Assessment Information

In April 2014 the Department for Education released ‘Assessment Principles’, a document outlining the core values all effective assessment systems should implement, as part of the changes introduced with the 2014 National Curriculum.  As the ‘Government will not impose a single system for ongoing assessment’, it is up to schools to implement a system that can: ‘Give reliable information to parents about how their child, and their child’s school, is performing, help drive improvement for pupils and teachers and make sure the school is keeping up with external best practice and innovation.’

From September 2015, national curriculum levels can no longer be used for statutory assessments. The Commission on Assessment Without Levels was set up to provide advice and support to schools in developing new approaches to their own in-school assessment and to ensure they have information to make informed choices about what might work for their pupils, staff and curriculum. The Commission’s Final Report summarised that levels needed to be removed because ‘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.’

In developing our own approach to assessment, we have carefully considered the guidance and advice in the Commission’s Final Report, as well as that contained in the Government Response to the report.

Our Philosophy of Assessment

Assessment should have a purpose at every level for everyone involved:

Pupils should be given appropriate feedback on their learning from the formative assessments carried out by class teachers.

Class teachers should be able to use formative assessment to support planning and implementation of a curriculum designed to meet the needs of learners.

Teachers and school leaders should be able to use assessment to help ensure that the pupils who need specified intervention are quickly identified, appropriately supported and monitored so that all can fully achieve their potential.

School leaders should be able to use summative assessment as a tool for monitoring the progress and attainment pupils make, to ensure the school is helping all pupils achieve their potential.

Parents should be able to get a clear and accurate sense of their child’s achievement and progress as well as areas where they can support development.

Governors should be able to use the data to ensure the school is supporting pupils learning effectively.

The schools can provide data for inspection teams to show how children are performing.

Local schools should collaborate to ensure assessment systems are robust through sharing of good practice and regular moderation.

The new National Curriculum has set out clear expectations for what children should achieve by the end of each Key Stage, and for English, Maths and Science, has provided guidance as to when in each phase this content should be covered.  In order to monitor the progress of our pupils towards meeting these expectations, we are using a system called Target Tracker.  

Asessement in Early Years Foundation Stage 

On entry baseline assessments are carried out in Communication and Language, Literacy and Mathematics (the Reception Baseline Assessment, due to become statutory in 2021).  Any children at risk of not meeting the Early Learning Goals are quickly identified so that appropriate strategies can be put in place.  In order to ensure early identification of language processing and understanding issues, children in Reception may be assessed using Language Link. Any concerns about speech sound production are assessed using Speech Link, and identified programmes are then completed. 

Three times a year a summative assessment is made across all 7 areas of learning. These assessments are based on ongoing observations, assessments and knowledge of the child. At the end of the academic year the pupils in the Early Years will be assessed using the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile which is based on the teacher’s ongoing observations and assessments against the Early Learning Goals.  

Three times a year, each pupil’s development and achievements will be discussed at Pupil Progress Meetings using the data generated from ongoing teacher assessments as well as summative assessment data.

Standardisation and Moderation

Internal moderation of class books is carried out regularly each term.  We take part in moderation meetings within our academy to ensure parity in our judgements and engage in Local Authority moderation processes to confirm our decisions.

Year 1 and Year 2 Phonics Check

In June all Year 1 pupils’ progress in phonics will be assessed.  Each child will be assessed individually by their teacher.  They will be asked to read 20 real and 20 pseudo-words in order to assess their decoding ability.  Any child currently in Year 2 who either did not take the test in Year 1 or did not achieve the pass mark last year will also take the test.

Additional Assessments

In order to inform interventions and specific programmes of support, the schools also use a range of assessments, screens and monitoring tools that can provide valuable information to teachers, senior leaders and parents regarding progress and/or barriers to learning.  Examples of these include:

• Diagnostic timetables 
• Reading and spelling ages
• CAT tests
• Pixl assessments 

End of Key Stage Assessments

At the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6), children are assessed to measure their progress and attainment against the National Curriculum. These assessments provide a national benchmark and help ensure consistency across schools.

Since 2016, the way results are reported has changed. Attainment is no longer expressed in levels. Instead, scaled scores are used to report results in a way that remains consistent from year to year, even if the difficulty of the tests varies slightly.

What is a Scaled Score?

• A scaled score allows for standardised reporting of test outcomes.

• A score of 100 always represents the expected standard.

• Scores above 100 indicate that a pupil is working above the expected standard.

• Scores below 100 suggest that a pupil is working below the expected standard.

How is it Calculated?

• Pupils take national curriculum tests in Reading, Maths (and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling at KS2).

• Their raw score—the number of marks achieved in the test—is then converted into a scaled score using a nationally provided conversion table.

• This ensures fairness across different test versions and helps parents, teachers, and schools understand performance in a clear and consistent way.

Key Stage 1 (KS1)

• Teachers use a combination of test outcomes and teacher assessment to make final judgements.

• Raw scores are converted into scaled scores to determine whether pupils have met the expected standard.

• These are now optional for schools

Key Stage 2 (KS2)

• Pupils receive:

  • A raw score (the number of marks achieved)

  • A scaled score

  • Confirmation of whether or not they have met the expected standard

These results are published via the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) through the NCA Tools website.

These assessments are an important part of understanding your child’s progress and are used in conjunction with teacher judgement to build a full picture of their learning.

Reporting to Parents 

In England, schools are legally obligated to provide parents with annual reports detailing their child's progress and achievements. These reports serve to keep parents informed about their child's educational journey and foster a collaborative relationship between home and school.​

Key Stage 1 (KS1) Reporting Requirements:

• General Progress:Reports must cover the pupil's achievements, general progress, and attendance record.

• Phonics Screening Check: For Year 1 pupils, the report should include the results of the phonics screening check, or an explanation if the check was not administered.

  Key Stage 2 (KS2) Reporting Requirements:

• National Curriculum Test Results: Reports must include results from national curriculum tests, specifying the pupil's scaled score and whether they met the expected standard. ​NFER+3GOV.UK+3GOV.UK+3

• Teacher Assessments: Outcomes of statutory teacher assessments in English writing and science are to be included, offering insights into the pupil's proficiency in these areas

All parents receive a written report of their child’s progress and attainment in the Summer term.  Where appropriate, this will also include the results of any National Curriculum tests.  In this report, the children’s attainment in the foundation subjects is also detailed in relation to their year group attainment targets, as well as an assessment of the child’s effort in these subjects.  Parents are also offered formal opportunities to discuss their child’s progress and attainment in Parents’ Evenings in the Autumn and Spring terms.