1. Sir James Smith’s Community School
STEPS GRID handbook
A practical guide
Key Stage 3

2. STEPS and the STEP Grid Handbook
Monitoring and reporting attainment and progress
throughout Key Stage 3
Dear Parent/Carer,
Over the past 12 months we have been using the STEPS assessment model with our Key Stage 3 students. Each subject has a STEPS grid. Each grid is comprised of 9 ‘steps’ and a number of ‘strands’. The grid contains descriptors for what your child needs to be able to do to complete a ‘step’. After using the STEPS model for the past year, we have refined and updated some grids.
Your son/daughter will start with a baseline ‘step’ in Year 7, which will be derived from KS2 data and baseline assessments they will complete in their opening weeks of Year 7. For Year 7 students, we will report the baseline step for each subject in the first report in mid-November. For Year 8 and 9 we will report the next progress data at this time. It is expected that most students would move up each strand by at least 1 step each year (3 steps over the course of the key stage)*.
We feel very confident that what your son/ daughter experiences at Sir Jim’s is indeed a very comprehensive and professional package. This assessment model allows you as parents and carers the opportunity to be closely involved in their attainment, progress and target setting over the entire key stage.
Below you will find a copy of the STEPs grid. Please keep this safe and use it to cross reference attainment on each report with content of the KS3 courses for each subject studied.
You should receive three attainment reports throughout the year, as detailed below:
Finally, please feel free to contact me directly if you have a specific question about the system which needs further explanation.
Yours faithfully
Mr. E. McGuffie
Assistant Head Teacher – Curriculum
* In Science, progress is built implicitly into the scheme of work. Therefore students will be expected to stay on the same step or fluctuate above/ below this step as the content becomes more challenging throughout the year.
Week-Beginning
Year 7
Year 8 and 9
19th November
Baseline data report
T1 report
11th February
T2 report
1st April
N/A
24th June
T3 report

3. Introduction What is STEPS?
What is STEPS?
Strategic Targets for Educational Progress and Success (STEPS) is an assessment and progress monitoring, tracking and reporting programme for secondary schools.
How does it work?
Upon arrival in Year-7, every student is assessed via a broad range of information and results available to the school. Subject teachers then place students at a baseline Step in each Strand and this becomes the starting point for each subject. A Step Point Score is generated which is an overall score for a subject. Each student is expected to make at least one Step of progress in the Step Point Score per year, with the exception of Science where progress has been built implicitly into the scheme of work.
School reports
You will receive three reports per year showing your child’s attainment and progress in every Strand in every subject and it will also show you the overall Step Point Score. When used in conjunction with this handbook, it will give you both a detailed and quick method of reviewing attainment and progress so far. It will also allow you to discuss targets to progress to the next Step.
The STEPS grids
Each subject has its own grid. Each grid is a basic summary of all the work that can be covered in each of the Key Stage 3 Programmes of Study. Each subject follows a similar approach.
Strands: these run along the top of the grid, they break a subject down into smaller topics or areas. There are between three and seven Strands per subject.
Steps: These break a subject down into progressive Steps. There are nine Steps per Strand per subject; 1 is the lowest Step and 9 is the highest.
Statements: Each Step has one or more statements. Students have to achieve all of these, and all of the ones in the Steps below, to be at that Step level.
The Step Point Score
Students will be given a Step score for each individual Strand in each subject. The Step Point Score combines these individual scores to give an overall score in a subject.
If 3.6 was the baseline at the start of Year 7, then the students would be expected to reach:
4.6 by the end of Year 7
5.6 by the end of Year 8
6.6 by the end of Year 9.
This would be a minimum expectation and targets could be adjusted each year to maintain challenge for each individual.

4. Science

5. Key Stage 3 Programme of Study 2018-19 - Science
Autumn term
Spring term
Summer term 7
Interdependence
Elements and the Periodic Table
Reproduction and pregnancy
Transition tests
Heat
DNA and the Nucleus
Particles
Sound
Forces
Mixtures
Atoms, elements and compounds
Cells 8
Electricity
Chemical and Physical Change
Variation and selection
Acids and Alkalis
Digestion and diet
Circulatory system
Speed, pressure and floating (forces)
Metal reactions
Magnets and electromagnets
Lifestyle choices 9
Endothermic and exothermic reactions
Gaseous Exchange
Unit 1 GCSE Biology Cells
Energy Costs and Transfers
Photosynthesis
Wave properties
Work Done
Unit 2 GCSE Photosynthesis
The climate
Infections and response
Ready for GCSE Test
Key:
Each unit is assessed following our STEPs model. The course has been split into 3 ‘strands’, one for Biology, one for Chemistry and one for Physics. These strands have been highlighted above using the following colours:
Biology Strand 1
Chemistry Strand 2
Physics Strand 3

