ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING POLICY

ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING POLICY

Introduction

Staff and governors are agreed that the purpose of assessment is to complement and inform thinking, teaching and learning in the school. It is an integral part of the curriculum and follows the equal opportunities policy. Assessment is a statutory requirement and is closely linked with planning, recording, marking and evaluation.

Aims

The aims of assessment at this school are to promote partnership between learners, teachers, T.A.s, parents and other interested parties by giving:

· pupils an understanding through marking, peer, and self assessment and discussion about what is being learned and taught

· guidance about progress that can be made, and recognition of what has been achieved

· teachers a range of information which help them plan work best suited to the pupil’s stage of development

· parents clear communication about their children’s achievements, further needs and progress, which encourage their involvement and contribution

· governors, advisors and inspectors data and evidence of children’s progress

Forms of Assessment

Pupil’s learning is assessed in three ways:

· formative, providing on-going assessment

· diagnostic, providing a detailed picture of a child’s capability

· summative, providing a spot check on children’s progress

Teachers:

· help children make progress by indicating strengths and identifying areas for improvement

· maintain a positive yet realistic approach to pupils’ progress which is then reflected in their records

· identify any pupil with special educational needs and indicating the appropriate additional support or modifications that may be required

· help pupils develop the skills needed to become reflective learners and to contribute to the assessment of their own progress and that of their peers

· give a shared understanding of clear and explicit learning

· focus on learning processes as well as learning outcomes

· determine the educational value added by the school for individuals and groups of pupils, and how these achievements relate to national expectations.

· provide a means for the school to evaluate the curriculum it offers and the development of the whole child

· encourage parental awareness of the school’s assessments and involvement in their child’s progress

· record keeping and reporting

Record Keeping:

· all records kept by teachers are manageable, accessible and useful to staff, parents and pupils

· all records are kept in a common agreed format to allow the sharing information

· records contain annotated examples of children’s work as evidence to substantiate and clarify teachers’ assessments

Reporting:

· reports are clear, positive and use language that is understandable to parents

· the content of reports relate directly to the records and evidence kept by the teacher

· reports help teachers, pupils and parents to plan a pupil’s next steps in learning

GUIDELINES

Formal Assessment

Admission: prospective parents are given a pre- school profile to fill in with their children and a booklet is given to the child to complete during pre-school visits. Children will be assessed during their first month at school, in the reception class, using a baseline assessment or upon entering school at a later stage using transfer documentation sent by previous school and any other means the class teacher deems appropriate.

Child Profiles: all children are assessed during the Foundation Stage. The information from Child Profiles are shared with parents (during consultation sessions), staff, governors and the Local Authority.

Key Stage 1: during term 5 Year 2 children are formally assessed using Q.C.A. material in English and maths. The percentage of children working towards level 1, at level 1, 2 and 3 are recorded and analysed by staff. Teachers also assess children’s levels in science.

Key Stage 2: during the second week in May Year 6 children take externally set tasks in English, maths and science. These are marked by external markers. The school receives the results for each individual child in the three subjects. These are recorded and analysed by staff.

End of year Optional Tests: children in years 3, 4 and 5 will take end of year tests devised by the QCA for the purpose. A brief report in July made for governors which explains the results, the strengths and weaknesses. These are then analysed in more detail in term 1 or 2 when the contextualised Panda is available.

Teacher assessment: at the end of each Key Stage (1 and 2) a teacher assessment (TA) must be made at the level achieved in each of the three core subjects of English, maths and science. These will be based on the work children do throughout the school year and the results of their tests. Teacher assessment will be made continuously throughout all of the child’s education at the school.

Transfer: pupils who move to another school during a key stage will take with them their latest TA levels for the three core subjects and any other information to ease transfer (see transfer policy).

The Process of assessment

Teacher assessment carries the same weight as tests.

Planning: the mission and curriculum statement will be followed in planning to reinforce the emphasis on breadth and balance of this school’s curriculum. Members of staff will refer to the curriculum map to inform their planning and be familiar with programmes of study.

The three main areas of planning involve:

long-term (termly) plans
medium-term (termly) plans. Teachers produce identifying programmes of study and curriculum coverage with assessment opportunities for all subjects. There is an assessment timetable for the core curriculum subjects.
Short-term plans (weekly and daily). Teachers planning files will be used to identify the children’s learning experience, development of skills and knowledge, practical problem solving and creativity linked to the school and national curriculum.

Entitlement: all children will be assessed in subject areas as outlined in this document. Able children and children with learning difficulties may require more in terms of daily comment or monitoring of progress against the programmes of study. Children are their own and their peer assessors and with their teachers evolve ways assessing their learning appropriate to their ability and age. Many of the techniques exemplified in Prof. Paul Black’s pamphlet “Working inside the Black Box” are used.

Teacher assessments are:

ongoing throughout the year and often inform future teaching
carried out in the context of the objectives of their lessons
used to enable children to demonstrate what they know
both formal and informal in the approach as appropriate
rigorous in its application

Assessments in the Foundation Subjects: assessments made in the foundation subjects will be used as a basis for reporting to parents.

