1. Raising the bar: assessment in KS3 geography
RGS CGeog conference
1st October 2010
GG: Welcome to the session.

2. Expectations We will: agree on notions of progression in KS3 geography
identify the characteristics of high attainment in KS3 geography and some means of getting pupils there
identify features of an effective system of assessment
Share the expectations for the session and invite additional requests
STARTER
Pairs to look at a piece of work.
Human continuum to show the work, from the highest attainment to the lowest.

3. “The learner at the heart of assessment”
Good assessment:
helps develop successful learners
recognises strengths and areas for development and clearly identifies ways for the learner to progress
reflects the learner’s needs and brings about attainment and progress
encourages learners to take a central role in their own assessment
Distribute the GNC AT
Give 5 mins to identify some aspects of progression within it. Discuss.

4. Elements of progression
The CONTEXT in which the pupil works becomes more demanding
The thinking skills demanded become ‘higher order’
The degree of independence increases
Wider breadth of knowledge, understanding and skills
More ‘depth’, detail and precision
Links between different areas increase
Distribute the AK paper ‘Aspects of progression in the GNC’
Compare this with the A level mark grid? Do we have a problem in geography? Some of the language of KS3 is very ambitious! But hopefully the context of the work makes it appropriate?
Refer also to David Lambert’s Think piece on ‘Progression’

5. Distribute also the ‘locations’ framework to illustrate that progression happens on a short time scale as well as a longer one
Short term advice – not explicitly drawn from the level descriptors

6. Assessing Pupil Progress
Refer to the full document
Emphasise this is the first official ‘rewriting’ of the AT to make elements of progression explicit
Show ‘What is geography?’ by Alistair Bonnett and explain how the framework was created.

7. Refer to the pupil A work collection
Task - identify what the pupil has achieved (APP)
and how might they improve?
Note: the second golden rule about assessment – it should be comparable.

11. What about raising the bar?
how do we progress students to higher levels?
how do we know when they get there?

12. We need to:
Consider this work at Level 7
Identify its ‘7ness’
Talk through the types of output that we gather from pupils (‘Real and creative outcomes’
Emphasise that process work can tell us as much as completed work
Identify the types of activities that might lead to these outcomes
Sharpen up our articulation of success criteria
Identify the advice we would give to the pupil

14. http://curriculum. qcda. gov

15. Hitting the high notes
analyse physical and human characteristics of places
analyse complex interactions within and between physical and human processes
independently sequence enquiries and investigations
Mention an example e.g. an essay plan followed by an evaluation

16. Look through the level 8 materials

17. Making it manageable Close up Standing back Public view Day-to-day
Periodic
Standing back
Note that the first ‘golden rule’ of assessment is to be clear about purpose.
Use the findings of the Assessment Reform Group on too-frequent assessment of learning.
Transitional
Public view

18. Striking a balance – making it manageable.
Delegates to use the planning grid to identify some assessment opportunities
What would the success criteria be for these?

19. Assessment – the golden rules?