Good assessment in secondary schools HMI 462

Transcription

1 Good assessment in secondary schoos HMI 462

2 Good assessment in secondary schoos March 2003 HMI 462

3 Good assessment in secondary schoos Crown copyright 2003 Document reference number: HMI 462 To obtain an additiona copy, contact: Ofsted Pubications Centre Teephone: Fax: E-mai: Web site: This document may be reproduced in whoe or in part for non-commercia educationa purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of pubication are stated.

4 Good assessment in secondary schoos Contents Introduction 1 Purpose of the report 1 Assessment in secondary schoos 1 Recent deveopments 1 Coverage of the report 2 Main findings 4 Part 1: Good schoo assessment systems 6 Introduction 6 Using data 6 Teaching, marking and setting targets 9 Monitoring and supporting progress 15 Invoving pupis 18 Communicating with parents 20 Managing assessment 21 Connecting the eements of assessment 23 Part 2: Good assessment in subjects 26 Introduction 26 Using data 26 Teaching, marking and setting targets 27 Forma assessment 31 GCSE coursework 32 Standardisation 33 Evauation and deveopment 33 Concusions and recommendations 34 Issues for attention 34 Annex: Schoos visited 36

5 Good assessment in secondary schoos 1 Introduction Purpose of the report 1. This report is about the ways in which schoos can use assessment to improve earning and achievement. It draws evidence from essons and schoos systems for academic monitoring to iustrate some of the most effective strategies used to guide, chaenge and support pupis. Assessment in secondary schoos 2. A consistent message of Ofsted reports over severa years has been the indifferent quaity of assessment compared with other aspects of teaching in secondary schoos.the Annua Report 2000/01 shows the quaity and use of ongoing assessment to be good or better in ony 37% of schoos inspected. By contrast, teachers genera professiona knowedge and understanding are good in 90% of the schoos, with teachers panning of a simiar quaity in 74%. 3. One probem is that marking to inform pupis of their progress is inconsistent, with teachers often giving insufficient guidance to pupis about how to improve their work and providing few opportunities for pupis to refect on comments. Another probem is that reports to parents are sometimes weakened by band writing that fais to describe strengths and weaknesses ceary enough or by a ack of information that shows how pupis are achieving in reation to nationa standards.their usefuness can aso be affected by varied formats that make comparisons between subjects difficut. 4. Responses to pre-inspection questionnaires in 2000/01 show that the parents of secondary schoo pupis are very satisfied with the education their chidren receive: over 90% say their chidren ike schoo and are making good progress and that the schoos expect their chidren to work hard and do their best. However, fewer parents think that they are kept we informed about how their chid is getting on.this aspect, aong with the extent of homework, receives the owest rating. 5. The need to strengthen assessment procedures is refected in evidence about the assessment skis of trainees at the end of their initia teacher training (ITT) courses. Across 166 inspections of ITT providers in 2000/01, inspectors judged trainees skis in monitoring, assessment, recording, reporting and accountabiity to be significanty weaker than their subject knowedge or their panning, teaching and cassroom management skis. Athough the assessment training provided by higher education institutions is generay good, a major shortcoming of many trainees schoo experiences is the ack of emphasis on finding out what pupis aready know, understand and can do, and then using the outcomes to infuence how and what they teach. Schoo mentors rarey comment on assessment issues after observing essons or during training sessions.trainees marking of pupis work is usuay conscientious, but most schoos are at the eary stages of using the data they have on pupis prior attainment and tend not to share the fu possibiities with their trainees. Recent deveopments 6. A focus in many schoos on what is commony termed assessment for earning has been prompted in part by initiatives such as the iteracy and numeracy strategies. Assessment for earning has been defined as the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by earners and their teachers to decide

6 2 Good assessment in secondary schoos where the earners are in their earning, where they need to go and how best to get there. 1 Attention to assessment for earning has been reinvigorated by the findings of recent research invoving teachers seeking to improve aspects of their practice In February 2000 the Secretary of State for Education asked the Quaifications and Curricuum Authority (QCA) for advice on deveoping the assessment system beyond In its response, the QCA concuded that: assessment defined in its broadest terms can make a significanty enhanced contribution to raising standards in schoos if the focus is paced on the professiona skis of teachers.the benefits to be gained from this incude: improved focus on the quaity of teaching and earning greater carity of objectives and expectations in the cassroom cearer understanding of nationa standards greater consistency and rigour in the assessment process improved understanding among pupis of how they can earn most effectivey better appreciation among parents of how they may support their chidren s earning. 8. The QCA recommended that, in concert with coeagues in what was then the Department for Education and Empoyment (DfEE) and with other organisations, it prepare a ong-term programme of activities that woud support the government s initiatives to raise standards in Key Stages 1 3 by focusing on improving the quaity of teaching and earning. Coverage of the report 9. Part 1 of this report describes the main components of some good assessment systems and expains how they work.to gather evidence, Her Majesty s Inspectors (HMI) visited schoos whose assessment procedures were judged to be very good or exceent in their most recent Ofsted inspection.the schoos were comprehensive and served a range of communities, from inner city to rura. Some had sixth forms and a few were much arger than the average. 10. Inspectors studied the schoos assessment systems, using criteria to guide them. As we as ooking at pupis work and records and visiting essons, they interviewed staff such as assessment co-ordinators, heads of year and form tutors, as we as a sampe of pupis and their parents.they were not expecting the schoos systems to exempify a the criteria, rather to note how different schoos combined a number of important eements.they examined the use of data, target-setting, the ways the schoos monitor and support pupis progress, and the management of assessment, and tried to understand the nature of the wiring behind the systems.they ooked for systems that were economic, in which eements connected neaty and which were successfu in invoving pupis and communicating with parents.the connection between the eements of the system was a key feature. If assessment is to hep pupis to do their best, the various eements of a good system data anaysis, pupi panners, subject 1 Assessment for Learning: 10 principes,assessment Reform Group, Particuary infuentia has been the work of Pau Back and Dyan Wiiam. See, for exampe, Inside the back box: raising standards through cassroom assessment, King s Coege London Schoo of Education, 1998.

7 Good assessment in secondary schoos 3 targets, progress reports, the roes of cass teachers and tutors, marking, additiona support, parenta consutation must successfuy interreate. 11. A major difficuty for schoos is finding the time to attend to and provide for assessment of the earning of individua pupis as we as fufiing statutory obigations.the tension between what schoos are required to do as a minimum and what they wish to do to meet the needs of their pupis is sometimes not easiy reconcied. Reporting requirements are a case in point. Some schoos visited as part of this exercise had taken decisions to report to parents at more frequent intervas than is statutoriy required, whie other schoos visited had good approaches based on provision coser to minimum requirements.the report iustrates how procedures can be both efficient in their use of time and effective in meeting pupis and parents needs. Of particuar importance is that teachers receive the information they need to do the job we, and have the time and opportunity to expoit it. 12. Part 2 of the report iustrates good assessment practice in subjects. It is based on the findings of HMI visits in 2001/02 to schoos whose assessment in particuar subjects was judged by their atest Ofsted inspection to be good or better.this part of the report concentrates on assessment in the cassroom and on the processes of forma assessment, especiay in reation to Genera Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) coursework. As with those visited for the purposes of Part 1, the schoos were comprehensive and served a range of communities.

8 4 Good assessment in secondary schoos Main findings o o o Good assessment practice in the schoos visited derives from scrupuous attention to pupis progress and draws teachers together in working systematicay on achievement. It has been key to improvement in these schoos. The quaity of assessment has had a significant impact on attitudes to earning and on attainment in the schoos by stimuating and chaenging pupis to work hard and by encouraging teachers to focus on how to improve the earning of individua pupis. Good use of data is a basic feature of the schoos practice. In particuar: Key Stage 2 data are gathered as eary as possibe and anaysed carefuy, suppemented by other test data when avaiabe, for cross-referencing pupis with specia needs are identified through individua consutation in Year 6 to enabe smooth transfer from their primary schoo the data provide a baseine to monitor and review individua pupis progress especiay to identify signs of underachievement or unusua potentia and to set targets for the pupis and subject departments. o In reation to teaching, marking and setting targets, pupis are heped to improve their work by: carity in the aims and outcomes of essons teaching methods that invove them activey and emphasise anaysis, discussion, experimentation and thinking ideas through written or ora comments on their work that provide both cear evauation of the content and structure and sensibe advice that eaves them with manageabe action points use of Nationa Curricuum eve descriptions and GCSE grade criteria to show what needs to be done to make progress target-setting that focuses on specific, reevant and achievabe goas. o o o Pupis progress is improved by thoroughgoing monitoring and support, based on informed diaogue among subject and pastora staff about pupis academic progress and their attitudes, behaviour and persona deveopment. Pupis of a ages appreciate teachers showing them how to move on to the next stage of achievement and vaue discussion about their progress with their tutor. The schoos visited take the invovement of parents very seriousy and communicate with them very we.the parents vaue we-written, personaised schoo reports, and they aso appreciate reguar, informa consutation over and above that provided at conventiona parents evenings.we-kept diaries or journas, carefuy monitored, are a vauabe means of communication between pupis, parents and teachers.

