Policy for Assessment Recording & Reporting

Transcription

1 Lead Andrew Payne Date of completion January 2014 Date of adoption by Governors March 2014 Date to be reviewed January 2018 Grove Park School Policy for Assessment Recording & Reporting 1

2 ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING IN PRACTICE The purpose of all assessment is primarily to:- Inform planning (where we are now, what is the next step)- it also however helps to identify Present levels of attainment and over time Demonstrate achievement and progress Planning, assessment and record keeping are all inter-related, being an integral part of the teaching and learning process. Without continuous assessment, it is impossible to produce adequately differentiated lessons which contain remediation and extension, according to individual needs. Wherever possible a pupil will be involved with the assessment process, and this is made easier by the Themes /modules and tasks being discussed with the pupils prior to teaching taking place. This is particularly important to the students in secondary and 6 th form involved in external accreditation schemes. In addition, the broad strand of personal development issues covered by PSHCE calls for pupil/student participation in assessment whenever possible. In summary, records are kept at Grove Park for a number of purposes and assist in the following areas: Learning: in order to serve the interests of the pupil in terms of acknowledging achievement, increasing motivation and improving self-esteem. Teaching: so that it can become more effective in terms of demonstrating and maximising progress and continuity; understand how measurement of progress informs Reporting: to be accountable, to meet legal requirements, to provide information as evidence of pupil achievement or in discussion with others. All the legal requirements for assessment, record keeping and reporting are met by this policy and current practice. Schools are required to assess pupils at or near the end of each key stage for the purpose of ascertaining what pupils have achieved. We have a number of tools showing achievement and progress: 1. Pupil Records of Achievement 2. Annual reports ( capture reporting on pupil /student participation and progress not otherwise reported in the annual review) 3. Annual Reviews 4. Termly Targets ( Curriculum) 5. Priority Needs Targets 6. Assessments of progress using B ² 7. CASPA data 8. Progression Guidance 9. Behaviour incident database 2

3 Annual Review Report The annual review is a statutory requirement and takes the form of an annual meeting with parents, school staff and other relevant professionals including health and social care. The date is usually around the anniversary of the date of the pupil s birthday. As well as discussions as to whether the statement still captures the needs of the pupil, discussions need to agree that identified provision continues to meet the needs of the pupil. The objectives set in the statement are reviewed through annual targets set by the class teacher. The annual review report is a detailed account of the pupil s progress over the previous year. Curriculum Targets The work that the pupils do in school is dictated first and foremost by our school aims and the curriculum we have devised to help achieve those aims. But not all pupils will follow, at one particular time, the same aspects of that curriculum. Work will be selected and differentiated according to the particular needs and abilities of each pupil. We do this by writing, and subsequently evaluating, forecast of work each pupil will do. These forecasts are, in effect, Individual Education Plans. The target setting system is designed to facilitate discussion, recording and evaluation of learning objectives for individual pupils along with any specific plans for them. Curriculum targets demonstrate that our curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of individuals and, over a period of time, they build up a record of the educational experience which has been on offer to each pupil. Forecasting requires a great deal of time, and skill, particularly from class teachers; but is central to the delivery of an appropriately individualized curriculum to each pupil. Objectives listed on the targets will be observable, specific and precise. The size of steps and the scope of the objectives should obviously be appropriate to each individual pupil and to the curriculum area. Attempts are always made to make the language as user friendly as possible. A summative record of evaluated goals is kept produced by the deputy head and it is used to inform the whole school pupil performance data GPS Scoring system 0 = No response / no attempt made 1 = Some response / incorrect attempt 2 = Intermittent correct response - physical and verbal prompts needed 3 = Regularly achieves verbal/gestural prompts only 4 = Mastered no help needed 3

4 Priority Needs Targets These are set to cover three terms and are set twice a year. These targets are specific to the young person and outline baselines and strategies which will enable the pupil to effectively engage with their learning. Areas include behaviour, Physical needs ( such as physio or OT and for those pupils with a ASD diagnosis, targets can be set with reference to the headings for the triad of impairments. Key points for targets are; They are discussed in person with parents twice a year in October and February For some pupils as they move through the school they should be encouraged to contribute to their own goal setting. This opportunity for increased autonomy should be produced in a form accessible to the pupil such as with symbol support. Targets serve as a current record of the most important work being undertaken in a given term. At the end of each term, the targets are evaluated and a copy is sent home to parents They are made available if required as part of the reports at Annual Review time. B² (Connecting Steps) The introduction of the Connecting Steps assessment materials at Grove Park arose from a review of current practice in respect of School assessment and recording procedures. It was recognised that a number of key areas required addressing: - 1) The dual system of assessment using both QCA P- Level descriptors, in addition to school developed assessment and recording materials required rationalisation 2) P- Level descriptors were too broad to be either a useful tool for the setting of individual pupil targets, or for producing objective measures of pupil attainment. 3) The limited objectivity of P-Level assessments presented difficulties in the interpretation and use that could be made of annually collected data Connecting steps was introduced to resolve some of these issues through: - 1) A small steps approach to assessment and recording. 2) A small steps approach to the assessment of Speaking and Listening skills 3) A useful tool for assessing baseline behaviours that could then have a direct correlation to the setting of individual pupil targets (particularly in the area of Speaking and Listening) 4) A small steps approach to P-Level and NC assessment, that significantly reduces the subjectivity of teacher assessments, and provided a means of standardisation across the school 4