6. Science 9 8 7 6 5 4 Step Strand 1 Physics (Equal weighting) Strand 2
Strand 1
Physics
(Equal weighting)
Strand 2
Biology
Strand 3
Chemistry 9
The student is demonstrating consistently that they can understand and apply GCSE demand knowledge and skills competently and effectively in Physics.
The student is demonstrating consistently that they can understand and apply GCSE demand knowledge and skills competently and effectively in Biology.
The student is demonstrating consistently that they can understand and apply GCSE demand knowledge and skills competently and effectively in Chemistry. 8
The student is starting to demonstrate that they can understand and apply certain elements of GCSE knowledge and skills in a given Physics setting.
The student is starting to demonstrate that they can understand and apply certain elements of GCSE knowledge and skills in a given Biology setting.
The student is starting to demonstrate that they can understand and apply certain elements of GCSE knowledge and skills in a given Chemistry setting. 7
The student is excelling in the knowledge, understanding and development of the Physics skills well beyond the standard expected. For example, they are able to innovate and use their masterful knowledge to create an original effect.
The student is excelling in the knowledge, understanding and development of the Biology skills well beyond the standard expected. For example, they are able to innovate and use their masterful knowledge to create an original effect.
The student is excelling in the knowledge, understanding and development of the Chemistry skills well beyond the standard expected. For example, they are able to innovate and use their masterful knowledge to create an original effect. 6
The student is mastering the expected knowledge, understanding and skills in Physics. They are able to adapt knowledge and skills to different demands.
The student is mastering the expected knowledge, understanding and skills in Biology. They are able to adapt knowledge and skills to different demands.
The student is mastering the expected knowledge, understanding and skills in Chemistry. They are able to adapt knowledge and skills to different demands. 5
The student is applying their deep, confident knowledge, understanding and skills in Physics. They are able to make use of knowledge in new situations.
The student is applying their deep, confident knowledge, understanding and skills in Biology. They are able to make use of knowledge in new situations.
The student is applying their deep, confident knowledge, understanding and skills in Chemistry. They are able to make use of knowledge in new situations. 4
The student is developing a deep knowledge, understanding and development of the skills expected in Physics. They are confident in their knowledge and able to apply skills competently and clearly.
The student is developing a deep knowledge, understanding and development of the skills expected in Biology. They are confident in their knowledge and able to apply skills competently and clearly.
The student is developing a deep knowledge, understanding and development of the skills expected in Chemistry. They are confident in their knowledge and able to apply skills competently and clearly.

7. Science 3 2 1 Step Strand 1 Physics (Equal weighting) Strand 2 Biology
Step
Strand 1
Physics
(Equal weighting)
Strand 2
Biology
Strand 3
Chemistry 3
The student is advancing in the expected standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Physics. They are explaining and making use of their knowledge and skills.
The student is advancing in the expected standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Biology. They are explaining and making use of their knowledge and skills.
The student is advancing in the expected standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Chemistry. They are explaining and making use of their knowledge and skills. 2
The student is emerging in the basic standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Physics. They are beginning to demonstrate their understanding and skill in their work.
The student is emerging in the basic standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Biology. They are beginning to demonstrate their understanding and skill in their work.
The student is emerging in the basic standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Chemistry. They are beginning to demonstrate their understanding and skill in their work. 1
The student is approaching the expected standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Physics. They can recall somethings they have learned and make use of them in their own work.
The student is approaching the expected standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Biology. They can recall somethings they have learned and make use of them in their own work.
The student is approaching the expected standard of knowledge, understanding and skills in Chemistry. They can recall somethings they have learned and make use of them in their own work.
In Science, progress is built implicitly into the scheme of work your child follows. Therefore your child will be expected to stay on the same step or fluctuate above/ below this step as the content becomes more challenging throughout the year. Progress will be numerically represented by a variation score (progress score) from your child’s start point. If your child’s score is positive or remains at 0 throughout the year this represents expected progress or above expected progress; if they receive a minus progress score then this indicates that they will need more support to maintain their progress in the upcoming units.
If your child does extremely well and maintains a high positive score throughout the year than this may result in them moving up a step (increasing their baseline) to increase the challenge for the following year.

8. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is STEPS? A. STEPS is an assessment-recording and progress-monitoring system for all subjects studied at Key Stage 3. Q. What are STEPS grids? A. The STEPS grids break a subject down into Strands of content and nine progressive Steps. Students are placed on the STEPS grid following a baseline assessment. The expected progress is at least one-Step per year or three-Steps over the key stage. Q. What is a Strand? A. A Strand is an area of study of a subject. Every subject is divided into between three and seven Strands. Q. What is a Step? A. Every Strand is broken down into nine progressive Steps. Nine is the highest Step and one is the lowest. Steps provide the pathway through the Programme of Study for each Strand. Q. Why does my child appear to have made more progress in one subject than another? A. All subjects are different and so are children! It is quite understandable for one student to have a different rate of progress to another. Learning is a cycle of improvement. Students improve and then plateau before making further improvement – the timescale for this improvement is very individual and varies between subjects. It is quite normal for rapid progress to be made when children are exposed for the first time to specialist teaching, when perhaps teachers with expert knowledge were not available in primary school. Q. My child seems to have made no progress at all in one subject. A. There could be circumstances which would mean that within the last assessment cycle this was the case. It could be a completely new subject, or one that has been studied for only a portion of the year. We are anticipating three Steps of progress over the key stage and that one Step is merely the average of this expected progress each year. Remember also that in Science, progress has been built implicitly into the schemes of work. Therefore your child will be expected to stay on the same step or fluctuate above/ below this step as the content becomes more challenging throughout the year. Progress will be numerically represented by a variation score (progress score) from your child’s start point. If your child’s score is positive or remains at 0 throughout the year this represents expected progress or above expected progress; if they receive a minus progress score then this indicates that they will need more support to maintain their progress in the upcoming units.