Children’s assessment of their own work: children are encouraged to assess their own work and be reflective about it. They discuss their work with their teachers and are encouraged to respond to comments made in the marking of their work. Children also work collaboratively, assess each other’s work and find ways to improve on what they have done together.

Teachers discuss with their pupils the levels they have achieved at the end of each year in the core subjects, record this on the cohort tracking and target setting proformas and set targets for the following year. Useful information is thus provided for the children’s new class teacher and is a basis for discussion on what children will do their best to achieve during the school year.

Children agree targets with their class teacher. These are both academic and personal.

Moderation and Portfolios: year group teachers, key stage teams and co-ordinators moderate work assessments. Subject co-ordinators are responsible for the compilation of portfolios and keep them up to date. The aims of moderation are as follows:

to give teachers confidence in making consistent judgements of children’s work
to work towards consistent judgements of children’s work with other schools
to help to improve continuity and progression of teaching and foster similar expectations amongst teachers in this school
to inform parents and governors that the above aims are being given all due attention
to provide evidence for inspectors and the local authority of pupils progress

The staff have prepared assessments for each year group in the core curriculum subjects throughout the school year. Moderation sessions follow these assessments within year groups and then across the age range with subject co-ordinators. This leads to further discussion and reflection of the quality of learning and teaching and informs future planning.

The role of the subject co-ordinator

Subject co-ordinators:

ensure that assessment timetable is followed
lead staff moderation and analysis
compare assessments with previous years, by keeping moderated work portfolios in core curriculum subjects from reception to Year 6
reflect upon and if necessary change assessment material after consultation with staff
increase staff awareness of progression through moderation and analysis session
build up moderation portfolios
provide a brief written report to ‘link governors’ and the curriculum committee
use some non-contact time to look at children’s exercise books, and other aspects of their work with a view to commenting on continuity, progression and marking

Recording, Profiling and Reporting

Class teachers keep a blue ring file for each child which contain work samples, certificates (photocopied if necessary), mid-year work and PHSE questionnaire and assessments from reception to Year 6.

Core subjects: teachers may make informal notes on a day to day basis on children’s progress which is purely for their own benefit and often helps to plan well matched work. In English, records are kept for reading and work samples. Records are kept using programmes of study in maths and science. Staff will often use children’s exercise books as the on-going and most effective form of record when discussing a child’s work with parents. Assessments of each child are kept in their individual profiles.

Foundation subjects: one R.E. work sample are put in the individual profiles each term. Project work (mainly humanities) may be used for assessment purposes in parent/teacher consultations.

Formal records of achievement in the national curriculum and other learning show progress over a period. These often help to form the basis of the end of year report or any other report that may be required during a child’s time in the school.

Personal and social skills: an aide memoire has been provided for all staff covering aspects of behaviour, independence and attitude. Staff generally make comments or notes when there is problem. Children also make written comments about their progress. These are kept in their profiles.

Reporting to parents: annual written reports of all children’s progress are sent home every year towards the end of the summer term. Parents are part of the assessment, recording and profiling process when attending curriculum sharing evenings and parent/curriculum evenings (given in a variety of subject areas). Parent teacher consultations can be arranged in the autumn term (if required), spring term, (all parents usually attend) and summer (if requested – offered when the written report goes out) terms.

Review

All staff evaluate the effectiveness and content of this policy, on an annual basis. The effectiveness of the policy is the responsibility of the assessment co-ordinator.

The school expectations of achievement in the core curriculum subject areas at K.S.1 will be as follows depending on the year group:

English: between 75% and 85% levels 2b, 2a, 3

Maths: between 75% and 85% levels 2b, 2a, 3

Science: between 85% and 95% levels 4 and 5

Progress report on academic achievement in English and maths throughout the school – February 2006.

MATHS ENGLISH

Yr 6: 67% on track 35 L5s 79% O.T. 35 L5s

(more to come?) (more to come)all made real progress against targets. Problem for 5A exceed. SB not a factor. High percentage high achieve girls but boys not far behind

Yr 5: 55% on track 70% O.T.

25% (2c group) possibles 30% (writing a problem) 20% real difficulty

Academically weaker year group. SB not a factor - girls certainly doing better. Most children achieving targets

Yr 4: SB not a factor

2 out of three class girls and boys similar attainment and progress

Yr 3: SB not a factor. All three classes boys and girls similar attainment and progress

In both year groups 30% of children not O.T. 50% of which have real learning difficulties.

Yr 2: SB could be a factor here – a young year group 45%

Weaker year group

Yr1: JPs class boys and girls progress and attainment similar

MMs class girls’ progress and attainment is better

W 50% O.T.

Y 50% not approx concerns – lighthouse group

Grp 20% with real learning difficulties

F.S 45% SB 9 August birthdays 70 -75% should hit targets

PH group of bright boys by the end of the year

On track (O.T.) means should achieve Level 4 plus at the end of Year 6.

Review Date	Page	Line	Amendment
New 2007			Written

DATE POLICY LAST REWRITTEN: 2007