9 Good assessment in secondary schoos 5 o Good management of assessment in these schoos: depends on strong direction by senior managers who share a cear vision for what they wish to achieve with a staff provides high-quaity documentation to estabish the expectations and define the procedures connects the eements of the schoo system incuding data anaysis, targetsetting and review, assessment in the cassroom, marking and reporting to parents in a productive and economic fashion uses efficient and accessibe information systems and administrative support to reduce the burden on teachers invoves senior managers monitoring practice thoroughy, supported by midde managers whose oversight of systems is attentive to detai provides continuing professiona deveopment that addresses both difficuties and important new ideas in assessment practice.

10 6 Good assessment in secondary schoos Part 1: Good schoo assessment systems Introduction 13. In setting out to report on good assessment, inspectors considered schoos work under the foowing headings: using data teaching, marking and setting targets monitoring and supporting progress invoving pupis communicating with parents managing assessment connecting the eements of assessment. 14. The visits took into account the extent to which the schoos fufied statutory requirements in assessment and reporting, incuding preparation for end of Key Stage 3 assessments and GCSE and Genera Nationa Vocationa Quaifications (GNVQ) examinations. Part 2 of this report covers forma assessment in more detai. Using data Features of good practice Key Stage 2 data are gathered as eary as possibe and anaysed carefuy (incuding anaysis by gender, ethnicity and mobiity), suppemented by other test data (such as in Engish, mathematics or verba reasoning), when avaiabe, for cross-referencing pupis with specia educationa needs (SEN) or those earning Engish as an additiona anguage (EAL) are identified through individua consutation to enabe smooth transfer from their primary schoo data are used as a baseine to monitor and review individua pupis progress, especiay to identify signs of underachievement or unusua potentia, and to hep set targets for the pupis and subject departments an effective management information system aows individua departments and teachers to access information independenty and in a way taiored to their needs, and aso aows new data to be easiy entered and processed when required subject teachers and tutors use data and other assessment information to review the performance and expectations of pupis, maintaining a productive diaogue with the pupis about their progress test resuts and teacher assessments are anaysed to iuminate aspects of pupis performance and the extent to which progress is consistent with earier data anaysis of the performance of cass groups is used to identify weaker aspects of teaching, which are then addressed through performance management and professiona deveopment.

11 Good assessment in secondary schoos The Ofsted pubication, Changing schoos (2002), evauated arrangements for pupis transferring schoos at the age of 11.The report describes great variation in the range and quaity of information received by secondary schoos and points to the amount of additiona testing carried out by many secondary schoos in Year Amost a of the schoos visited in this survey make use of cognitive abiity tests (CATs) or other tests to provide an assessment of the pupis capabiities on intake, in addition to Key Stage 2 data. Occasionay, a schoo arranges for tests to be taken in Year 6 before prospective pupis transfer.a of the schoos use a range of additiona speciaised assessments to diagnose the earning difficuties of pupis with SEN. Often, speciaist secondary staff undertake visits to partner primary schoos to pick up information about pupis with specia needs as eary as possibe. 17. The schoos use the data they receive from primary schoos or produce themseves, first and foremost to pace pupis into appropriate teaching groups. As Part 2 of the report confirms, effective subject departments making good use of the data consider the teaching approaches and curricuum content they use for different teaching groups and work out appropriate Key Stage 3 targets for themseves and the pupis.a few of the schoos visited discuss the data with both the pupis and their parents, and expain their expectations concerning the Nationa Curricuum eves they predict the pupis shoud attain at the end of Year 9. Most schoos, however, prefer to eave this kind of discussion unti ater and to focus pupis minds on short-term curricuar targets in the first instance. When pupis join Sacred Heart High Schoo at age 11, a range of assessment information is considered, incuding Key Stage 2 test and teacher assessment data, and the outcomes of standardised tests in mathematics, reading and non-verba reasoning.these are used to provide a baseine for individua pupis and benchmarks for the schoo.the data are made avaiabe across the schoo and are used to hep review the pupis progress. At the end of Year 7, pupis take further tests in Engish and mathematics. In ater years, information derived from optiona QCA tests and statutory tests at the end of Year 9 updates the baseine information. The schoo s oca education authority (LEA), Hammersmith and Fuham, makes an exceent contribution to the schoo s awareness of the vaue it adds to pupis attainment by anaysing data at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. For exampe at the end of Key Stage 3, in addition to the standard information, anaysis is provided by gender, teaching group, stage of fuency in Engish for pupis with Engish as an additiona anguage, stage of the SEN Code of Practice, ethnicity and mobiity. Statistica differences between contextua groups are highighted, as are trends in a the data since 1995.The anaysis provided by the LEA demonstrates the vaue added between Key Stages 2 and 3, based on the average test eve resuts of matched groups of pupis.the trend in the progress made by pupis is based on a the test resuts from A simiar anaysis is done from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4. Schoo-by-schoo anaysis enabes Sacred Heart to see how the performance of its pupis compares with pupis across the borough.the schoo can see, for exampe, how we its Back Caribbean, white, or refugee pupis are performing compared with those in other schoos. 18. It is important to get the management and handing of data right. Members of staff with different roes need different data sets and to be abe to obtain the most up-to-date information easiy. Dixons City Technoogy Coege has deveoped an effective software package that meets its needs. As pupis progress through a year, subject progress eves are

12 8 Good assessment in secondary schoos updated by teachers and the figures are entered by schoo administrative staff. Departments check the data before particuar data sets are printed out. Schoo staff receive what they need. For exampe, the Key Stage 3 co-ordinator requires fu year group ists by aphabetica order and cass, as we as summary data; she then uses the data to compare performance against that of previous years as we as against targets for the current year. Form tutors use the data in pupi interviews. A staff assiduousy check the progress of pupis for whom they have responsibiity against the targets set for them. 19. Carefu anaysis of data, appropriate target-setting and detaied record-keeping are basic to good provision for pupis with SEN. For SEN co-ordinators, the art ies in transating targets for pupis into practica advice for subject teachers. A Year 10 pupi with a statement at Dixons City Technoogy Coege has a specific reading and speing difficuty but is nonetheess academicay capabe. Carefu diagnosis of the pupi s needs ed to advice to teachers that incuded the foowing: provide access to a word processor with spe-checking faciity and voiceoperated software ensure he understands texts before being asked to work on them provide reguar opportunities for discussion about coursework, homework and persona research and in order to verify that he understands work done in cass ensure that the pupi is given opportunities to show what he can do that do not invove use of high-eve writing skis set targets for examination grades commensurate with his high abiity. 20. Data are used in the schoos to chaenge departments to consider in detai the effectiveness of their teaching and other matters, such as grouping arrangements and examination entry poicy. At Sacred Heart High Schoo, heads of department anayse their department s work according to a standard format. Fu subject data are provided by senior management for comment by the head of department foowing discussion. Searching responses are required.the data incude: subject A* G, A* C, A*/A percentage figures achieved, as we as targets aimed for, for the past five years percentages of pupis at a GCSE grades for the past five years a teacher/cass set chart indicating, for the current year, the numbers and percentages of pupis achieving each grade in each set a comparison between the percentages of pupis expecting particuar targets and those actuay achieving them ( In achieving the outcomes above, what worked we and what was ess successfu? ) a chart setting out the vaue added (numbers and percentages gaining 1, 2, 3 eves/making no progress/going down the eve scae) from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4.The questions to departments incude: What vaue has the department added to pupis attainments and achievements in terms of progress from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4? What issues/concerns/future chaenges does this raise for you as head of department and for the department as a whoe? The further three questions heads of department are required to address are: In comparison with other departments and schoo performance as a whoe, how we is the department performing in reation to: (a) performance at A* G,

