Achieving Ambitions

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Achieving Ambitions

ASSESSMENT POLICY

We guide our pupils on to the path to achieving their ambitions.

On their journey, they Love one another, Learn to achieve excellence, Laugh through enriching experiences and Live life

to the full.

Drafted by Senior Leadership Team Approved by Governors Teaching and Learning Autumn 2019

Reviewed Autumn 2019

Next Reviewed Autumn 2021 Assessment at St Mary’s Primary School Through the delivery and monitoring of Assessment, we will ensure that all children have opportunity to reach their potential. In April 2014 the Department for Education released ‘Assessment Principles’, a document outlining the core values all effective assessment systems should implement as part of the changes introduced with the 2014 national curriculum. As the ‘Government will not impose a single system for ongoing assessment’, it is up to schools to implement a system that can: ‘Give reliable information to parents about how their child, and their child’s school, is performing, help drive improvement for pupils and teachers and make sure the school is keeping up with external best practice and innovation. As part of our reforms to the National Curriculum, the previous system of ‘levels’ used to report children’s attainment and progress has been removed and replaced with ‘stages’. Our Philosophy of Assessment Assessment should have a purpose at every level for everyone involved:

Pupils should be given appropriate feedback on their learning from the formative assessments carried out by class teachers.

Class teachers should be able to use formative assessment to support planning and implementation of a curriculum designed to meet the needs of learners.

Teachers and school leaders should be able to use assessment to help ensure that the pupils who need specified intervention are quickly identified, appropriately supported and monitored so that all can fully achieve their potential and no one is left behind to struggle.

School leaders should be able to use summative assessment as a tool for monitoring the progress and attainment of pupils make, to ensure the school is helping pupils’ achieve their potential.

Parents should be able to get a clear and accurate sense of their child’s achievement and progress as well as areas where they can support development.

Governors should be able to use data to ensure the school is supporting pupils learning effectively.

Schools can provide data for inspection teams to show how children are performing.

Local schools collaborate to ensure our assessment systems are robust through sharing of good practice and regular moderation.

The New National Curriculum has set out clear expectations for what children should achieve by the end of each key stage and, for English, Maths and Science they have provided guidance as to when in each phase this content should be covered. In order to monitor the progress of our pupils towards meeting these expectations we will be using a system called Target Tracker. Tracking Attainment and Progress with Steps To track pupil attainment Target Tracker has devised a system of steps. This performs the function of communicating progression and attainment in a simple format that may be aggregated to produce reports of overall and average progress. This is based on a carefully considered logical approach to assessment and follows on from the assessment system in EYFS. The terminology has been selected for consistency and clarity, but also to avoid any suggested judgement when describing the attainment of pupils working below the expected band for their year group. Each year band has been broken down into six steps: beginning (b) beginning + (b+) working within (w) working within + (w+) secure (s) secure + (s+) The three broader sections may be thought of in these terms:

Beginning - Pupil learning is chiefly focused on the criteria of the band. There may be minimal targets from the previous year’s stage that the pupil will need to meet.

Working within – Pupil learning is fully focused on the criteria for the band. Up to 70% of the statements are confidently achieved.

Secure – Confidence in all of the criteria for the band. There may be pupil learning still focused on gaining thorough confidence in some minimal elements but the broad expectations for the band have been met.

Where the sections have been broken down into steps this is designed to allow class teachers to represent and report progress for a pupil where they may not feel that the best fit is within the next section. For example, a pupil may be assessed as Band 2 Beginning in the Autumn Term. The next time

the class teacher records a summative assessment they may not feel that the pupil has progressed to Working Within, but the pupil has made progress. An assessment of Beginning + allows that progress to be represented and will feed through to overall class and key stage reporting. The inability to record smaller progress measures was a frustrating issue with the outgoing levels (and points) system. Class teachers keep an ongoing record of the step at which each child in their class is working for reading, writing and mathematics. Mathematics and writing assessment is recorded on a Mathematics Assessment Criteria (MAC) sheet and a Writing Assessment Criteria (WAC) sheet, which are kept in pupils’ exercise books. The Reading Assessment Criteria (RAC) sheet is kept by the class teacher for use in guided reading sessions. The targets on these sheets are dated throughout the year when the teacher judges that the child has achieved them. This could be through formative or summative assessment. The school also encourages other members of staff who work with the children to contribute to these assessment sheets. The achieved targets on these sheets should then be highlighted to indicate the term in which the pupil was adjudged to have achieved them. The targets are highlighted as follows:

