
  • Mental arithmetic
  • Mathematics
  • Reading
  • Spelling, punctuation and grammar.
These tests and the work children will have completed in class will be used to guide the teacher to make their assessment. Instead of a level, you will be told whether your child has reached the national expected standard or is working above or below it. This will be called a ‘performance descriptor’.
Age 10/11Year 6 / Externally set and marked (SATs) tests in:
  • Maths (2 written papers and mental arithmetic)
  • Reading
  • Spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Teacher assessment for writing.You will be given your child’s score, alongside the average for their school, the local area and nationally. There will also be a ‘performance descriptor’ of the expected standard for Year 6 pupils.
Age 5/6
Year 1
Age
7/8
Year 3
Age
8/9
Year 4
Age
9/10
Year 5 / From Sept 2015 onwards
Children will be assessed using a mixture of the following:
  • Ongoing teacher assessment of pupils progress based on key performance indicators as laid out by the National Curriculum
  • Tests and other diagnostic tasks
  • Judgements made about the progress children have made in their books
There will be 3 points of assessment throughout the year
  • November (to inform Parent Teacher Consultations)
  • March (to inform Parent Teacher Consultations)
  • June (to inform end of year report)
Children will be judged using Teacher Assessment as follows:
  • Below the expected level
  • Working towards the expected level
  • At the expected level
  • Above the expected level
(this terminology will change as the assessment models in the National Curriculum develop)

How will you know how your child is doing?

Timing / Activity
Throughout the year / In Reception, pupils are assessed through regular observations of child initiated play. Observations are used to inform planning and future targets. Children are also assessed through adult directed activities.
In Key Stage 1 and 2, your child’s teacher will be continually assessing your child through thorough marking, discussions and tasks. You are welcome to come and look at their books to see how your child is doing. Assessment is also informed by tests and other diagnostic tasks. This detailed information is then put on the school’s tracking system where the teachers will make a robust judgement about how well your child is doing against age-related expectations.
November/December / Parent Teacher Consultations – an opportunity for you to discuss how your child is doing with their teacher. It is valuable if your child understands that this is an important meeting and is welcome to be involved.
February/March / Parent Teacher Consultations – a further opportunity for you to discuss how your child is doing.
July / End of year report - a full academic report will be sent home which will give you details about your child as a learner. It will comment on their attitudes, success and areas for development. It will also give you information about what you can do to support their next steps

Please remember that you are very welcome to make an appointment to see your child’s teacher and discuss their work outside of the above time frames.

Assessment is not meant to be used as a measure of your child’s ability at school but as a means to improve their ability to learn, their knowledge, their understanding and their skills.

How will my child know what they need to do to improve?

Marking Your child’s class teacher will mark their work thoroughly and give clear guidance for improvement where appropriate. English and maths books are marked regularly to ensure that teachers are able to adjust their planning in order to suit the needs of individuals. To ensure consistency all teachers follow the Thomas Reade Primary School marking policy.

Targets Targets are recorded in the children’s books and are the steps that children follow in each lesson to improve. Children and teachers regularly review and update targets after they have been achieved.