1. Single Level Test (SLTs) What do they mean?

2. Where have the tests come from? Part of the Making Good Progress Pilot – Started in September 2007, finishing in September 2009 – Pilot has 5 elements Assessing Pupil Progress (APP) – New assessment materials for teachers to use Individual Tuition – Aimed at stuck or slow progress learners Single Level Tests (SLTs) – When ready testing Progression Target – School target for pilot years Progression Premium – School reward for bettering target

3. Why Hamilton? Based on nomination of feeder schools – Philip Morant main hub school All feeder schools into Philip Morant involved Approximately 400 schools in the UK involved in pilot

4. What has happened since the pilot launch to all schools nationally? Assessing Pupil Progress (APP), adopted by all schools School targets now based on percentages of pupils making 2 levels progress and NOT percentages of pupils reaching level 4 and level 5 – Hamiltons results for last year Reading – 98% 2 levels progress Writing – 90% 2 levels progress Maths – 95% 2 levels progress Science – 92% 2 levels progress Testing at end of key stage 2 under investigation

5. Single Level Tests (SLTs) What were the initial aims? – Short (under 1 hour in length) – Suitable for children in Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 – Externally marked – Nationally recognised – Test children when ready, not at the end of every year and not a high stakes test at the end of year 6 – Possibility for level 6 in Key Stage 2

6. Single Level Tests (SLTs) How do they work? – Papers only test 1 level, unlike SATs which test 3 levels in one paper – Children tested when teacher feels they are ready based on professional judgement and a selection criteria – Two testing windows in a year (December and June) – Your child may only be tested 2 times in 4 years rather than at the end of every year under the previous system

7. Single Level Tests (SLTs) What are children tested in? – Reading (10mins reading time, 40mins testing time) – Writing (20mins shorter writing, 30mins longer writing) – Maths (2 papers in 50mins – one with calculator, one without. No separate mental arithmetic test)

8. Single Level Tests (SLTs) What do they look like? – Reading Level 3Level 4

9. SLTs What do they look like? – Writing Level 3Level 4Level 5

10. SLTs What do they look like? – Maths Level 3Level 4

11. Single Level Tests (SLTs) How will my child be selected? – Teachers assess pupils using APP sheets and judgements are recorded on a termly basis – Children judged to be in the secure or high band within a level can then be entered for an SLT. This equates to level 3b or 3a, 4b or 4a, 5b or 5a – If a pupil achieved a level 3 in year 2, then they will only have access to the level 4 papers and above LevelFine Grade 5 5a 5b 5c 4 4a 4b 4c 3 3a 3b 3c

12. Single Level Tests (SLTs) Once selected what next? – Pupils and parents will be informed via letter – Details of tests entered for and the level of testing will be included in the letter – Test dates will also be included (June 2009 – Week beginning 15 th June) – Pupils will meet as a group to discuss any questions – Pupils will be tested in the infant hall on specified dates – Results published by individual letter to each pupil when available

13. Single Level Tests (SLTs) FAQs Will my child be entered for tests in all subjects in each testing window? – No. They will only be entered when their teacher has deemed them to be secure or better within a level – Each pupil will be individually assessed in Reading, Writing and Maths to see if they are ready for testing. If not then they will not be entered

14. Single Level Tests (SLTs) FAQs Will my child still have to take part in the SATs? – Yes. At this point in time, year 6 children have to undertake end of Key Stage national assessments. Government reports have confirmed that SATs will still take place in 2010. Beyond this point no one is sure.

15. Single Level Tests (SLTs) FAQs Are the SLTs still valid? – Yes. They are allowing the government to assess whether this new form of testing is accurate and how it might be a process that replaces SATs in the future.

16. Single Level Tests (SLTs) FAQs How often will my child be tested now? – The children are formally assessed during every term by their teachers to inform progress. – Your child will have 2 nationally recognised testing periods over the 4 years of Key Stage 2, rather than 4 testing periods as in the past. Therefore they will be nationally assessed less.

17. Single Level Tests (SLTs) FAQs Are SLTs easier or harder than SATs – SLTs test only 1 level in the paper, rather than 3, as in the SATs. Teachers only enter pupils for SLTs when they feel they are ready, therefore the child should succeed in attaining their level.