Contents

1. Philosophy

2. Principles

3. Purposes

4. Types of assessment

5. What assessment do we carry out in our school?

6. Curriculum planning and assessment

7. Ensuring accuracy and consistency of teachers' assessment

8. Target setting

9. Recording / tracking

10. Reporting

11. Monitoring

12. Schedule of Assessments carried out during the year

1                 Philosophy

We believe that assessment is at the heart of effective teaching and learning and, when it has an effect on planning and informs teaching, it raises standards.

In our assessment procedures we recognise the individuality of all children, taking a positive view and recognising that praise and success are great motivators in the learning process.

2                 Principles

Assessment is based on and matched to clear learning objectives.

Assessment is shared with other teachers, pupils and parents.

In our school we seek to assess the pupils’ learning in terms of:

·       The knowledge, concepts, skills, strategies and attitudes they have developed.

·       Their attainment within the national Curriculum.

·       Their wider achievements, both curricular and social.

In our school we give all children every opportunity to show what they know, can do and understand by:

·       Using a variety of assessment techniques to gain a wide range of evidence.

·       Using national standardised tests and tasks.

·       Considering the needs of all pupils.

·       Developing a marking policy, which ensures communication between pupil and teacher and consistency throughout the school.

3                 Purposes

Effective assessment, recording and reporting will:

Enhance the learning of our pupils because:

·       Assessment actively involves the pupils in their learning through discussion, provision of information about progress and ensuring pupils are aware of the purposes of teaching.

·       Assessment motivates the pupils through success/achievement.

·       Assessment highlights strengths and weaknesses together with strategies to manage them.

·       Assessment provides reliable and credible information to support continuity and progression in the learning process.

·       Assessment provides valid information to assist with setting pupil targets.

Aid and support the teachers in evaluating their teaching:

·       Assessment indicates strengths and weaknesses in the teaching programme (content)

·       Assessment indicates the next steps in the teaching programme.

·       Assessment indicates strengths and weaknesses in the teaching style (method)

·       Assessment identifies pupils who require support and pupils who require extension

Provide information for others:

·       Pupils

·       Parents

·       Teachers and County advisers

·       Assisting transfer to the next class and the next school

·       Guidance and/or referral to outside agencies

·       L.E.A., OFSTED, and DfEE.

4        Types of assessment

Fomative assessment enables the positive achievement of pupils to be recognised and informs decisions taken about the next appropriate stage of learning

Diagnostic assessment enables learning difficulties to be scrutinised and classified so that appropriate support or strategies can be provided.

Summative assessment records the overall achievement of the pupil in an orderly way. This would finally be represented in an annual report to parents.

Evaluative assessment is the means by which some schoolwork can be measured and reported on, allowing teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching methods and schemes.

Synoptic assessment is the means by which, usually at the end of the Key Stage, assessment covers aspects across the whole Key Stage.

5        What assessment do we carry out in our school?

Bucks Baseline

To be administered to Reception children within the first 6 weeks of starting school. Evidence of pre-school knowledge and skills provides a starting point for school records and enables targets to be set. To ensure that the value added to each child’s knowledge, skills and attitudes can be clearly assessed. (Formative)

Teacher Assessment

Assessment is a continual process and should be an integral part of the normal teaching and learning activities in the classroom. Therefore planned opportunities for assessment should be incorporated in both medium and short term curriculum planning.

Examples of possible teacher assessments are:

·       Discussion with an individual or group of children

·       Observation of a specific task.

·       Supervision of a group involved in recording their observations, where specific knowledge is required to fulfil criteria e.g. written work/computation/ drawings etc.

·       Listening as children report their findings and ideas for example in a plenary session.

Each child is assessed in relation to criteria given by statements from the programme of study of the National Curriculum or from the level descriptions. Evidence required for this assessment process will be a selection of the following:

·       Work in a child’s exercise book.

·       Samples of work produced specifically for an assessment.

·       A teacher’s written, dated comment of a child’s individual or group performance in an assessment situation. This relies totally on the experienced, professional judgement of the teacher, supported by the planning procedure and participation in moderation activities.