Autumn - Orange

Spring - Green

Summer - Blue It is important that the children understand their own targets and that explicit links are made between these targets and the learning objective of each session. The pupils should be able to identify their current targets in the context of their learning and their ‘next steps’. At appropriate termly intervals, class teachers will record the step at which each child is working at on Target Tracker. This means it will be easy for the school to monitor pupil attainment in the context of age related expectation and progress over time to help children reach the new secondary ready standard. Lower achieving pupils may be working as a band below their current year, and can be recorded as such. In exceptional circumstances, some pupils may be recorded as working above the band of their current year. Pupils Working Below Band 1 Year 1 Pupils who are working below the beginning of the Year 1 band can still be assessed in the EYFS 40 – 60 W, 40 – 60 W+, 40 – 60S, or 40 – 60S+ month band steps. EYFS In Early Years, teachers assess children on entry to reception using our own base line check of key skills. In Reception, children are continuing to be assessed against the Foundation Stage Profile. Evidence of judgements against each of the statements is collected through observations, books and discussions. The school engages in regular moderation of these judgements within our own Portslade Cluster. We also record our data through the use of 2 Simple Software and have now added Reception to Target Tracker.

How is Target Tracker used? Each half term the class data is collected and analysed by class teachers and subject leaders. Individual pupil progress is monitored as well as that of specific groups. Interventions are targeted and reviewed based on the data collected. The leadership team review the whole school data in connection with the school development plan and pupil progress across the school is considered. Data sheets from Target tracker are used within half termly pupil progress meetings which are conducted by the head teacher and core subject leaders. The school Governors meet half termly to review data. Governors can assess data through target tracker sheets as well as supplementary data devised by the Senior Leadership Team as well as schools’ performance data from Raise Online, the school information pack and the Abor Report. Responsibility

All staff are responsible for the formative and summative assessment of their pupils. Teachers are regularly trained in our approach to assessment.

The assessment co-ordinator is responsible for assessment. The Headteacher with support from the Senior Leadership Team and assessment co-ordinator is

responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of assessment practice in the school. Effective assessment will be seen in pupil progress against national expectation, and increased

awareness of teachers’ judgements within their age groups

Effectiveness of assessment will be judged through target setting in line with national expectations; ongoing half-termly pupil progress meetings – at which teachers present the results of their own analysis of assessment data, to be discussed in detail; termly meetings with the Teaching and Learning committee; and scrutiny of work and assessment by subject leaders

Standardisation and Moderation To make our assessments we:

Use Assessment for learning

Use Learning Walks to clearly show how children can move forward their own learning and celebrate success.

Set clear targets in conjunction with the pupil.

Explain clear learning objectives and success criteria at the start and end of every lesson

Use a clear system for giving feedback through marking so that pupils are clear about their next steps.

We encourage peer assessment and self-assessment, so that they can become reflective and self-managing.

Internal monitoring of class books is carried out regularly each half term. Within our cluster of schools we ensure that we continue to develop robust assessment which compares well with other schools in our locality. We take part in local moderation meetings in our cluster to ensure parity in our judgements and engage in local authority moderation processes to confirm our judgments. Year 1 and 2 Phonics Check In June all Year 1 pupils’ progress in phonics is assessed. Each child is assessed individually by their teacher. They are asked to read 20 real and 20 pseudo-words in order to assess their decoding ability. Any child currently in year 2 who did not achieve the pass mark in Year 1 retakes the test.

Additional Assessment In order to support teacher assessment further, our school carries out additional testing on a half termly basis in reading, writing, mathematics and SPaG. We use Accelerated Reader (a computer programme which tests comprehension skills) to support teacher assessments in reading. In addition, we use Rising Stars assessment resources to assess progress in writing, mathematics and SPaG. All intervention programmes consist of a baseline assessment which is used to assess the impact of the intervention as well as further evidence to support teacher assessment. Reporting to parents The Target Tracker assessment system makes it easy for us to clearly communicate pupil attainment and progress to parents. By using the step assessments, teachers can clearly help parents understand whether their child is working at the appropriate point for their age and, by using the highlighted statements, can provide guidance on what children need to do to progress. Parents receive one written report in the summer term. In the report, the teacher will refer to the progress a child has made and if they are at the expected stage for a child of their age. Parents are offered formal opportunities to discuss their child on two occasions throughout the year. 2simple is used by the teacher to capture examples of behaviour, spiritual, moral & social evidence and topic activities including outdoor learning, which will be given to parents half termly in Reception. A new online resource called Tapestry has been purchased and will now be used to record and share evidence of the Reception children’s learning – in school and at home – between parents and teachers. On-going systems Reading records Accelerated Reader - KS2 Spelling tests SPAG tests Reading Comprehensions Writing levelling Maths key objective checklists Benchmarking as needed Foundation Stage profile Mental maths tests

Formative records Summative records

Individual record keeping in the class assessment file. Marking comments in exercise books. Foundation observations for Profiles.

