KS3 Assessment Week Starts on Monday 25 th April 2016

All subjects have examinations and with the removal of coursework it requires students to write without drafting. Most subjects have longer mark answers which require extended writing. Students often miss getting marks within exams because they do not go into enough detail in their answers. Extended writing is a skill that they will need beyond HWGA. Students often give one or possibly two responses to a question and do not know how to extend their argument further to gain full marks. Students on post 16 courses need to be fully prepared within KS3/4 to write in depth. Students use the internet as a resource and often copy rather then filter the meaning and put it in their own words. Students struggle to write in formal language or write for a particular audience. All subjects have examinations and with the removal of coursework it requires students to write without drafting. Most subjects have longer mark answers which require extended writing. Students often miss getting marks within exams because they do not go into enough detail in their answers. Extended writing is a skill that they will need beyond HWGA. Students often give one or possibly two responses to a question and do not know how to extend their argument further to gain full marks. Students on post 16 courses need to be fully prepared within KS3/4 to write in depth. Students use the internet as a resource and often copy rather then filter the meaning and put it in their own words. Students struggle to write in formal language or write for a particular audience. Why focus on Extended Writing? - A reminder from the training day in Feb.

31-50 Secure subject knowledge Developing subject knowledge 0-20 Emerging subject knowledge Mark Scheme /50 All papers across the curriculum will be marked out of 50. This is in order for students to be able to compare easily how they are doing in each subject area they study. 50 marks in 50 minutes to aid time management. Section A consists of 30 marks covering knowledge and understanding of the learning throughout the year. These questions have marks ranging from 1-4 marks. Section B consists of 15 marks for an extended writing piece with an additional 5 marks for SPaG. Mark scheme for SPaG is on the front sheet of the test papers.

During the Assessment Week Rooms to be set up to support examination conditions. Students to sit in alphabetical order where possible to replicate KS4 exams. Students to be in silence throughout the test. Any students who do not adhere to this will get a letter sent home to their parents and spoken to by their HOY. Students who you feel it would be more appropriate for them to sit their test elsewhere, need to be accommodated by the dept/faculty – where possible. If a student needs to be removed beforehand then this needs to go through JYH. If a student is disruptive during the test please follow the academy guidelines and if necessary call for a member of the leadership team to remove the student. You are responsible for the classes you teach and decide when the assessment takes place in the week. All class teachers mark their own teaching groups. Where KS3 teaching load is unusually high, SAY will look to disperse some marking to staff with no KS3 teaching.

Marking & Feedback Marking to be completed in the time-frame of 4 weeks for the raw scores to be entered onto Bromcom. Students may have their test scores as and when you have marked them. Best practice is to go through common misconceptions in the paper as a class after the test. Allow students to revisit test papers and improve on their scores for motivation, although only the first test score will be reported to parents. Any students who gain 50/50 are to be praised using appropriate rewards. Any students who gain under 19 (emerging) need to be addressed within the faculty and intervention to take place. Moderation of needs to be in place. Faculty CPD time needs to be used to moderate marks. Ask all team members to bring a specific raw score from each of the 3 bands and swap/mark together.

W/B – 18 th April 2016 Mark schemes available to all staff. Student Assemblies on KS3 Assessments to take place. HOF’s to upload mark schemes to the J drive. SAY to brief students in assemblies for KS3 of protocol for examinations. W/B - 25 th April 2016Assessment Week All KS3 take Assessments in lesson time – 50 minute tests Weds 11 th May hours CPD time dedicated to marking and moderation in faculties. Moderation of marks to take place. Each department to standardise H/M/L from each teacher. Friday 27 th May 2016 Raw scores to be entered out of /50 onto Bromcom by 9am Raw scores to be entered onto Bromcom. Scores will be matched to descriptors (secure, developing, emerging) Reports to parentsScores based on knowledge and extended writing to be reported to parents. Timeline of deadlines