Our approach to assessment:

  • Assessment is integral to high quality teaching and learning. It helps us to ensure that our teaching is appropriate and that learners are making expected progress
  • All teachers are trained in our approach to assessment
  • The Deputy Head is responsible for assessment

Our method of assessment:

  • Assessment serves many purposes, but the main purpose of assessment in our school is to help teachers, parents and pupils plan their next steps in learning
  • We use the outcomes from assessments to check and support our teaching standards and help us improve
  • Through working with other schools and using external tests and assessments we will compare our performance with that of other schools
  • We assess pupils against assessment criteria, which are short, discrete, qualitative and concrete descriptions of what a pupil is expected to know and be able to do
  • Assessment criteria are derived from the school curriculum, which is composed of the National Curriculum and our own local design
  • Assessment criteria for periodic assessment are arranged into hierarchy, setting out what children are normally expected to have mastered by the end of each year
  • The achievement of each pupil is assessed against all the relevant criteria at appropriate times of the school year
  • Assessment judgements are recorded and backed by a body of evidence created using observations, records of work and testing
  • Assessment judgements are moderated by colleagues in school and by colleagues in other schools to make sure our assessment is fair, reliable and valid

Our use of assessment:

  • Teachers use the outcomes of our assessments to summarise and analyse attainment and progress for their pupils and classes
  • Teachers use the data to plan the learning for every pupil to ensure they meet or exceed expectations. Teachers and leaders analyse the data across the school to ensure that pupils identified as vulnerable or at particular risk in this school are making appropriate progress and that all pupils are suitably stretched
  • The information from assessment is communicated to parents and pupils on a termly basis through a structured conversation. Parents and pupils receive rich, qualitative feedback of what has been achieved and indications of what they need to do next
  • We celebrate all achievements across a broad and balanced curriculum, including sport, art and performance, behaviour, attendance and social and emotional development