Information evening for parents Mill View Primary School Mill View Primary School Assessment without levels Strategic School Development Plan Susan Walters

Assessment without national curriculum levels The government introduced a new curriculum in September 2014 and new forms of assessment were developed to align its content and principles. Last academic year we continued to report to you in terms of national curriculum levels (e.g. Level 2b); however, from September 2015 national curriculum levels will no longer be used. In removing curriculum levels the government has given schools the freedom to develop their own approaches to assessment linked into their own curriculum. At Mill View senior leaders, alongside leaders at Boughton Heath and Kelsall, researched new practice models of assessment to consider how we can best use assessment for teaching and learning, and all 3 schools have agreed to use an online pupil tracking system called O’Track. level 2a level 3b level 4

Rationale for change Often levels were viewed as thresholds and teaching became focused on getting children across the threshold instead of ensuring they were secure in knowledge and understanding Depth and breadth of understanding were sometimes sacrificed in favour of pace Levels were used as a ‘best fit’ model, which meant a child could have gaps in their knowledge and understanding, but still be placed within a level For example, level 4 in mathematics raw score 43 – 78 in 2015

Standardised summative assessment What is assessment? School Formative assessment Summative assessment National Standardised summative assessment There are three main forms of assessment: in-school formative assessment, which is used by teachers to evaluate pupils’ knowledge and understanding on a day-to-day basis and to tailor teaching accordingly; in-school summative assessment, which enables schools to evaluate how much a pupil has learned at the end of a teaching period; and nationally standardised summative assessment, which is used by the Government to hold schools to account.

Formal assessment – the national picture Reception Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Early Years Framework Phonics screening check Standardised tests to inform teacher assessment in mathematics (arithmetic & reasoning), reading, grammar, punctuation & spelling No standardised tests Externally marked standardised tests in mathematics (arithmetic & reasoning); reading and spelling, punctuation & grammar. Teacher assessment in writing Judgement report to parents in child’s annual report Met the expected levels of development, or exceeding expected levels, or not yet reaching expected levels (‘emerging’) Met or not met the expected standard Working towards, working at or working at a greater depth

In school formative assessment In-school formative assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. It allows teachers to understand pupil performance on a continuing basis. It enables teachers to identify when pupils are struggling, when they have mastered a concept and when they are ready for challenge at greater depth. In this way, it supports teachers to provide appropriate support or challenge as necessary. It also enables teachers to evaluate their own teaching of particular topics or concepts and to plan future lessons accordingly. Teachers plan to teach objectives from the national curriculum Teachers observe, ask questions, & mark the children’s work Teachers adapt the children’s learning & their teaching Children peer and self assess their learning Teachers judge whether a child has achieved the objective Teacher records day to day assessment on class track

Formative assessment informing planning

Formative assessment informing planning

Formative assessment informing planning

Formative assessment informing planning

Formative assessment informing planning

Formative assessment informing planning

In school formative assessment – day to day Teachers judge whether a child has achieved the objective and records it on the electronic system O’Track regularly Grey – Objective not being assessed Red – Does not fully understanding the objective Amber – Showing signs of understanding the objective Green – Understands the objective Purple – Embedded Skill

In school summative assessment At the end of each term a summary judgement is made as to whether a child is achieving below, within or above end of year age related expectations set out in the national curriculum In the autumn term it would be typical for the vast majority of the children to be working below or emerging within their year group curriculum. At the end of the summer term it would be typical for the vast majority of children to be working at age related expectations. There will be some children who are working at a greater depth of learning for their age. If a child has specific learning difficulties it may be typical for that child to be working below their age related expectation. In your child’s annual report you will receive a summative assessment judgement about your child’s achievement in English (reading, writing, spelling & grammar), mathematics and science. age related expectations below working within working at a greater depth emerging developing working at

Tracking your child’s achievement Your child’s achievement is tracked from their last national assessment in reading, writing and mathematics to where we predict their achievement may be at the end of the year. Regular discussions with pupils, teachers and teaching assistants alongside moderation of pupil’s work informs our judgements. Teaching and learning opportunities for support and challenge to enable children to achieve are planned as a result of analysing the assessment information termly.

Tracking a child’s achievement in handwriting

School website www.millviewschool.co.uk Further information School website www.millviewschool.co.uk Curriculum Information tab Annual curriculum overviews for each year group Termly curriculum newsletters for each year group Mathematics – calculations phases Handwriting standards, with examples Spelling standards Reading information If you have any further questions at anytime, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you.