Key Stage 3 Assessment at The Becket School Information evening Monday 30th October 2017

Aims To provide an update on significant changes to the Secondary School Curriculum. To outline how The Becket School is responding to National changes to support our students KS3 students. To outline how progress of a Year 7/8 student will be reported home.

National changes New National curriculum introduced in September 2014 at Key Stage 3. ‘Life after levels agenda’. Schools are no longer required to use levels to monitor and record progress. New GCSEs in all subjects, all will be graded 1-9. New headline figures - Progress/Attainment 8. Reporting began Summer 2016 Stronger emphasis on English Baccalaureate shaping KS4 curriculum - need to prepare them in KS3. New AS/A2 specifications for all subjects (began Sept 2016). AS has become decoupled from A2. Go through the changes – see it in context. Cannot see any KS as being separate from the other. At KS3, KS2 feed into it and KS3 needs to prepare KS4.

A National Picture of Constant Change The one constant is that as a school we will always do what is right for the young people at The Becket

Life after Levels – why have levels gone? The expectation is that all secondary schools no longer report using NC levels, but will be using a new approach based on formative assessment to support student attainment and progression. Formative Assessment - refers to a wide variety of methods that teachers use to conduct in-process evaluations of student comprehension, learning needs, and academic progress during a lesson, unit, or course. “We believe this system is complicated and difficult to understand, especially for parents. It also encourages teachers to focus on a pupil’s current level, rather than consider more broadly what the pupil can actually do” (DfE 2013) Ensure that assessment is personalsied to the learner. Also focussed on giving the correct information n to teachers so that progress is maximised.

Key principles KS3 Assessment Progress is monitored from each student’s starting point. Students are clear on what they need to understand and demonstrate within their learning – Learner descriptors. Students are checked regularly though Learner checks. Learner checks are carefully planned to ensure they assess a student’s progress towards the Learner Descriptors. Smaller formative checks of learning are built into lessons (e.g. quizzes, Q&A, exit tickets……) Teachers use feedback from the Learner Checks to address gaps/strengths. They ay set individual targets or adapt planning to close learning gaps. Students are expected to respond, to a high standard, to targets set.

KS3 Assessment: the structure Baseline data – getting the starting point. Baseline data: KS2 scores and internal core baseline tests in English, Maths and Science. Deep and holistic understanding of where each student is. Provides a secure understanding of where a student’s starting point is. Pathway to progression Using this data each student is allocated an appropriate pathway (Learner Stage) from their starting point. The Learner Stages may vary from subject to subject Each Learner Stage outlines what they must do/demonstrate (Learner Descriptors) by the end of the year in each subject to make good progress. Reinforce that we have used a range of data to ensure we have the correct starting point. Baseline data is not used to set students – used to inform teachers

The Learner Stages Foundation (F7) You are starting to form simple ideas based on the key descriptors that reflect the expected standards of knowledge, understanding and skills for your subject. You can recall and produce ideas. Developing (D7) You are beginning to develop some of the key descriptors that reflect the expected standard of knowledge, understanding and skills for your subject. You can recall and reproduce ideas. Secure (S7) You are able to demonstrate independently all of the key descriptors that reflect the expected standard of knowledge, understanding and skills within the subject. You can link and relate ideas with increasing competence and demonstrate independence of thought Advancing (A7) You demonstrate independently all of the key descriptors that reflect the standard of knowledge, understanding and skills within the subject. You can readily revisit and apply learning in new contexts. You link and relate ideas effectively and consistently employ independent strategies for thinking and reasoning Excellence (E7) You display a deep understanding and expertise in the subject, demonstrating all of the key descriptors within the subject. You can extend and apply your ideas effectively in familiar and unfamiliar contexts, and you can demonstrate extended thinking beyond what is expected at this age.

The Learner Stages Majority of students will be on the Secure (S7) Learner Stage pathway. Important to note that these Learner Stage pathways are not fixed and transition between the different Stages can and will occur when appropriate. Also important that there is no ceiling for students – students will always have the opportunity to be challenged in their learning. Very few students will be assigned the Learner Stage Excellence (E7). If your child is assigned ‘Secure 7 (S7) as a target at the start of the academic year, they would be making good progress if they met the Year 7 Secure Learner Descriptors for the year. This would then lead onto Secure 8 (S8) as a target for the following year.

The Learner descriptors Each subject has a list of key content/skills that each child needs to demonstrate within their Learner Stage. These Learner Descriptors are available in each student’s book for reference. They can also be accessed on the website. Knowledge skills organisers – Planned to be issued with the first student report. Students will be assessed against these descriptors regularly through Learner Checks to track progress within their Learner Stage.

3. Choose your subject area 1. Click on parent information 2. Click on curriculum information

4. Click on Year 7 assessment tab at the top.

Learner Descriptors: MFL

What are Learner Checks? Below is a list of characteristics of a Learner Check: Independent activity that assesses a student’s progress towards meeting the set Learner Descriptors. Can be a variety of activities/tasks – test (open or closed book), piece of extended writing, problem solving activity, experiment write up, monologue, etc. Assesses some or all of the intended Learner Descriptors. Set across the subject. Conducted at appropriate regular times (within units of work). Vary in length e.g. Maybe a 30 minute activity or a whole hour. Does not have to be linked to a grade/level, but formative feedback from the teacher must be provided along with response time for the student to address any gaps in learning. These will act as key pieces of work that will be marked in depth by the teacher (see Section 6 on marking and feedback). They must be visible to the student by being retained in their exercise books/files so it is part of their learning journey.

Reporting

Attitude to learning

Setting Year 7 Maths – End of November, 7 sets across the whole of year 7. English – Next Monday (6th November), 7 sets across the whole year 7 German/French – Christmas, 3 sets in each half year group. All other subjects are mixed ability.

Key Dates WB 30th October – Learner Stages for each subject will be issued via letter. 1st December – Progress reports 1 sent home 9th March – Progress reports 2 sent home 13th March – Year 7 Parents evening 6th July – Progress reports 3 sent home