13 Good assessment in secondary schoos 9 (b) performance at A* C, (c) numbers and percentages achieving A*/A, and (d) number of non-entries? Pease identify and comment on any issues comparison with other departments and the schoo as a whoe raises for you. What do you intend to do this year to improve: (a) performance at A* G, (b) performance at A* C, (c) numbers and percentages achieving A*/A, (d) nonentries? Any other comments on resuts and future strategies for improvement? At The Heathand Schoo, data are interrogated by teachers with responsibiities such as for gifted and taented pupis or the work of earning mentors. Subject teachers are asked to nominate pupis who may show signs of a particuar aptitude or need that has not been highighted either by standardised data or by data from Nationa Curricuum assessments.the ead earning mentor, in taking an overview of a mentoring activity, is abe to cite instances of pupis with high standardised scores for exampe in non-verba reasoning but whose Nationa Curricuum attainment does not refect this. 21. The soution to probems such as this may be earier mentoring, but the critica thing is to identify the pupis in the first pace, for they do not stand out in the way that some SEN, gifted and taented, or GCSE C/D borderine pupis do. Teaching, marking and setting targets Features of good practice teaching expects high achievement and supports it by carity of aims and outcomes, by methods that invove pupis activey and give them some responsibiity for how they earn, by a strong emphasis on anaysis and discussion, and by opportunities to experiment and try ideas out when work is returned, pupis are given written or spoken comments that combine cear evauation with sensibe advice and manageabe action points the quaity and consistency of marking are monitored within departments and by senior managers effective use is made of Nationa Curricuum eve descriptions to demonstrate to pupis what they need to do to progress in their earning and attain higher standards, and pupis preparing for GCSE are trained to assess sampes of work against grade criteria target-setting focuses on specific and achievabe goas reevant to important aspects of knowedge, understanding and skis in the subject. 22. The home of assessment is the cassroom.the teaching seen in the schoos visited commony iustrated the way in which good assessment skis hep pupis to earn effectivey. In successfu essons, confident, knowedgeabe teachers typicay interacted very we with pupis, managing and controing activities so that a the pupis took part.the essons offered, among other features: a wecome to the pupis, who were personay vaued and knew that they woud be expected and heped to do their best carity of aims and expected outcomes, discussed at the outset a range of methods that give pupis some responsibiity for organising how

14 10 Good assessment in secondary schoos they earn, and that invove them in a variety of ways through presentations, dispays, using the whiteboard, simuations, roe pay, quizzes, modeing, the use of memory and reca techniques, and through refecting on the vaue of what has been achieved a coaborative approach to earning, with a strong emphasis on anaysis and discussion opportunities for divergent thinking in an atmosphere that ensures pupis do not fee bad if they make a mistake. 23. Part 2 of the report iustrates these features by reference to the teaching of different subjects. In the foowing exampes of teaching in mathematics and physica education the teachers were abe to buid on pupis existing knowedge to move them towards higher standards. In a mathematics esson at Pittvie Schoo the teacher worked with a Year 8 mixed-abiity group on menta mutipication and division.the esson made exceent use of direct questioning to test the 28 pupis reca of earier earning. During this the teacher gained a very cear picture of the pupis knowedge and understanding. She went on to use graded exampes to iustrate new techniques for mutipying by powers of 10, again with a high eve of pupi participation.the teacher s manner throughout was ivey and expressive. She istened carefuy to the pupis answers and brought into the spoken exchanges contributions from everyone. She showed great ski in taking pupis forward from what they aready understood we.the pupis used individua whiteboards to work through practice questions, enabing the teacher to actuay see how we the pupis understood the mathematica processes invoved.the pupis had re-capped earier earning, had been introduced to new ideas and in the end were abe to consoidate their new earning through practice. The more advanced pupis in the group were given extension questions at appropriate times.the pace of the esson was ivey throughout, with both teacher and the pupis on their toes. At The Heathand Schoo a physica education cass for Year 9 boys from a range of ethnic backgrounds made exceent progress in evauating each other s performance in dance under the direction of a knowedgeabe teacher who had panned the esson carefuy, inking it to the science of the body s movement, and exercise.the object of the esson was to improve each other s performance skis through peer assessment. Demonstration by both the teacher and some of the boys of aspects of good performance to ook out for preceded the boys dividing into pairs in order to evauate each others execution of a Braziian dance sequence, the capoiera, which they had worked on in earier essons.the teacher s vigorous, practica and, at times, commanding approach encouraged the boys to offer positive comment.the boys were abe to make usefu evauations and the teacher was abe to extend their anaysis in a penary session in which ideas about what had been earnt were shared. 24. Good marking provides maximum hep for pupis at the point of earning, especiay where the teachers set targets and share and discuss Nationa Curricuum eve or GCSE criteria as a way of iustrating expected standards. Pupis earn how we they are doing and what they need to do to improve. Pupis are heped most where the quaity of the written or spoken comment on their work gives a cear evauation and sensibe advice that eaves them with action points they are abe to work on. It is aso hepfu if there is continuity in comments from one piece of work to the next.

15 Good assessment in secondary schoos Approaches to marking in different subjects are described in Part 2. A key issue for teachers is baancing coverage of a the work of their groups with in-depth response. In one schoo, a teacher was particuary deiberate in discussing returned work with different individuas over a haf-term, so that coverage of the group was systematic. In another exampe, a design and technoogy teacher provided a comprehensive written evauation of pupis work at a crucia design stage in GCSE coursework, having provided mainy ora comment at earier stages.the written evauation set important targets for the next stage of the work. 26. Targets can mean different things. A schoo or subject department, for exampe, wi have targets to meet in terms of a percentage of pupis expected to attain grade C or better at GCSE and a good many more.a pupi might say, at Key Stage 3: My target is to get a eve 6 for science in my Year 9 SATs.At Key Stage 4 pupis woud amost certainy be aware of a target minimum grade for each subject that they expected to attain in GCSE or GNVQ.At Key Stage 3, however, the intended achievement for a pupi is much more ikey to be expressed in terms of a SMART (specific, measurabe, achievabe, reaistic and time-reated) target, perhaps based on a particuar Nationa Curricuum eve description. At Pittvie Schoo for each modue of the Engish course in Key Stage 3 pupis keep a og in which they record the skis they wi be addressing, the eves or marks achieved, as we as their targets for improvement.the targets are very specific, and reate to the need to practise particuar skis, such as incorporating more verbs into a poem for better effect, or earning how to use a particuar punctuation device.the og enabes the pupis to assess their progress over time. 27. In severa of the schoos visited, a few subject departments attain a remarkabe consistency in their standards of marking, and there is systematic monitoring of pupis books and work by heads of departments and heads of year across the whoe schoo. At Trinity Schoo the head of Year 7 interviews a the pupis in the year group over a six-week period and ooks through their work with them in around six subject areas. She writes brief comments on the work of each pupi which are passed on to the form tutor. If there are issues to do with poor-quaity marking these are passed on to heads of subject and the deputy headteacher. 28. In some practica subjects, advice often cannot easiy be written down, so most support for earning resuts from teacher/pupi interaction in a esson and can appy to the whoe cass. A physica education esson iustrated this we. A teacher at Pittvie Schoo was coaching the boys in the tactics and rues of rugby. He used natura pauses in the pay to discuss and coach. Pupis received feedback on their pay and on how to deveop their skis further.the teacher very effectivey encouraged the pupis to evauate their own standard of performance. Throughout, the pupis were aware of paying strengths and skis eves.they knew what they had to do to improve. 29. At the same schoo, Key Stage 3 assessment criteria in history are shared and discussed with the pupis.the department is experimenting with traffic ighting, where the pupis review the historica skis they have been addressing in a esson and coour a grid red, amber, green to indicate how we they fee they are appying these.this is hepfu to teachers because it encourages them to think more precisey how to pitch subsequent essons, and which skis to review. It is not an easy exercise for a of the pupis, however.the difficuties are described by the head of department:

