1. How should we assess students in Geography at KS 3? Why do we assess? What is the difference between summative and formative assessment? What is the cartoons message? 1. For league tables? For parents? For students? For teachers? 2. To improve pupils learning? 3. To monitor pupil progress at regular intervals. 4. To inform our teaching and planning?

2. What is the purpose of this session? To inform you of the current practice in assessment at KS 3, and it’s weaknesses and strengths. To inform you of the current practice in assessment at KS 3, and it’s weaknesses and strengths. For you to analyse your own assessment procedures using the OFSTED recommendations. For you to analyse your own assessment procedures using the OFSTED recommendations. For you to analyse the assessment currently taking place at Hertswood. For you to analyse the assessment currently taking place at Hertswood. To realise assessment is an ongoing process and that the ideal and reality will be different! To realise assessment is an ongoing process and that the ideal and reality will be different! For you to take away accessible level hand outs! For you to take away accessible level hand outs! Homework: Putting Hertsfordshire on the QCA website for assessment! Homework: Putting Hertsfordshire on the QCA website for assessment!

3. What is the current practice in Geography departments? Ofsted’s view point. Sound policy statements but many teachers fail to recognise the potential to monitor progress. Sound policy statements but many teachers fail to recognise the potential to monitor progress. End of unit tests most common. End of unit tests most common. Dept’s concentrate too much on the coverage of the curriculum and or assessment is often seen as taking up to much teaching time. Dept’s concentrate too much on the coverage of the curriculum and or assessment is often seen as taking up to much teaching time. Not used as a tool to analyse pupils performance throughout the year. Not used as a tool to analyse pupils performance throughout the year. Poorest practice had element of one or all of these! Set up tests that are purely recall. Used traditional tests that don’t cover geographical criteria. Tried to level by ranking students scores as a %. Remember levels are designed as best fit models.

4. What does the best practice look like? Ofsted’s view point. Common assessments are completed at the end of a unit. These are large pieces of work 2 – 3 weeks. Common assessments are completed at the end of a unit. These are large pieces of work 2 – 3 weeks. They vary in style They vary in style Tasks are linked to specific assessment criteria that are linked to levels. Tasks are linked to specific assessment criteria that are linked to levels. Tasks and mark schemes are differentiated. Tasks and mark schemes are differentiated. The levels are used to assess students work but are placed in student speak. The levels are used to assess students work but are placed in student speak. Departments use portfolios of work to monitor the quality of their marking. The assessment programme incorporates the four elements of Geography Enquiry and Skills, Knowledge of Place, Patterns and Processes and Environmental change and sustainable development. Field work is incorporated into assessment

5. Assessment for learning a key area in shaping the success of assessment in Geography. Inside the Black box Dylan William. Inside the Black box Dylan William. Assessment should inform future planning and strategies for pupils with specific needs. Assessment should inform future planning and strategies for pupils with specific needs. Feedback should include feed forward and needs be specific to the levels. Feedback should include feed forward and needs be specific to the levels. Dialogue is the most important part of assessment, making time to talk to individuals about their progress! Dialogue is the most important part of assessment, making time to talk to individuals about their progress!

6. Back to reality! Task 1 : 10 minutes In pairs share the assessment process that students at key stage 3 experience at your school. Complete the tick box to evaluate how well your assessment programme performs against OFSTED’s criteria for “good assessment.”

7. What does the assessment procedure at Hertswood look like? Task 2 Use check sheet to see how Hertswood does on the list of criteria from OFSTED. Task 2 Use check sheet to see how Hertswood does on the list of criteria from OFSTED. Remember this is an ongoing programme that was started when I became a HOG 6 years ago! Remember this is an ongoing programme that was started when I became a HOG 6 years ago! 1999 Decision to divide assessment into the different strands of levels, and to turn assessment into coursework completed at the end of a unit. 1999 Decision to divide assessment into the different strands of levels, and to turn assessment into coursework completed at the end of a unit. 2000 Mapped assessment to ensure that all year groups covered the 4 strands of assessment. (See hand out) Updated in 2003 to check we were offering a variety of different styles) 2000 Mapped assessment to ensure that all year groups covered the 4 strands of assessment. (See hand out) Updated in 2003 to check we were offering a variety of different styles) 2000 Introduced moderation procedure and portfolio of evidence for department. 2000 Linked all assessment to level criteria. 2000 Began to record on data base students levels and to monitor progress. 2001Began to give students mark scheme and ensure that it was students friendly (See handouts) 2002 Tried to make mark schemes active check lists. (See hand outs) File sheets.

8. Task 3 One of the most difficult activities to complete is to recognise which strand to use for which assessment and to produce a student speak mark scheme. You have 20 minutes to do this using a year 8 coursework that we ask students to complete on population and migration!

9. Where to next at Hertswood? Sadly we haven’t nailed assessment yet! Below and across are lists of our next areas for development. How do we ensure our feedward is consistant, levelled and that students can act on this feed forward immediately? How do we ensure our feedward is consistant, levelled and that students can act on this feed forward immediately? How do we ensure that our day to day lessons and feedback are levelled? How do we ensure that our day to day lessons and feedback are levelled? Can we plan feedback and forward lessons? Individual work while we talk to students? How often would we do this? Could we give assessment at the beginning of the unit instead of the end? Can we feed our homework into the assessments?

10. Homework? Task 4 To design a piece of assessment for one year group which incorporates as many of the OFSTED criteria as possible? To return and to place on QCA website?