5 The use of the Connecting Steps materials at Grove Park represents the minimum requirements of the School in respect of a formalised whole - school system for assessing and recording pupil attainment and progression against P- Level descriptors. Teachers are responsible for completing initial assessments on individual pupils. Teachers will use their own professional judgement in deciding how many levels of a component area will need to be completed on an individual pupil for assessment and teaching purposes. It is likely that some pupils will demonstrate skills and abilities in a particular area that will transverse a range of P- Levels. Assessment information should be available for at least the last fully completed P-Level and show the progress made on the subsequent level. Pupils are considered to be at the Level of the last completed P-Level assessment. In order to be considered as having completed a P-Level they should have achieved a mastered score of at least 80% on a particular level. In some exceptional cases, pupils may be considered as having completed a level with a score of less than 80% if it is considered that: firstly the outstanding skills are not appropriate / attainable for an individual; and secondly that there non-completion does not affect significantly the basic requirements indicated in the level description. In such circumstances the Deputy Head will be responsible for decisions determining the attainment level for individual pupils, in liaison with the respective class teacher (i.e. for pupils with Spikey ASC profiles). P-Level Assessments should be part of an ongoing process, and should be updated on a termly basis as a minimum requirement. CASPA (Comparison and Analysis of Special Schools Pupil Attainment) The purpose of CASPA is to allow the organization and its teachers to analyse and evaluate the attainment and progress of pupils with defined Special Educational Needs. B² has in the last three years developed a facility which allows data from B² teachers assessment to be imported directly into CASPA. The most useful aspect of the program is that it allows special schools to compare their pupils attainment against other pupils with similar needs or with the same prior attainment. It s growing data base taken from an increasingly large number of special schools around the country, means that comparisons can be refined year on year. Because information about pupils is drawn from information stored on the school s SIMS, CASPA allows us compare attainment for pupils in other aspects such as LAC, free school meals as well as boys compared to girls. CASPA enables us to ask questions about how and why our pupils are progressing in specific ways. 5

6 We can plot our pupils progress against that of other pupils with same category of need or more recently in light of the Progression Guidance, against prior attainment. CASPA has the facility to generate pupil targets against expected outcomes. Progression Guidance The progression guidance is a nationally recognized and was created by the DfE providing updated progression data using national P scales information and enables benchmarking to support schools, their SIPs and LAs to evaluate the attainment and progress of low attaining pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. School references the benchmarking outlined in the Data sets in order to inform pupil progress. National Curriculum Attainment At the end of the Foundation Stage the decision to complete a Foundation Stage Profile will be made with the class teacher and the Deputy Head. Previous experience has found the completion of the profile book unhelpful and does not acknowledge the progress of pupils in certain aspects of learning. Previous moderation visits to Grove Park by the LA as shown that the means of assessment already employed, more than adequately record pupil progress at foundation stage and consequently assist the target setting process. Therefore at Grove Park we currently assess pupils using P levels. At the end of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 each pupil is taken in turn and a decision is made as to whether he/she will complete the Standard Assessment Tests and Tasks based on Teacher Assessment. If a pupil is working below level 1 at KS1 or, at or below Level 2 at Key Stage 2, or working at Level 3 or below at Key Stage 3, then he/she will not be required to complete the SATs. ASSESSMENTS FROM OTHER PROFESSIONALS At any time during a pupil s placement at Grove Park School, assessments may be completed by other professionals including; - Speech and Language Therapist - Physiotherapist - Occupational Therapist - Educational Psychologist - Teacher for the Visually Impaired - Teacher for the Hearing Impaired These reports are always accessible to all staff in order that recommendations can be incorporated into the pupils programme. 6

7 INVOLVEMENT OF PARENTS AND CARERS We value the contribution that parents and carers can make to their son or daughter s target setting. To that end, they are invited to attend consultation evenings to discuss with the class teacher the current targets, and any recommendations for the future targets. It may be the case that parents ask for specific help with a task they are attempting to achieve at home with their son or daughter. Similarly, the teacher may request support with an objective which requires further consolidation in the home setting. The ultimate aim is to work as closely as possible with parents, to achieve an appropriately balanced programme for all pupils. PLANNING PUPILS WORK Daily Record Keeping This is left to the discretion of individual class teachers. It takes account of recording work covered and progress made on a regular basis, for each pupil. It is important to remember to annotate and date pupil's work. Long & Medium Term Curriculum Planning The long term plan for each of the key stages gives an overview of the themes / learning journeys to be covered as part of the 3,4 or 2 year cycle ( Key Stage dependent) The medium term plans show areas of work covered by the class or group in topic activities in key stages 1, 2 and 3. The medium term plans at key stage 4 incorporate ASDAN Transition Challenge, Bronze, Silver and Gold award. All the medium term plans for Key stages 1 and 2 use headings derived from the EYFS areas of learning; Personal, social & emotional development, Communication, language & literacy, Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy Knowledge & Understanding of the world Physical development Creative development Key Stage 3 planning is derived from the appropriate programmes of study from the National Curriculum and differentiated as necessary and include RE and PSHE, Careers and Citizenship. National Accreditation Where appropriate pupils are following nationally accredited schemes including: - ASDAN Transition Challenge/Towards Independence/Bronze /Silver/ Gold - Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme - Ed-Excel 7

8 MONITORING AND EVALUATING Recording must be cost effective and its usefulness must be sufficient to justify the time and resources being expended. Basic recording systems throughout the school must be sufficiently compatible to enable the following questions to be answered. a) What is the pupil s level of functioning and ability in the various areas of the curriculum? b) What have been the pupil s experiences and achievements in his/her school career? c) Given the information above, are all pupils sufficiently challenged to meet their potential? 8