16 12 Good assessment in secondary schoos Feeding back to pupis what they need to do to get to the next eve has been hard and not aways successfu.the words causation, chronoogy and assessment do not easiy connect with pupis sense of their own work and deveopment. However, we are teaching pupis what the eves mean and this eads to better history as a resut. 30. Target minimum grades are commony used to chaenge pupis in Key Stage 4. The targets are normay based on expectations of achievement at GCSE that stem in part from evidence from Key Stage 3 test data,yellis data and teachers own awareness of the pupi s knowedge and understanding. 3 The best target-setting assists day-to-day earning. At Dixons City Technoogy Coege, very cear guidance is provided on targetsetting in the schoo assessment poicy which is refected in departmenta poicies and the poicy for pupis with SEN caed here the Individua Need poicy. A thorough anaysis of a data on pupis is made: end of Year 9 nationa assessment information, CATs scores and the first term in Key Stage 4 progress grades, by group, ethnicity, gender and individua need. By December of Year 10, targets in a subjects have been negotiated between the pupi, subject teacher and form tutor at a pupi review interview.the YELLIS predicted grades are used as a baseine but in reaity, for most pupis, these represent an average of a grade beow what the coege beieves to be achievabe targets. For this reason, the majority of target grades are raised one eve. In 2001, 80% of pupis achieved their target grades. Targets for coursework (end-of-modue assessments or other written assignments) are aso negotiated, written in panners, checked by parents and tutors, and used to inform each new piece of work. Pupis take any feedback very seriousy, know why targets have been set and strive very hard to achieve them, irrespective of abiity. Learning mentors and earning support assistants hep pupis with weaker organisationa skis to keep track of their targets and provide additiona strategies to enabe pupis to achieve, thus promoting independence. Teachers and tutors reguary refer to individua targets as they go round the cass commenting on pupis work.this is done in T&G (tutor and guidance/persona, socia and heath education) essons three haf-hour sessions each week and subject essons, or by written feedback in cass or homework.the approach is effective because it assesses the pupis grasp of both targets and written comments on their work and is a continuous activity. At Sacred Heart High Schoo,individua education pans are written not just for pupis with SEN, but any pupi experiencing significant difficuty. Any pupi can have the number of negotiated targets reduced for this reason or the form tutor, sometimes assisted by a earning support assistant, may negotiate a cross-curricuar target shared between subjects.this makes the understanding of targets more effective for such pupis. The subjects that gave me the most targets were science and geography. I had to think about the areas I was doing bad in. I am happy with a my targets as they are targets I can work on. Targets are the best part of the schoo...i can t wait for the next ones. Charton Schoo has adopted a simiar approach based on expicitness about progression in earning.the criteria for success at three sub-eves both for Nationa Curricuum eves and GCSE grades, and in pupi-friendy anguage are 3 Year 11 information System: a pupi performance monitoring system devised and administered by the Curricuum, Evauation and Monitoring Centre of the University of Durham. ALIS is the companion A-eve system.

17 Good assessment in secondary schoos 13 provided in cassrooms as we as in exercise books and pupi panners.this gives pupis and teachers a common anguage for discussing attainment and what needs to be done to take it to the next stage.there is a genuine attempt to invove the pupis in the process. The benefits of the approach at its best were seen in the work of a Year 10 boy in Engish and history. David, who was expected to achieve at east five A* C grades, had a stronger interest in science and maths than in these two subjects. His Engish teacher had estabished with him a neat set of five targets for improving writing focused mainy on buiding an argument and making good use of evidence, aong with some associated technica matters (notaby joining sentences up ). David was abe to point to the reevance of these targets to achieving the next eve (expressed as a C/B GCSE grade) and to articuate the progress he had made since the beginning of the year.the marking of his Engish work was highy constructive in this respect; and recent work based on anaysing the Bentey tria case showed that progress was good. He was aso abe to point to the overap with targets for history and was consciousy ooking to appy techniques earned in Engish to that subject, with evident success. In both subjects, eve descriptors were incuded in books or foders and had been annotated by David or his teachers.the Engish teacher in David s case approached the improvement of reading and writing in this a-boy group ike a trade, teaching boys about the skis needed to compete a job and to appreciate the quaity of workmanship in what they read. 31. Pupis preparing for GCSE commony take part in exercises where they assess sampes of work against the reevant criteria, thereby improving their awareness of what they need to do to attain higher standards.when the criteria are rigorousy expored in assessing the work of others this heps pupis to appreciate the standards of their own work, thus putting into practice a form of sef-assessment. 32. At The Chase Schoo and Technoogy Coege,a Year 10 Engish esson demonstrated we the expicit sharing of Engish coursework criteria in an exercise where the pupis did some marking. The teacher had seected a number of extracts from written assignments on Romeo and Juiet competed by the cass. Foowing a reminder of aspects that examiners consider when assessing such pieces such as anguage, dramatic structure, staging dramatic devices and audience response and of the examination board criteria for grade C and grade A performance against those criteria, the cass was invited, using cooured pens, to highight the parts of the extracts which met the respective criteria.working in pairs, the cass faced a considerabe inteectua chaenge here, but pupis were abe to get to grips with the reative quaities of the various extracts, some of which answered the question more effectivey than others.they deepened their appreciation that the use of exampes and specific detai to support a we-reasoned argument scores points, potentiay, against severa of the criteria.this activity worked for the cass at three eves simutaneousy: it deepened the pupis appreciation of the pay s anguage and dramatic quaities; they earned how their understanding of the pay woud be assessed, and they earned by impication more about how to write better assignments in future. 33. Carefuy focused, anaytica work that is directy reated to deveoping in pupis an understanding of examination criteria can often have a wider reevance than the particuar subject or topic under consideration. Two Year 11 pupis at Withernsea High Schoo and Technoogy Coege enjoyed a history esson that reviewed recent examination scripts.the esson

18 14 Good assessment in secondary schoos concentrated on how marks had been awarded in the ight of the mark scheme. The teacher, with the aid of an overhead projector, asked pupis to appy the mark scheme to exempar answers. Using mini-whiteboards, pupis hed up the marks they gave for each answer, foowing genera and paired discussion about appication of the marking criteria.the teacher ensured there was a representative range of exampes.the pupis were asked to consider how their own work coud be enhanced by what they were doing. Time was taken to expore the appication of each eve in the mark scheme and the pupis rapidy gained in confidence and understanding.the work moved them forward in their thinking about specific earning targets that woud improve their own examination performance. In discussing what they had gained from this esson, the two pupis were cear about what they needed to do to improve their own work in history but aso fet that the ideas had reevance for their work in Engish. They were abe to ink what they had earned to the requirement to interpret two short story writers choice of anguage in describing characters and story settings. They recognised that they needed to improve their skis in the quick scanning of a text, but that the history work woud hep them make seections of texts for comparison and interpretation, and sharpened their awareness of the demands of particuar questions. 34. Denbigh Schoo has, over a number of years, estabished an approach to target-setting that has ed to a significant improvement in attainment.whie the attainment of pupis on entry is average, achievements in the three years eading up to the schoo s most recent inspection were in the top range of schoos nationay. As the schoo s inspection report states, the schoo makes exceent use of assessment to ensure pupis do not underachieve and to set very chaenging targets for pupis and departments. Data in Denbigh Schoo are buit up systematicay and professionay on each pupi, beginning with the baseine evidence gained from contributory schoos. As we as the usua range of data, information from the schoo s eectronic registration system is aso incuded.this provides a meticuous record of attendance, behaviour and whether or not homework was done and handed in on time. Managers and teachers use ony the data reevant to them. On entry to the schoo in Year 8 pupis are given three targets for each subject: an accountabiity target (to achieve, say, a eve 6 in Engish at the end of Year 9) is derived from cognitive abiity test and Key Stage 2 test information a professiona target (perhaps to achieve aso eve 6 in Engish) is set by the teacher based on the accountabiity target but aso bearing in mind factors such as the way the pupi is working in terms of eve of commitment a pupi target (perhaps to achieve a eve 7 in Engish at Key Stage 3) is set by the pupi and parents together. At a parents evening, the basis of CATs data is expained and the data themseves shared with parents who, with their chid, are invited to set a target at home for each subject.the parent/pupi target-setting is formaised, with competed data required to be returned to schoo by mid-november aong with a four-point action pan designed to show how the pupi proposes to achieve the stated target eves. A of this is managed by means of a handy expanatory booket that pupis and parents take home from the evening. This consutation event sets the tone for the way in which the schoo approaches target setting at the ater stages of schooing: Key Stage 4 and in the sixth form. At each stage the parents are invited to pay their part.the headteacher is very wiing to chaenge YELLIS and ALIS predictions if there is evidence that they are not in ine with the schoo s own anayses.the schoo sees its roe as providing high-quaity

