1. “How do we know how well your child is doing?”
1st February 2016

2. Tonight we will consider:
Why do we assess children?
How do we assess at Finstock?
How will this be reported to parents?

3. Why do we assess? “All children will achieve to their potential”.
AT FINSTOCK SCHOOL WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT
“All children will achieve to their potential”.
To do this we need to know : Where do they need to get to?
Where are they now?
What can we do to move them on?

4. Where do children need to get to?
National Guidance – developed to ensure that children from every setting should achieve the same basic skills and levels.
For Early Years – this is the EYFS Curriculum, which outlines the expectations (or Early Learning Goals) in different areas of learning. This is supplemented by ‘Development Matters’ which gives examples of what children should achieve on their journey.
For Primary School - this is the National Curriculum, which specifies what children should learn about and the key skills they should gain in different areas of the curriculum. Useful parent’s guides on website.
We call the expectations – Age Related Expectations (ARE)
Need: Copy of EYFS Curriculum, Development Matters, National Curriculum, Guidance for parents on website

5. How do we know where children are on their journey towards their Age Related Expectations?
The answer – BY ASSESSMENT.
ASSESSMENT DOES NOT MEAN TESTS!!!
Need: Picture of child sitting tests

6. Continuous Assessment…
Observation
Listening
Questioning
Marking
Looking at work produced
Assessment for Learning … Peer and Self-Assessment

7. What does this look like at Finstock?
Early Years – Learning Journeys, Teacher’s notes, Highlighting Grids
Emerging, Expected, Exceeding
Years 1 to 6 : Progress ladders

8. Maths Progress Ladders - Year 1
Writing Progress Ladder – Year 1
Writing Progress Ladder – Year 6

9. THE BIG CHANGE – GOOD BYE TO LEVELS Hello to “Assessment Without Levels” …
"Levels have detracted from real feedback and schools have found it difficult to apply them consistently - the criteria are ambiguous and require teachers to decide how to weight a huge array of factors... It will be for schools to decide how they assess pupils' progress."
Levels could hide gaps that pupils had in their knowledge and understanding. This led to pupils being inaccurately assessed, with misconceptions and lost learning travelling with them as they progressed through the school.
The new system is totally personalised to each child where every single skill within each subject is assessed – therefore empowering teachers, pupils and parents.

10. THE BIG CHANGE – GOOD BYE TO LEVELS Hello to “Assessment Without Levels” …
School Descriptor
Status
Consistently masters all the curriculum content for current year group and independently applies it across many curriculum areas.
Mastery +
Masters most of the curriculum content for current year group and is able to apply in other curriculum areas, mostly independently.
Mastery
As below. Developing mastery of some of the curriculum content for current year group
Expected +
Consistently understands all the curriculum content for current year group – Including all KPIs.
Expected
Understands most of the curriculum content for current year group – demonstrates majority of KPIs.
Developing+
Access all curriculum content for current year group.
Developing
Accesses most curriculum content for current year group.
Emerging +
Beginning to access some of the curriculum content for current year group.
Emerging
Not yet accessing the expected curriculum content for current year group.
Progressing

11. What happens in Assessment Week?
Two Types of Assessment Week:
Terms 1,3,5 – Teacher Assessments only
Terms 2,4,6 – Includes some testing to inform the Teacher Assessments
Information is analysed by class teacher, by myself.
Questions:
Are children on track for their targets?
Are they making enough progress? If not, why not? What is happening to help them make progress?
What interventions are happening? Are they effective?
Individuals, boys/girls, subjects, other groups
Reporting to Governors – challenging

12. Statutory Assessments
End of Reception Year
Year 1 Phonics Screening
Year 2 - KS1 SATs
Year 6 – KS2 SATs
These consist of consist of formal assessments in maths, reading and spelling, punctuation and grammar plus teacher assessments in writing and science that take place throughout the year

13. Informing Parents … Partnership between school, pupil and parents.
Parents Evenings
Reports – Interim and End of Year