Standardised and Commercial Assessment

·       Salford or Hertfordshire reading test – every term

·       Vernon spelling test – every term

·       Optional ST’s in years 3,4 and 5 – May (Reading, Writing and Maths)

·       Key Stage 1 tasks and tests Feb – May (Reading, Writing, Spelling, Maths)

·       Key Stage 2 tests May (Reading, Writing, Spelling, Handwriting, Maths, Science)

·       Half termly maths tests/activity linked to key objectives

·       RM Snapshot Numeracy – Autumn and Summer term (From Sept 2001)

·       Bucks Baseline assessment

·       TA in Y1, Y2 and Y6 annually.

·       Assessed unaided writing – Autumn and May

Frequency of Assessment

The pupils’ progress is monitored against specific learning objectives as identified in the daily lesson plans; personal and social skills are continually observed. Summative assessment takes place at clearly specified times.

6                 Curriculum planning and assessment

Teachers assess curriculum delivery and pupils’ work to inform future curriculum planning to enable differentiation to take place effectively.

The success of the learning process is measured by regular and ongoing assessment. Provision for assessment should be built into long, medium and short term plans as follows:

Long term plans. Our school has a long term curriculum overview which ensures coverage of all Programmes of Study and progress and continuity within each subject.

Medium term plans. These should show learning objectives; planned activities (can show possible differentiation); resources and assessment criteria or activities. Some of our school’s plans are based on the QCA schemes of work.

Short term plans. These show the learning objectives for lessons; differentiated activities; what/who to be assessed, evaluation of the assessment and key questions and vocabulary.

Assessment should also allow for the unexpected as well as intended activities. (The learning objective for the activity may be to know by heart facts for the 2 and 10 times table, a child may well demonstrate evidence of facts for the 5 times table as well.)

7        Ensuring accuracy and consistency of teachers' assessment

A moderation process is required that ensures:

·       Discussions are held between teachers to decide what constitutes evidence of attainment;

·       Agreement trials are held within the school and between schools – National and L.E.A. exemplification materials are used to assist this process;

·       A school portfolio is currently being formed of moderated work to use as a reference document for all teachers in the school. To include the entire range of National Curriculum levels, including Baseline.

8         Target setting

Targets are negotiated by pupil and teacher to ensure that personal, social and emotional achievements, organisational skills, self discipline and attitudes are considered alongside the academic achievements of each individual child. Such achievements are recognised in several ways, for example:

·       by praise and encouragement

·       by awarding stickers

·       by awarding headteacher certificates

·       house points

·       informing parents

Targets can be set for different groups, for example:

·       Individual Pupil Targets – can be social/behavioural but must include academic targets (based on diagnostic, summative and formative assessment)

·       Group Target Setting – example, one group may be targeted for full stops (based on formative assessment)

·       Cohort Target Setting – based on analysis of summative and evaluative assessment)

·       School Target Setting – should be based on all of the above

9                 Recording and tracking

Record keeping and assessment provide the mechanism through which teachers can focus on the needs and attainment of each child. It is essential that the information recorded should be absolutely necessary, relevant and useful.

The recording process is based on evidence from:

·       observation

·       listening

·       questioning

·       referring to examples of pupils’ work

·       marking

·       setting tasks/tests

We keep records:

·       to record the pupils’ progress and ensure that the curriculum plans guarantee continuity and progression through the programmes of study from class to class;

·       to provide teachers with information which enable plans and schemes of work and the allocation of resources and teaching methods to be evaluated and modified where appropriate;

·       to provide information when pupils change to a different phase of schooling or move to another school;

·       to provide feedback to pupils as well as forming a basis for discussion about their strengths, weaknesses and areas for future focus;

·       to provide evidence which will be used as a basis for discussion with parents about the attainment and achievement of their children;

·       to provide material to be used in discussion with governors, the L.E.A. OFSTED, DfEE and other outside agencies about the overall performance of groups of pupils of the whole school.

Examples of Records

·       Weekly plans, termly plans, yearly plans.