19 Good assessment in secondary schoos 15 teaching combined with carefu and reguar monitoring of pupis progress a compex matter in a schoo of 1,400 pupis. Heads of department understand what is expected of them in terms of pupis attainment in their subject, and they are given good support in enabing them to deiver resuts to the standard expected.the carefu study of resuts year on year, incuding subject residua anaysis, has been potent in focusing the attention of a staff on the need to raise attainment. Individua teachers receive detaied data on the performance of the pupis they have taught in reation to the targets set for them.they are thus accountabe for their work, but say they appreciate knowing where they stand, and ike a system that requires them to take care over the education of each pupi they teach.where a pupi s attainment is at variance with expectations, the reasons for this are expored professionay. The system works we for the majority of pupis. Importanty, it is supported by administrative staff who dea with teachers correspondence effectivey.the schoo aso depoys haf the time of an extra administrative officer to coate the additiona data from the schoo s eectronic registration system, such as attendance. A professiona assistant is empoyed to gather and sort the data; she understands the educationa issues and the needs of staff for particuar kinds of information, and is capabe of producing reevant anayses and information in response to specific requests. Monitoring and supporting progress Features of good practice successfu systems vary in their detai, but depend upon the avaiabiity of reiabe data, on reguar checks and routines carried out consistenty, and on academic and pastora staff working co-operativey and diigenty to share and use information effectivey target-setting is part of a wider schoo system for checking the progress of pupis and ensuring they have the support they need pupis progress is reguary and systematicay monitored, with a assessments carefuy scrutinised, and tutors having a key roe in discussing overa progress with the pupis in their groups effective monitoring of sixth-form students progress covers both the standards they are achieving and a wider range of criteria about organisation and earning. 35. By raising expectations, achievement targets can be a usefu way of encouraging pupis to do their best. However, uness target-setting operates as part of a wider system for chaenging, supporting and checking on the progress of pupis, it is unikey to have much impact. 36. Systems in the schoos visited vary in detai, but they depend upon the avaiabiity of good data, on carrying out reguar checks and routines consistenty, and on key staff working co-operativey.they cruciay depend on staff being aert to the possibiity of the unanticipated perhaps a pupi experiencing a hidden probem, or an item of data that seems inconsistent with teachers evidence.the principes and practices of good monitoring and support are iustrated we by four schoos. Denbigh Schoo At Denbigh Schoo carefu monitoring heps the pupis to achieve we. Heads of year and heads of department share information effectivey, but the roe of the

20 16 Good assessment in secondary schoos form tutor is centra. Heads of year support and monitor the work of tutors, heped by an additiona teacher attached to each year group who makes space for essentia diaogue between the tutor and pupi. In Year 10, tutors have 20 minutes each day with their tutor groups pus an hour each week for persona, socia and heath education (PSHE). At the start of each term, one PSHE esson is devoted to setting and review, when pupis identify their short-term (usuay genera) targets for the next haf term.they write a short action pan describing what they wi aim to do to meet their targets, using a target and review proforma which, once competed, is ooked at again each week in a specific tutor session, when the pupis review their own performance.this proforma has superseded the conventiona diary in Key Stage 4. The heads of year and tutors hande a reports, incuding, importanty, the haftermy subject progress reports. At the end of each term, achievement data (attendance, homework, and effort) are augmented by an additiona set of tutor grades for organisation, contribution to form group and behaviour. In addition, there is further subject attainment information, normay expressed as a working at eve or grade. Heads of year intervene where pupis give particuar cause for concern usuay about three or four in a tutor group. An intervention might resut in inviting parents in to discuss the situation or might warrant one or another eve of being on report. Praise ists are aso produced, and these are dispayed both in schoo as we as at parents evenings. Tutors themseves have the authority to contact parents directy shoud they fee it necessary. As we as having a necessary data at their fingertips, tutors aso receive information direct from subject eaders or subject teachers about other matters reated to a pupi s academic performance. The subject side of the partnership is iustrated by the modern foreign anguages department which, ike a departments in the schoo, monitors pupis performance cosey and invoves parents as and when needed.troube is taken to personaise a correspondence, and this is made manageabe by exceent schoo administrative support. Communication with tutors incudes concerns as we as praise, and is reguar and consistent.the co-eader of the department estimates that she spends about two hours per week foowing up issues and receives exceent support from tutors and heads of year in doing so. Sacred Heart Schoo Setting targets wi not, on its own, raise standards of achievement.this wi depend on the timey and skifu intervention by teachers and other professionas, and the support of parents. The schoo uses a system caed individua pupi monitoring (IPM), which operates at Key Stages 3 and 4, and invoves setting individua pupi targets for each subject, using prior attainment data (referred to earier in the section on using data).the pupis aso have short-term subject targets. Pupis progress in earning is monitored and reported on by subject teachers at approximatey nine-week intervas three cyces a year.three categories are used: bank (work is appropriate to expectation); minus (working beow potentia and beow a reasonabe eve of performance); star (working to a eve beyond expectation).these assessments are coected and stored on a database. IPM issues are a standing item in departmenta meetings, but specific concerns about the progress of individua pupis are aso discussed between the senior ine manager and head of department. Schoo guidance on departmenta reviews of IPM assessments requires teachers to:

21 Good assessment in secondary schoos 17 consider carefuy why any pupi might have been awarded a minus consider ess visibe pupis whose attainment appears to show progress but, when reated to baseine information, shows itte rea sign of this consider, where pupis have underachieved, whether targets have been reviewed, and what needs to be done in terms of adjusting teaching and/or support strategies (teachers are referred to the schoo s poicy for teaching and earning). Departmenta IPM decisions and action recommendations are copied to the senior ine managers. Heads of department use IPM information to monitor teaching and earning in the department and heads of year use the information to monitor the a-round progress of individua pupis. Heads of year and tutors spot symptoms of difficuty or probems and take eary action, especiay where there may be underachievement.tutors work with heads of year, for exampe if parents are to be contacted and routine monitoring is required. Two suspended timetabe days, in October and March, are used for IPM and academic review.they provide an opportunity for the tutor and pupi to discuss individua progress. For the forma review, pupis are required to compete in advance a pro forma covering a set range of questions. The roe of the form tutor is centra to the effectiveness of the system. Coourcoded sips are inserted in the home/schoo diary that parents must sign. If three pink sips are issued parents are automaticay brought into schoo. Conversey, god sips reward achievements that are above target.this system importanty appies to performance that is other than the academic, and this strengthens the schoo s aim to ink the pupis academic and persona growth.the monitoring process ensures that an individua competes to do better than her previous best. The schoo aims, for each pupi, to raise attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 by at east 1.5 eves above that expected, and at the end of Key Stage 4 by at east two grades above that expected. In 2000, after GCSE resuts had been adjusted for prior attainment at Key Stage 3, the schoo added more vaue than any other schoo in the LEA. Dixons City Technoogy Coege In Dixons, form tutors aso pay a vita roe in monitoring pupis performance. On a practica eve, tutors, subject teachers, heads of year and heads of department work together, but the tutor co-ordinates a number of activities that ensure that the inkages work in the best interests of the pupi. A Year 8 tutor, for exampe, is responsibe for the foowing: form tutor/pupi interviews which occur twice per year in Key Stage 3 and three times in Key Stage 4 in order to discuss progress and targets a form tutor surgery on Tuesdays after schoo, at which parents reguary drop in to discuss progress and concerns progress grades/causes for concern, which are discussed at a weeky form tutors meeting (for SEN pupis there is a weeky meeting between the head of the Individua Needs department and heads of year) monitoring the progress of pupis who are put on daiy or weeky report at various eves of seriousness monitoring pupi panners which are used for pupi/teacher/parent comments and incude a section for current targets

