Assessment
At St Robert Southwell school all subjects are assessed in all key stages throughout the year through formative assessment (e.g. observations, work in books, quality questioning responses, marking and feedback, peer and self-assessment), summative assessment (testing) or a combination of both. All teachers plan lessons for subjects with objectives taken from the National Curriculum. Target tracker is used to track and monitor pupils progress and attainment across the school.
Attainment
EYFS
All areas are formatively assessed four times a year; October half term, end of Autumn term, end of Spring term and end of Summer term. Assessment is recorded by the class teacher on target tracker using steps (the age band the child is working within e.g. 22-36 months and the step b, b+, w, w+, s and s+ e.g. 22-36w+) by the published deadline date. Before assessment information is entered into target tracker it is moderated and agreed on as decided by the phase leader.
KS1 and KS2
Maths, reading, writing and spelling, punctuation and grammar are summatively assessed four times a year; October half term, end of Autumn term, end of Spring term and end of May (spelling is not summatively assessed in autumn term in year 1). A combination of these summative tests and teachers own assessment of each child (formative assessment) are reported to the assessment leader by the date published in the annual school calendar, using steps (the year group each child is working within and the step b, b+, w, w+, s and s+ e.g. 6w+[1]). Before assessment information is submitted to the assessment leader it is moderated and agreed on within year groups, and is moderated by phase leaders.
Pupils from reception to year 6 have a red assessment writing book which moves with them through the school. Each year pupils will write 4 independent English writing assessment pieces (assessed using Ros Wilson criteria) and 3 RE writing assessment pieces (assessed using RE assessment criteria) a total of 7 independent writing pieces for each child each year. The writing is independent, teachers can still provide teaching input and model, however children do not copy shared sentences and are not given writing prompts or overly descriptive success criteria. A successful model is where there has been teaching input, pupils write a first draft in their English or RE book which they self-edit in purple pen and then copy into their assessment book. Teachers do not mark the draft but can ask pupils to write at the bottom ‘self-edit-writing assessment.’ All writing in the assessment books is marked with an acknowledgment tick and a comment about what the pupil has done well and what they need to improve on.
RE is assessed formatively throughout the year and summatively three times a year, at the end of each term, through an independent RE writing piece, written in red assessment books. The writing is assessed using RE assessment materials provided by the diocese. RE is the only subject still assessed using levels 1-6 and sub levels a, b and c. Where sub level c shows the pupil is working toward the lower end of the level and a sub level ‘a’ at a more advanced standard within the level.
All other subjects are formatively assessed throughout the year and summative judgements are recorded on pupil reports at the end of summer term.
Progress
All children are expected to make good or better progress each academic year. This is 6 or more steps from the end of the previous summer term to the end of May the following year for years 1-6 and end of summer term for EYFS. Where children have not made expected or sufficient progress in previous years they will be identified and supported with the aim that they make accelerated progress, 8 or more steps, in order to close the gap in attainment.
Reporting and Sharing Assessment Information
After each of the four assessment points whole school summary and analysis reports are produced by the assessment leader who shares the information with CLT and PAT teams and governors. Pupil progress meetings are held six times throughout the year with the class teacher and assessment leader always present, also accompanied by either the head, SENCO,GT lead or phase leader. At these meetings target children will be discussed including, pupil premium children, slow progressing pupils, underperforming children and any identified groups of concern. Strategies for moving forward and children to monitor and focus on will be agreed.
Statutory Assessment
At the end of Reception teachers have to assess whether each child is working below (1), at (2) or above (3) in each Prime area. This information is submitted to the Local Authority by the school by the statutory deadline. This assessment is also reported to parents.
At the end of year one, all pupils take the phonics check, this test is administered by a member of the teaching staff usually the class teacher. The school submits the results (mark out of 40) to the local authority by the statutory deadline. Once the pass thresholds are published, results are shared with parents and made available on the school website.
At the end of year 2 all pupils working within the expected level of the test, will take the SATs tests in reading and maths. Using the outcome of these tests and other evidence of pupils work across the year teachers submit a teacher assessed outcome, working towards the standard, working at the standard or working above the standard. Where a child is working below, working towards the standard pre-key stage materials are referred to. For writing, there is no test, a teacher assessed judgement is made using evidence of pupils independent writing across the year. This information is submitted by the assessment leader to the local authority by the statutory deadline. The assessments are also reported to parents. Our school will have a statutory moderation of these assessments, carried out by the local authority every 3-4 years, during which all evidence will be made available to moderators in order for them to verify teacher judgements.
At the end of year 6 all pupils working within the expected level of the test, will take the SATs tests in reading, maths and SPAG. These tests are marked externally and the results are reported to parents and shared on the school website. Pupils raw scores in these tests are converted to scaled scores. A scaled score of 100 is considered to be at standard. A scaled score of 99 or below is below the standard. A scaled score of 110 is considered to be above the standard. For writing, there is no test, a teacher assessed judgement is made using evidence of pupils independent writing across the year. Pupils will be recoded as working below, at or above the standard. Teachers must also teacher assess maths, reading and SPAG for each pupil, reporting to the LA whether each pupil is working at the standard or below the standard. This information has to be submitted by the assessment leader to the local authority by the statutory deadline. The assessments are also reported to parents.
Statutory Moderation
Our school will have a statutory moderation of year 2 reading, writing and maths and year 6 writing, carried out by the local authority every 3-4 years, during which all evidence will be made available to moderators in order for them to verify teacher judgements.