Assessment: Parents Update

Aims Develop an understanding of the new assessment procedures and how these will be used within our school Group size of 7 leadership team members

New Government Assessment Procedures (replacing current Levels) Schools must be clear why pupils are being assessed, what the assessment is intended to achieve and how the assessment information will be used. The Commission has not sought to prescribe any specific model of assessment, but to highlight the principles which should underpin any approach.

What is the purpose of assessment?

There are three broad overarching forms of assessment, each with its own purposes Day-to-day in-school formative assessment, for example: • Question and answer during class • Marking of pupils’ work • Observational assessment • Regular short re-cap quizzes • Scanning work for pupil attainment and development In-school summative assessment, for example: • End of year exams • Short end of topic or unit tests • Reviews for pupils with SEN and disabilities Nationally standardised summative assessment, for example: • National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 (85% Secondary Ready) • National Curriculum teacher assessments at the end of Key Stage 1

New Assessment Procedures Focus on achieving a deeper understanding of fewer topics, through problem-solving, questioning and encouraging deep thinking Learning is broken down into discrete units and presented in a logical order Teachers deliver high quality instruction followed by formative assessment that shows what each individual pupil has learnt and what they still need to work on This approach will allow for specific ‘corrective’ activities to be designed that will help pupils to master the topic, subject concept or content Levels were used as a measure of overall attainment which did not represent pupil performance well There was little focus on deepening, consolidating or widening understanding. Depth and breadth of understanding were sometimes sacrificed in favour of pace Levels were used as a ‘best fit’ model which meant that a pupil could have gaps in their knowledge and understanding but still be assumed to be within a level The descriptors were often open to interpretation which meant different teachers could make different judgements

Formative Assessment Formative written feedback versus traditional marking: “the difference between getting a medical and getting a post mortem” All feedback should cause thinking, not comparing Clarify, understand, and share the learning intention Generate classroom discussions, tasks and activities Provide feedback that moves learners forward Develop students as owners of their own learning …and one big idea Use evidence about learning to adapt what happens in classrooms to meet student needs Dylan Williams Sharing learning intention Classroom dialogue Feedback Collaboration Owners of own learning A good teacher - pilot • Establishes where the students are in their learning • Identifies the learning destination • Carefully plans a route • Begins the learning journey • Makes regular checks on progress on the way • Makes adjustments to the course as conditions dictate Use evidence about learning to adapt what happens in classrooms to meet student needs

Tracking Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Beginning Beginning+ Working Within Working Within + Surpassing Surpassing+ Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

What’s different Read widely and often, for both pleasure and information Acquire a wide vocabulary Express themselves Elegance: sentence formation Grammar, punctuation and Spelling Formal written methods

Accuracy and correctness Handwriting and Spelling Grammar and Punctuation Elegance: formation of sentences Expression Maths – Formal written methods, tables