22 18 Good assessment in secondary schoos ogging of pupis merits and certificates monitoring attendance of individuas organising ceebration assembies once each term, where awards are made a system of peer mediation, whereby pupis in Years 9 and 10 offer unchtime counseing for Year 7 and 8 pupis Year 12 student managers, who are attached to cass groups, a roe the students take seriousy and for which they have to compete. The Chase Schoo and Technoogy Coege In a the schoos visited, sixth-form students are invariaby carefuy monitored. At The Chase Schoo and Technoogy Coege the system promotes good diaogue between student and tutor.there are progress checks at four key points over the two years of the course. Initiay, the schoo uses GCSE and schoo data in setting targets for students in each subject. A progress check requires the students to make an initia assessment of their own progress, after which the subject teachers assess progress from their point of view. The factors they consider incude: the students meeting of deadines; the standard of their current work; grades for the ast four pieces of marked work; understanding and knowedge of course content; rate of deveopment of examination skis; coursework record; contributions in cass; wiingness to ask for hep when necessary; background reading; and eve of organisation. The two assessments are discussed between student and tutor, and an action pan devised which goes to the parents for signing. A consutation evening then foows. At the end of each schoo year a fu report is provided for parents.the students are we supported by a good study skis booket that not ony offers information on key dates, deadines and essay writing but aso expains in cear anguage what the students responsibiities are, and how their progress through the sixth form is assessed and reported. Invoving pupis Features of good practice pupis use a diary or panner systematicay to hep keep themseves organised and diaries are carefuy monitored so that they form an important ink between pupi, subject teachers, tutor and parents pupis are given high-quaity feedback by subject teachers on their work and are encouraged to respond to it pupis have reguar opportunities to discuss their academic progress and persona deveopment with their tutor and such diaogue heps them to succeed beyond their expectations. 37. Very argey, pupis in the schoos visited rey upon their diary or panner as the organiser of their schoo ives. In these schoos use of a diary or panner is taken seriousy and is generay maintained with rigour. 38. At Denbigh Schoo diaries are checked carefuy by tutors and parents, and the schoo has high expectations that this wi be done reguary and we.the pupis targets are in their panners, so that they aways have them, whether working in cass or speaking with a tutor.

23 Good assessment in secondary schoos At The Heathand Schoo the diaries are coour-coded by term, with the pupis using three diaries in a year.as in many of the schoos, they provide an effective four-way ink between the pupi, the parents, the tutor and subject teachers.tutor work of a consistenty high standard has a positive impact on the attitudes and persona organisation of pupis and they appreciate its benefits. In a Year 9 tutor group the pupis read quiety whist the tutor circuated, scrutinising diaries for competeness: parenta signatures, homework we recorded, any subject merits or criticism recorded by teachers (the former totted up and recorded for further reference, the atter in case any sanction or additiona target was needed).the tutor knew her group very we their attainment scores, their potentia, and the nature of any individua education pans (11 pupis had these). The 30-minute session concuded with a pupi eading a we-considered thought for the day. Simiar tutor sessions in Year 10 and Year 11 demonstrated how important the tutor s roe was in monitoring the wefare and genera achievements of the pupis. 40. At Sacred Heart Schoo, diaries that incude pupis grades and targets are invariaby to hand in essons.teachers refer to these as need be in discussions with pupis and the pupis refer to them themseves, saying the diaries hep them manage their targets. My tutor has the power to hep me progress by providing me with good ideas, and he knows my targets. He won t et me drown or et me stop from recovering...he knows me and I know him. If IPM was not here we woud not know our weaknesses or be chaenged enough. 41. Pupis with SEN have their individua education pan incorporated within their IPM with fewer targets but set with equa rigour.this ensures the pupis are fuy incuded in the schoo-wide system. One pupi with a statement of SEN in Year 9 said, quite simpy: I fee ike the other girs. 42. High-quaity written and ora feedback is crucia in making the pupis fee positive about their earning and about their schoos. At Dixons City Technoogy Coege, the pupis are we aware that they are in a highachieving schoo and, when their marked work is returned to them, they ook for constructive criticism. One pupi just arrived at the schoo in Year 12 said she thought she coud have done much better at GCSE if she had had this eve of support at her previous schoo: It was scary at first...but both pupis and teachers heped me to adjust to the new expectations...i quicky reaised how much I coud do. and another pupi who started in Year 9 said: I transferred here from midde schoo nobody had tod me what to do to improve my work. Now I know exacty how to improve my grades. I know the criteria for particuar marks in an assignment, and it s my faut if I don t do the work. 43. Pupis and teachers share the setting of targets and time is set aside when a pupi needs hep. Staff go to great engths to make themseves avaiabe.the pupis persona deveopment is highy vaued, and they are encouraged to see themseves as earners who, with effort and good organisation, can succeed beyond their expectations.

24 20 Good assessment in secondary schoos 44. To suggest that a this works for a of the pupis in the schoos visited woud be miseading, athough some of the schoos get cose to it. Even very good schoos have probems motivating their most disaffected pupis. Indeed, there may sometimes be a demotivating effect on ower-attaining pupis where expected grades or eves are shared pubicy and reguary, no matter how sensitivey.what makes the difference in the schoos where this is a reativey uncommon probem is the attention to detai in the arrangements for pupi guidance. Occasionay, pupis do not get the one-to-one discussion they need, but this is rare. 45. A very common message from the discussions with pupis was that they ike to know how they are doing and where they stand.they ike teachers who expect a good dea and stand no nonsense but aso offer reiabe guidance in a reassuring and, where appropriate, confidentia way.where the schoo handes assessment sensitivey, thoroughy and honesty, the pupis are overwhemingy in favour of the approach and usuay respond very we. Communicating with parents Features of good practice a strong partnership with parents, based on frequent, reguar, personaised and pertinent communication, heps the pupis to achieve their best the schoos provide reguar opportunities for informa parenta consutation schoos reports to parents are cear, consistent and comprehensive, with interim reports vaued for their economy and directness. 46. The schoos in this survey see the invovement of parents as vita in enabing the pupis to achieve as much as possibe.they communicate with them frequenty by newsetter and in other ways and pace much vaue in the roe conscientious parents pay in, for exampe, checking homework diaries and supporting their chid in attending out-of-hours casses. It was cear that, when the partnership with the parents is strong, this can have a great infuence on achievement. For their part, the parents in the survey schoos amost aways gave high praise to the schoos for the work they do. 47. Schoos find the process of providing consistenty high-quaity written reports to parents demanding. Athough some weaknesses were evident even in the reports of some of the schoos visited, these were far outweighed by their genera strengths. Interim reports usuay in the form of grade profies without specific subject commentary are vaued greaty by the parents. One schoo issues these every six weeks, athough the norm is to provide one around mid-year. Some schoos prepare one in each of the autumn and spring terms foowed by a fu report at the end of the academic year. Kettethorpe High Schoo demonstrates a manageabe and successfu approach to reporting to parents.two usefu reports (the first a grade profie) are issued per year.the timing of these is important for exampe in Year 11 the profie is sent out before mock examinations, with the fu report afterwards. Reports are we written, with marks and grades used consistenty across subjects, and carefuy gossed for the parents. Parenta satisfaction with the system is very high, since the straightforward and consistent approach throws into sharp reief anything probematic.

25 Good assessment in secondary schoos The parents interviewed appreciated cear, concise reports inked to informative, we-panned consutation evenings. Especiay important for many parents were additiona opportunities to discuss issues as the need arises. Parents fet that informa discussion of this kind was of great vaue, whether instigated by themseves or by the schoo. At Dixons City Technoogy Coege parents of pupis in Key Stage 4 are introduced to the schoo s marking system at a parents evening.they receive a progress report each term showing the pupi s target grade in each subject aongside the actua grades based on assessed pieces of work. A high vaue is paced on tutor surgeries where tutors make themseves avaiabe weeky, after schoo, to discuss any probems.the parents are obiged to sign pupi panners every week and there is a parent/teacher comment box on these for other ess urgent information to be exchanged effectivey. Annua reports are direct and to the point, and incude usefu targets for improvement such as: mathematics: She coud improve her anticipated grade to A* if she practises sketching graphs from equations. science: He must extend his background knowedge by using secondary sources of information to enhance his notes. Before being sent home, annua reports are given to the pupis to check that comments and grades are thought to be fair. On one occasion a pupi fet a subject comment had not refected her achievement we enough and, after discussion, the teacher adjusted it.the system attempts to be honest, fair and responsive. Annua reviews of pupis with SEN fit into this process we. Because the reporting process incudes target-setting, those with individua education pans are not singed out as different. Managing assessment Features of good practice senior managers have a strong understanding of key aspects of assessment, from the use of data to effective cassroom practice, and they monitor these rigorousy schoo documentation on assessment is comprehensive and we designed to hep staff with practica assessment tasks departmenta assessment poicies are consistenty modeed on the schoo poicy there is access to good information technoogy systems and administrative support for assessment time is spent on staff training and other professiona deveopment to ensure procedures are deveoped inteigenty and appied consistenty across the schoo cassrooms are wecoming and supportive to pupis, and styes of earning are varied and provide for productive exchange and discussion. 49. In schoos where assessment is we managed, the senior management has a strong understanding of the range of key aspects: the use of data; target-setting; and the ink between assessment and high-quaity teaching. At best, they ensure, through monitoring, that good assessment practice steers the direction of essons and earning. 50. Since good use of assessment is an essentia teaching ski, some of the schoos visited see it as especiay important in supporting effective performance

