Slide sequence A

The commission in a nutshell High quality classroom assessment is paramount It’s up to individual schools to choose a suitable form of internal assessment Urged to avoid tickbox mentality Set up new working parties on assessment, ITT , data management and pupils working below NC standard. Establish a bank of online test questions Provide training on principles of assessment

ONE YEAR ON…. Reasons to be cheerful

1 The can-do approach is honest, and easier than ‘grey zone’ assessment.

2 The objectives have proven themselves to be smart, observable and easy to use.

3 Everyone supports an ‘assessment for learning’ approach, and close monitoring improves forward planning.

4 Composing new assessment systems has helped to reskill teachers. …though there has been a workload cost.

5 Ofsted have a great track record on assessment for learning, and reports so far have been sensible and proportionate.

ONE YEAR ON…. Unfinished business

1 Where is my management information?

2 What has happened to writing? SPAG Handwriting Range Ideas Meaning Text types Genres Appropriateness Drafting What has happened to writing?

3 The lack of shared metrics

4 The mystery of mastery

5 The risk of neglect The foundation subjects Years 1, 3, 4 and 5 Pupils below the NC standard

Slide sequence B

1 Keep it manageable Be highly selective. Choose only objectives that are: obviously important good indicators that a child is on track easy to capture

Which of these would you select? The Year 3 text grammar objectives Introduce paragraphs as a way to group related material Use headings and sub-headings to aid presentation Use the present perfect form of verbs instead of the simple past

2 Keep it manageable Choose an easy metric Easy to use and not too many stages within it. Best if the same metric is used across all subjects. Go with the staff’s preference. You need them on board. 2

Which do you like? Foundations Early development Growing development Beginner Learner User Confident user Master Well below expectations Below expectations At expectations Above expectations Well above expectations Has made good early progress Is competent in many of the year’s objective Is competent in most of the year’s objectives Has secured all the year’s objectives

3 Keep it manageable Update as you go Avoid the end-of-term crush Real time assessments can be accessed more easily e.g. when Ofsted land You can spot declines and gaps earlier 3

4 Keep it manageable Reserve a few assessment tasks to use each year Easier to compare same task Easier to see strengths and weaknesses across the whole group Not comparing apples and pears 4

5 Keep it manageable Consider a digital scheme Easier to compile management information about subjects, classes and strands It calculates progress and keep a record for you You can record in class, out of class, on your phone, on a tablet… 5

Slide sequence C

Making a fair assessment It must be valid It must be reliable It must be observable It helps if it is also: Easy to do Manageable Painless Worth it in the end

The reading strands Word reading Comprehension Decoding Prefixes, suffixes, roots Comprehension Range, including discussing and sharing Strategies e.g. infer, check, get the main idea Non-fiction skills

Slide sequence D

WORKED EXAMPLE Adjusting an objective for each year Pupils should use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary Spoken Language Objective 3 Years 1-6

NB. Objectives are cumulative NB. Objectives are cumulative. Each year contains all the previous objectives.

Slide sequence E

Measuring mastery Having a thorough grasp of an objective is always a good thing.

Why do some people dislike the idea of mastery? The curriculum is hard enough already The PDs require pupils to tick every box, so what is mastery if not that? Some objectives do not merit extended attention e.g. Roman numerals The big important objectives are never fully mastered: you just carry on learning. It holds back the more able who got the idea right away.

Why were they proposed, then? To secure deep learning instead of superficial learning, because there is pressure to push children higher, quicker. To prevent schools pushing on pupils who seemed to have achieved expectations in the ‘best fit’ model, but had in fact only secured most of them. Ideological opposition to acceleration and a preference for enrichment, following successful practice in the Pacific Rim countries.

Measuring mastery Some schools have formulated mastery objectives. Some have adopted an all-purpose definition. Year 2 NC expectation Has learnt how to use subordination (using when, if, that or because) Mastery version Can subordinate at the front, middle and end of sentences, use other subordinators and deploy commas correctly.

Measuring mastery Some schools have formulated mastery objectives. Some have adopted an all-purpose definition. The pupil has demonstrated accurate and consistent use of this objective in a range of work.

(This is a lot less work)

Mastery of an objective could mean that the pupil can: Can explain it Can use it in context Uses it accurately and appropriately Uses it consistently Can use it in easy and hard circumstances