1. WOODHEYS PRIMARY SCHOOL Assessment without Levels

2. What does this essentially mean? Levels…e.g. 1a, 4b, 5a will now no longer be used as a method of tracking, assessing and reporting progress in schools. They have been replaced by what is called Age Related Standards.

3. What does Age Related Standards mean? Age Related Standards are a set of benchmarks which relate to the level of understanding your child has at any point throughout the year. They are linked specifically to whichever year they are in. There are three main descriptors for this level of understanding: entering, developing and secure. So, for example, by the end of Y5 Child A could show a secure understanding of the Y5 Maths curriculum. Child B could show a developing understanding. This approach mirrors the national approach to assessment without levels and underpins some of the reasons this change has come about.

4. Why Assessment without Levels? 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. John McIntosh CBE

5. What is Mastery? In summary, much of this shift towards assessment without levels lies within the principles of mastery. ‘Mastery’ denotes a focus on achieving a deeper understanding of fewer topics, through problem-solving, reasoning, questioning and encouraging deep thinking. This basically means that a child’s understanding must be embedded (a bit like riding a bike) in order for them to move on to the next step in their learning.

6. So, what does this look like in the classroom? Many objectives within the new curriculum can be taught, and understood, in isolation. For example, long multiplication 32 x 59. However, how will we ever know if this understanding is truly embedded unless they are able to use and apply it in a range of different ‘real-life’ scenarios. If Child A is asked to calculate the surface area of the classroom floor and they are not sure how to do it then this might suggest their understanding of long multiplication is at a beginning or developing level. Similarly, if a word is spelt correctly in a spelling test but then a similar word with an identical spelling pattern is spelt incorrectly in a story then the same conclusions can be drawn.

7. So, what does this look like in the classroom? In previous years, under the new framework for assessment, there was much more of an emphasis on pace and rapid progression. This, in some cases, accounted for gaps in learning. A large amount of high-quality research has evaluated mastery learning and found consistent and positive impacts on learning (e.g. Kulik et al, 1990; Guskey, 2012).

8. Moving forward… These are exciting times in education and this change in methodology has opened up a whole new avenue for children’s learning. Although this is what classroom teachers have always wanted, more time to embed learning, assessment without levels provides the type of vehicle to do this. Nonetheless, this does mean a few things will have to change in terms of how progress is reported.

9. Progress and Attainment (1) At Parent/Carer Evenings and on your child’s end of year school report you will have been used to getting either a level or a description of their general progress in each subject (Autumn Term). Under the new framework you will be given a descriptor which matches their level of understanding. These include: entering, entering+, developing, developing+, secure and secure+. These descriptors are calculated based on the objectives they have covered so far and to what extent they understand them.

10. Progress and Attainment (2) This does mean, potentially, that you will be provided with a descriptor which doesn’t necessarily correspond with previous levels and/or indicators of your child’s attainment. For example, you might have been given a level which indicates your child (let’s say Y4) is working significantly above their year group and now the judgement you have been given tells you they are Y5 Entering. This does not mean they have ‘regressed’ or ‘moved backwards’. The content of the curriculum is now much harder and the framework for assessment, as we have discussed, is totally different. Indeed, there are far more salient ways to show progress than just a number or level on a piece of paper – hopefully looking at the children’s books and talking to them about their learning should advocate this.

11. Progress and Attainment (3) And finally, whatever stage your child is at, they will continue to be challenged and supported with equal vigour, just in a slightly different way…