26 22 Good assessment in secondary schoos management, at both subject department and individua teacher eve, as described earier in this report.teachers reported highy professiona handing of this by senior managers. 51. Most schoos designate someone to take the ead on assessment, usuay a senior member of staff.the first responsibiity of this person is to ensure that schoo poicy and working documentation about assessment are we designed to hep teaching staff. Documentation is best when it is concise, practica and fit for purpose. It sets out the key principes and makes cear standard procedures, as we as offering expicit guidance to staff on matters such as marking and the ground to be covered when a tutor interviews a pupi on a review day, for exampe. Good poicies provide guidance to departments on constructing their own, subject-specific poicies to ensure consistency across the schoo. The Sacred Heart High Schoo assessment poicy states that effective assessment wi invove a pupis in order to: identify specific achievement and aow for its recognition and reward diagnose specific strengths and difficuties/weaknesses providing information on what a pupi knows, understands and can do increase pupi motivation be hepfu to teachers and to pupis in setting earning targets hep to predict future performance hep to evauate curricuum, teaching and earning styes. 52. Good assessment takes time. In the schoo visited, the most pressing concern was often finding the time for consutations between staff, pupis and parents. Access to an efficient management information system is crucia. Severa schoos among those visited amented the fact that their systems were not powerfu or fexibe enough to enabe teachers easiy to obtain data when they need it.this reduces teachers efficiency, makes their assessment of pupis needs more difficut and impairs the quaity of their professiona diaogue with coeagues, pupis and parents.teachers worked very hard to minimise any such impact. 53. Schoos reported that, once set up, an efficient system saves time and unnecessary bureaucracy, especiay when good-quaity administrative support is made avaiabe, such as a cerica assistant for coating data or for SEN recordkeeping.where a capabe assistant is empoyed to ensure that teaching staff receive accurate, up-to-the-minute data on the pupis they teach, this represents money we spent. Some of the schoos visited had gone further in this respect than others. The staff at Dixons City Technoogy Coege are trained in the effective use of information technoogy.the schoo has set up its own Maximising Achievement Database, which provides fast access to information about individua, cass and year group performance. Its advantages in monitoring and support are that it: is very easy to set up by an administrator enabes fast data entry gives customised print-outs at a range of eves and for a range of need: cass teacher, head of department, head of year, form tutor, parent and pupi can work in tandem with the schoo s administration system

27 Good assessment in secondary schoos 23 provides information on pupis who are underperforming or achieving we, background information on individua pupis, progress grade ists by cass for subject teachers and form tutors, prints etters to parents informing them of progress grades, and provides the basis for accurate annua reports. Cass and form tutors use the information to pan their work.they report a high degree of satisfaction with a system that meets their needs and saves them vauabe time.they particuary ike the speed in which information can be obtained reguary. Midde managers aso speak highy of the system, saying that it enabes them to monitor progress very quicky and aerts them to potentia difficuties with weaker teaching. The schoo beieves that time and energy spent on assessment as part and parce of teaching and earning wi, in the ong run, save time. A staff interviewed beieved they were more effective and efficient because assessment had such a roe in the schoo. 54. A the schoos see assessment as driving the work of improving the curricuum, teaching and earning.they see it as centra to action to improve attitudes to earning and attainment incuding the action they take in reation to pupis with SEN and others at risk of ow achievement. In this respect, assessment is a key to incusive practice. A key to the effective inking of assessment with teaching and earning at Dixons is the fu incusion of pupis in decisions taken about how they work and how they are supported to do we.the pupis discuss their targets, record them, and then have the responsibiity for checking with staff how we they are doing. In addition, the schoo works hard at getting its cassrooms to serve the pupis needs we. There is a very good awareness of the kind of teaching that supports good assessment for earning. Connecting the eements of assessment Features of good practice an overriding emphasis on improving cassroom practice, spearheaded and monitored by the senior and midde management a we-documented system of assessment and support an information system that provides the data staff need a framework of support grounded in good use of data by teachers and midde managers, and compemented by secure understanding of the standards of pupis work in cass encouragement and hep to pupis to set sensibe targets to improve their knowedge, understanding and skis teaching that is carefuy panned to meet cear earning objectives for a cass and to provide opportunities for pupis to go beyond expectations assessment of pupis progress as they earn that focuses on the quaity of outcomes rather than excusivey on matters of organisation and presentation in pupis work a we-managed tutoria system that requires tutors to monitor the performance of the pupis in their tutor groups and aows them time to do this we heads of department, year heads, individua teachers and tutors who are accountabe to senior managers for the progress of the pupis in their charge

28 24 Good assessment in secondary schoos ines of communication between subject departments and year heads/tutors and parents that are open, easy and we used good administrative support for routine recording, distribution of information and secretaria functions. 55. The schoos visited have assessment regimes that are very successfu overa, athough they have particuar strengths in different areas.they have succeeded in connecting the eements of their assessment system and inked them carefuy with the roes of staff, so that the system serves the purposes of earning and achievement we. In the most effective schoos, the system has a neat and economic circuitry that enabes staff to know how we the pupis are doing at a times and in a subjects and to be abe to ocate and attend to a probem when something goes wrong.the schoos approaches have been carefuy constructed over time, incrementay, and the systems now in pace are we managed and maintained.they do their job. 56. In Trinity Schoo, for exampe, there is cear evidence that the approach taken is effective in heping to promote good standards of achievement. The Trinity Schoo is fuy committed to supporting pupis academic and persona deveopment.this is outined in the poicy, which states: In support of the ethos of Trinity whereby the maintenance and sef-esteem of each pupi are paramount, any method of pupi assessment must be such that in design and impementation it respects and uphods each individua pupi s sef-worth. Monitoring and supporting pupis This principe is backed with a we co-ordinated and manageabe set of procedures that are broken down by key stages.the monitoring works at a eves. A teachers in positions of responsibiity produce a weeky report for the head teacher.this ensures that there is a focus on pupis achievements and progress.there is no fixed format for this report, a feature which is regarded positivey by staff, in that it enabes them to be free-ranging in their comments and anayses, even though these are primariy about attainment. For exampe, a weeky report in science comments on the most recent GCSE moduar grades and how the resuts compared with the overa end-of-key-stage target for A* C grades, which was set at 90% for It outines a series of strategies for providing a range of additiona support for those pupis at risk of not achieving their target grades. The schoo has an extensive and co-ordinated range of additiona activities to support pupis.these incude unchtime and after-schoo homework cubs and revision sessions for targeted pupis who are on the borderine of GCSE grades C/D. An exampe is a project that runs from around the start of Year 11. Initiay it covers coursework support in a subjects, and the sessions run for six weeks.these are extended further to cover structured and systematic revision sessions asting for five weeks.the project is expained to the parents and their support is sought. The emphasis on the individua is a striking feature. Heads of year and tutors monitor pupis journas rigorousy and systematicay. For exampe, the head of Year 11 coects the journas every nine weeks and uses a pro forma to check how we they are being used, and reports the findings to the headteacher.the tutor has a weeky esson during which the journas are examined.the combination of subject and pastora monitoring together with the active invovement of the senior management team ensures that no pupi sips through the net.