·       Individual records of progress in specific subject areas- teachers’ own records, mark books.

·       Summative whole school records of attainment in National Curriculum subjects at the end of each Key Stage.

·       Entry profiles, i.e. Baseline assessment.

·       Formative records of attainment in pupils’ Assessment Folder/ book to consist of at least one termly piece of written work from English and Maths Test papers. Each piece will be annotated, levelled if appropriate and dated. Pieces of assessed work for other subjects can be added throughout the year. We consider pupils’ class workbooks to be portfolio material to demonstrate progress and attainment and to be used in discussion with pupils and parents.

·       Standardised tests + ½ termly tests in maths are kept for reference in Individual Assessment Folders (Red Folders).

·       The following assessments are retained until the end of Year 6:

i.           Baseline assessment

ii.          End of Key Stage 1 test papers, Optional Year 3,4 and 5 test papers.

·       A school portfolio of annotated pieces of pupils’ work, which has been, moderated in agreement trials held between teachers and updated regularly.

·       Assessment Summary Sheets are used for recording individual pupil’s attainment on a termly, bi-annual or annual basis. This enables the school to analyse the pupil’s progress, make forecasts based on knowledge of previous attainment and set accurate, challenging targets for the pupil.

10        Reporting

The education of the pupils in our school is considered to be a three way partnership between parents, pupils and teachers. To support this regular opportunities, both formal and informal, are provided for the pupil’s progress, attainment and achievement to be reviewed.

Formal reporting takes the following forms:

·       Termly consultation evenings where parents are offered a time for personal discussion with the teacher.

For example:

Autumn to talk about pupils’ annual targets;

Spring to discuss targets and progress and assist parents with understanding the targets;

Summer to discuss formal report and overall progress throughout the year.

·       An annual written report by the class teacher to the parent detailing the pupil’s progress as well as record the set targets, achievements and other activities. The report can also set out general comments on attitudes and behaviour.

·       At the end of the Key Stages additional information must be provided with the results of the Standard Assessments Tests and Tasks. Comparative school and national level information must also be provided at this time.

·       A summary of school results is made available to governors, L.E.A. OFSTED and DfEE according to statutory regulations.

·       The annual report of the governors and the school prospectus contain the above information and serve to inform the wider public.

11        Monitoring

The process of monitoring and evaluating the curriculum is the responsibility of curriculum co-ordinators for their subject area assisted by the Keystage Managers.

For the core subjects the following process enables monitoring to take place:

·       Annotated work samples illustrating the range of ability in each class are examined and moderated by teachers from both key stages;

·       Co-ordinators select an appropriate selection of examples for each level of attainment and mount them in a portfolio;

·       The portfolio is available to all teachers for the purpose of moderating their own class assessments;

·       The examples of work displayed in the portfolio should be updated as appropriate;

·       Teachers should mount displays of work for good work to celebrate the good work done by the children and promote interest and enthusiasm in the achievement of high standards;

·       Co-ordinators collect ‘key’ examples of work to illustrate progression;

·       Pick of the week assemblies, whereby teachers and pupils celebrate work that has been undertaken in classes.

12         Schedule of Formal Assessments Carried Out during the Year

Autumn Term

·         Vernon Spelling test

·         Herts. /Salford reading test

·         Story without help in green book

·         Half termly maths tests linked to key objectives

Spring term

·         Vernon Spelling test

·         Herts. /Salford reading test

·         Half termly maths tests linked to key objectives

·         Mock SATs in year 2 and year 6

Summer Term

·         Vernon Spelling test

·         Herts. /Salford reading test

·         Half termly maths tests linked to key objectives

·         Optional SATs in years 3,4 and 5

·         SATS in years 2 and 6

·         Story without help in green book

Our school aim is for every pupil to achieve his/her own potential. By assessing, monitoring and evaluating the work we do as an integral part of planning and delivering the curriculum, we are ensuring that we achieve this aim. However the assessment process must not detract from valuable teaching time. If assessment is an integral part of the teaching process, pupils are experiencing a teaching and learning environment in which they are able to achieve a potential that is under constant review.