SATs and QCA results Summer reports Target Tracker/SIMS Assessment Manager Data (Maths, Literacy, Science, RE) Rising Stars assessment tracker Maths Assessment Sheets Foundation profiles

Data Storage

Assessment information is stored in: Class assessment folder In the front of literacy and numeracy books Target Tracker for reading, writing, maths, science and RE SIMS Assessment Manager for end of Key Stage and Phonics Screening Checks INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

Assessment

Our method of assessment Assessment serves many purposes, but its main purpose is to help teachers, pupils and parents plan their next steps in learning. We assess pupils against agreed assessment criteria based on National Curriculum objectives. Assessment criteria are arranged hierarchically setting out what pupils are normally expected to

achieve by the end of each academic year. Formative (on-going) assessment is integral to lessons and planned for. Staff and pupils assess progress and attainment using the school’s own Assessment Criteria

Sheets for writing - WAC sheets, (which includes grammar, punctuation & spelling) and mathematics - MAC sheets.

Standardised assessment tasks and tests are used alongside teachers’ professional judgements to further ensure rigor and robust procedures.

The achievement of each pupil is assessed against broader bands/stages of yearly objectives at appropriate times of the school year.

So what should age related expectation attainment and progress look like? Beginning – Pupil learning is chiefly focused on the criteria for the band. There may be minimal elements of the previous band still to gain complete confidence in Working Within – Pupil learning is fully focused on the criteria for the stage. Up to 70% of the statements are confidently achieved. Pupils achieving W+ are working with Age Related Expectations for that year group. Secure – Confidence in all of the criteria for the band. There may be pupil learning still focused on gaining thorough confidence in some minimal elements but the broad expectations for the band have been met Each band/stage is further broken down into six steps to enable more focused analysis of pupil

progress: ‘beginning’, ‘beginning plus’, ‘working within’, ‘working within plus’, ‘secure’ or ‘secure plus’

Where a pupil is assessed as below or above expectation their needs will be met through support or challenge. Where pupils are assessed as working ‘well below’ or ‘well above’ expectations additional provision will be considered.

Assessments judgements are recorded and backed up by a body of evidence using observations, records of work and testing.

• For a pupil to attain thorough coverage of the year band, children should reach the secure (or s)

step by the end of the appropriate year. However w+ is considered within age related expectation.

The Assessment Ladder

Most pupils will start from

the bottom of the

assessment ladder when

they begin in Reception.

From this point forward

they are continually working

to climb the ladder until

they leave in Year 6.

Progress is measured from

each pupil’s different

starting point throughout

each year.

Year 6

Summer Band 6 Within+

/Secure (ARE)

Spring Band 6 Within

Autumn Band 6 Beginning

Year 5


/Secure (ARE)



Year 4


/Secure (ARE)



Year 3


/Secure (ARE)



Year 2


/Secure (ARE)



Year 1

Summer Band 1 Within+/

Secure (ARE)



Reception

Summer EYFS GLD

Within+/Secure

(ARE)

Spring 40-60 Within

Autumn 40-60 beginning

Sharing levels and targets

The assessment sheets for writing and maths are written in a way that allows us to assess the children’s

achievements, set them next step targets and share them with parents. The sheets are stuck in the front of

children’s books and become part of our and their formative assessment (what I can do and what I need

to do) and part of teachers, subject leaders and leadership summative assessment (the level the children

are at).

A ‘triangle’ key is used in order to show achievement in each expectation target.

Key

- I can achieve this with a little help

- I can achieve this independently

- I can teach someone else this

Year 1

Autumn 1

assessment

End of

Year 1

target

End of

Year 2

target

End of

Year 3

target

End of

Year 4

target

End of

Year 5

target

End of

Year 6

target

40-60W+ 1W+ 2W+ 3W+ 4W+ 5W+ 6W+

Achieving Ambitions

Documents

Transcript of Achieving Ambitions