1. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
AIMS FOR PARENT SESSION:
Background of why levels were removed by the Government
How it has been replaced
Information we gather
Reporting to parents

2. September 2014 & 2015 Nationally
St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
What’s Changed?
September & Nationally
• New National Curriculum - more challenging for years 1 -6
• Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2 assessed against performance descriptors and
reported as a ‘scaled score’ and levels removed as a measure.
• New expectation that 85% reach expected standard - ‘Secondary Ready’
(equivalent to a 4a/4b in ALL areas – current expectation 65% 4c in all areas)
• New language - about children being ‘on track to reach age related
expectation’

3. Why have levels gone? St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
Why have levels gone?
Racing from level to level as a crude measure meant that children never had the chance to learn in depth

4. Why have levels gone? St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
Why have levels gone?
Listen to Tim Oats :

5. National Testing in place
St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
National Testing in place
EYFS Baseline specific scores given
End of EYFS reporting emerging, expected and exceeding level of development
Phonics Screening pass or fail (typical pass rate is 32/40)
Key Stage 1 tests scaled scores
Key Stage 2 tests scaled scores
The Government will calculate progress between some of these test – this forms part of school accountability

6. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
Despite being intended only for use in statutory national assessments, too frequently levels also came to be used for in-school assessment between key stages in order to monitor whether pupils were on track to achieve expected levels at the end of key stages. This distorted the purpose of in-school assessment, particularly day-to-day formative assessment.

7. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
Too often levels became viewed as thresholds and teaching became focused on getting pupils across the next threshold instead of ensuring they were secure in the knowledge and understanding defined in the programmes of study. Depth and breadth of understanding were sometimes sacrificed in favour of pace. Levels also used a ‘best fit’ model, which meant that a pupil could have serious gaps in their knowledge and understanding, but still be placed within the level. This meant it wasn’t always clear exactly which areas of the curriculum the child was secure in and where the gaps were.

8. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
The overriding principle of good assessment is that it should be clearly tied to its intended purpose. 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-today 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. Good formative assessment ranges from the probing question put to a pupil as they think something through; quick recap questions at the opening of a lesson; scrutiny of the natural work of pupils; right through to formal tests.

9. So what’s the point? How do we do it?
St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
So what’s the point? How do we do it?

10. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
 What do St. James’ do to promote effective learning through assessment?
   

11. Assessment Timetable St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
Review learning in 3 week blocks (units may be more or less than 3 weeks)
Assessment of pupils in reading (including phonics), writing & mathematics from Y1-Y6 and in all EYFS areas focusing on the objectives that have been taught and how well the children achieve. This is daily and ongoing.
Pupil Intervention Conferences (PICs) every three weeks – all staff attend and meet with Mrs Harford, Mrs Smith and Mrs Dove rotating
3 weekly Interventions to close gaps and address learning needs
Adaptation of teaching style & content – developing of teaching to support depth of learning and a new approach to assessment for learning
Annual GL Assessment Test to support teachers views of pupil learning
Assessment Timetable

12. Tracking progress in learning through objective led assessment
Working Towards the object
Tracking progress in learning through objective led assessment
Each objective is assessed when it is taught and as children move through the hierarchy /steps of learning which is tracked.
Nearly met the objective
Objective met
Working at a deeper level

13. Teachers are able to focus on areas that need to be addressed
Teachers use this information to inform their teaching
Teachers are able to focus on areas that need to be addressed
They are also able to look at how different groups are learning such as those that are more able or vulnerable

14. Pupils are starting to use these to self and peer assess.
These inform teacher assessments and can be shared with parents.

15. Reporting to parents Ongoing Parent consultations Mid-year reporting
St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
Reporting to parents
Ongoing
Parent consultations
Mid-year reporting
Annual Reports
Letting you know when learning dips or changes

16. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
Parents will be given an ‘overview’ of where their children are against the year group objectives and whether they are likely to be at, below or above at the end of the year/Key Stage
Effort and attitude in these areas are also commented on.
During parent’s evenings the teachers will share particular strengths and weaknesses

17. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
At Age Related Expectation
Above Age Related Expectation
Below Age Related Expectation

18. What does this mean St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
What does this mean
BELOW AGE RELATED EXPECTATION - not yet achieved most of the objectives for their year group
AT AGE RELATED EXPECTATION - achieved most of the objectives for their year group ABOVE AGE RELATED EXPECTATION - achieved most of the objectives for their year group and using their skills to extend their learning of these areas at a deeper level

19. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward

20. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward

21. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
How do we support rapid graspers (Higher ability) pupils now that levels have gone?
Our curriculum now enables all pupils to have an opportunity to learn at a deeper level. Rapid Graspers (generally but not always our previous Higher Ability Pupils) are taught to use and apply their skills are learn at a deeper level. This is facilitated by the teachers through developing learning opportunities to support this.

22. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward

23. St James’ C of E Primary School
Assessment without Levels – our way forward
This shows how the teacher has enabled those rapid graspers to develop at a deeper level