29 Good assessment in secondary schoos 25 The roe of target-setting The we-written documentation on target-setting incudes cear pointers to staff on practicaities. It focuses on the procedures needed within departments to set targets and to monitor performance against them: Target-setting shoud hep students answer the foowing questions:where am I now? Where do I want to be? What can I do to improve? How can other peope hep me? The principe of support is appicabe to a pupis.the Year 9 mentoring programme is directed at pupis who are working at eve 4 in two or more of the core subjects of Engish, mathematics and science.the aim is to provide the target group with earning support in preparation for their Key Stage 3 tests.the support is achieved through the setting of weeky targets. Each pupi meets with a teacher mentor for 12 weeks for an hour after schoo for a tutoria session that is divided into two sections: tuition in study skis and putting the skis into practice. During the programme, the mentor rings parents twice to discuss progress and any areas needing further attention.the second phone ca is made a month before the nationa tests take pace. The targets set are recorded on a card for the pupis to keep in the inside cover of their journas.the mentor signs these off as achieved.there are aso opportunities for the pupis to compete extra targets at home that can be signed off by the parents.the mentor keeps a record of the meetings hed and the targets set.when a number of targets are achieved the pupis receive praise and are rewarded with a certificate. Schoo pastors operate at Key Stage 3 to support the tutors.they cater mainy for those pupis who are experiencing difficuties with persona organisation.they see their aocated pupis individuay and briefy during the morning tutor time and systematicay go through their journas to ensure that homework and other important items are recorded. Links with parents The schoo has an open-door poicy and parents are wecomed at any time if they want to visit the schoo.the parents are very positive about the quaity of communication that has been estabished between them and the schoo.they are supportive of the ethos of the schoo and are happy to be a part of it.they describe the partnership with the schoo as very strong. The journa is seen as a very effective means of two-way communication between parents and teachers.the system works consistenty we.teachers are meticuous in checking the journas and respond quicky to any parenta comments.teephone contact augments this communication: teachers wi routiney contact parents if there are concerns. Equay, when parents teephone the schoo they receive a very quick response.

30 26 Good assessment in secondary schoos Part 2: Good assessment in subjects Introduction 57. This section of the report draws on evidence from subject-focused inspections undertaken by HMI in 2001/02. HMI visited schoos and observed essons in departments where the quaity of assessment was judged, in their most recent Ofsted inspection, to be good or better. 58. As Part 1 of this report makes cear, departments assessment is ikey to be effective when it is driven by poicy and practices estabished ceary for the whoe schoo and when each department s work connects cosey to that of others. No individua subject department is an isand, athough it may demonstrate exceence in one or two aspects of assessment.the snapshots of good assessment in subjects that foow are, therefore, framed within arger pictures of effective whoe-schoo practice. 59. The section considers key aspects of assessment, from those concerned with judging and promoting pupis progress on a day-to-day basis to the more forma measuring of attainment, incuding the marking of GCSE coursework. Each aspect is iustrated with reference to two or three subjects. Using data 60. A major difference between the core and other foundation subjects is the amount of subject-specific data on pupis performance avaiabe in Year 7. In Engish especiay, but aso in mathematics and science, the amount of data avaiabe on entry, or from assessments carried out eary in the schoo, can be considerabe. Sensiby used, the data can provide baseines against which future progress can be measured. Effective systems for tracking pupis progress from such baseines were evident in a number of subjects. In one science department, the regression charts from the Autumn Package provided by the DfES are used to generate expected Key Stage 3 eves from individua Key Stage 2 test raw scores.the difference between each pupi s Key Stage 2 eve in science and the Key Stage 3 target is then divided into three equa increments. For exampe: eve 4.3 at Key Stage 2; target 5.5 at Key Stage 3. Expected progress is 1.2 or 0.4 eves a year.topic test scores are then converted to eves and a spreadsheet used to compare actua and target progress.the software automaticay highights pupis whose performance fas significanty beow their target. 61. In this and other successfu departments, the information derived from such tracking procedures is used to trigger support for individuas. However, the nature of the intervention and its effectiveness are dependent on the abiity of the teacher to transate numerica data into subject-specific and task-specific activities. In themseves, the data are of imited vaue. 62. Without the data from nationa tests, departments in the non-core foundation subjects have to buid an accurate picture quicky through their own testing and other forms of assessment when pupis join the schoo. For instance, in geography, in one schoo, pupis undertake on entry a skis-based assessment to provide baseine information.within a few weeks a Year 7 pupis have a geography skis baseine, used as an indicator against which to measure progress.

31 Good assessment in secondary schoos However, even in the core subjects, with the advantages of nationa and other test resuts, effective departments recognise that data provide ony one form of evidence upon which to judge pupis capabiities and rates of progress. For secure judgements to be made, this information needs to be set against that acquired through day-to-day assessment and other cassroom-based interactions. In a Year 7 mathematics esson the teacher was abe to assess for hersef eves of mathematica knowedge deveoped in primary schoo, through a paired activity. In the first esson of a new modue on mutipication and division of decimas by singe-digit and two-digit whoe numbers, the teacher provided a resource sheet of eight mutipication and division cacuations containing errors. A the cacuations invoved whoe numbers.the teacher asked the pupis to use the knowedge they had deveoped in this topic in primary schoo and to work in pairs to identify their errors. 64. The recording of assessment information, economicay and usefuy, is an issue for a subject departments, especiay where there are increasing demands on non-contact time. However, the increasing use of information technoogy is heping some departments to deveop manageabe systems and severa instances of good practice were observed. In GCSE geography, in one schoo, a coour spreadsheet is used for easy identification of progress by individua pupis. A pupis are given a target sheet before the start of coursework.they record this grade on the record sheet and continue to record marks given by the teacher on a weeky basis. If they are ahead of the target, this is highighted in green. If they are behind, this is highighted in red. Pupis must be at or ahead of their target grade to make progress to the next stage.this simpe system has been effective in raising the expectations of both teachers and pupis. Teaching, marking and setting targets 65. In most subjects, good day-to-day assessment practice centres on the use in teaching of a combination of observation, questioning, discussion and marking of pupis work.through these activities, skifu and knowedgeabe subject teachers find out what pupis know, understand and can do and then decide what needs to be done to improve earning. 66. Whie observation is centra to most kinds of informa assessment, it has a particuar force in some subjects, such as physica education or drama, where physica actions are a centra part of performance, both in the teacher s assessment of the pupi and the pupi s own sef-assessment. In a Year 8 physica education esson, where the teacher wanted to deveop pupis bowing action in the game of rounders, she observed that some girs were making insufficient use of eg movement to deveop a change of speed. She combined a demonstration of the correct action with carefu questioning, focusing particuary on weight transfer. Pupis then tried to put what they had seen into action, but with varying eves of success; the teacher then modified the distances between bower and receiver, in order to improve the technique further. 67. In this exampe, invoving cose observation on the part of both pupis and teacher, questioning was important. In the most effective practice observed, the teachers demonstrated high eves of ski in this aspect of teaching. Over the 60 minutes of an art esson, the teacher gave detaied attention to each pupi. Occasionay, where the pupi decared the work to be finished, she pinned the painting on the wa and they ooked at it together in one case from the other side of the room checking to see whether it had indeed reached a

32 28 Good assessment in secondary schoos concusive point or if more coud be done. Have you got the foreground right? Those coours are a bit strong is that what you want? Perhaps you coud have another ook at your source materia. Graduay, the teacher was abe to judge that the pupi had far from finished but needed specific advice to take him further and he reaised this himsef.through such exchanges it was easy to see how the department has created an ambience simiar to that of art schoo: from the beginning of Year 7, pupis are encouraged to tak seriousy about their work and this quicky affects positivey their attitude to the subject. 68. Such diaogue heps the teacher to buid detaied pictures of the pupis as earners and thus to intervene appropriatey.the exampe aso indicates that it is important for a cimate to be deveoped in which pupis fee they can be honest about their own work and where, as observed in another subject department, assessment is not seen as punitive. 69. Whie the diaogue described above was buit on one-to-one questioning of an open stye, questioning of the whoe cass can aso provide usefu insights into, for instance, pupis understanding of terminoogy, as in the exampe which foows. In a drama session taught in the schoo ha,year 11 pupis were questioned on their understanding of various theatrica terms. For instance, Why, when an actor waks from the front to the back of a stage, do we say he is waking up stage? When a pupi offered an answer, the teacher asked the others in the group whether they thought he or she was correct, or, in some cases, requested further information from them. So, if, as you say, the stage was soping, or raked, what woud have been the purpose of this? 70. Informa assessment can provide a quick and efficient way of giving pupis feedback on what they have done, hoding them to account, but aso etting them know that their work is vaued. Short, we-focused assessment-reated tasks, especiay at the beginnings of essons, were observed to be successfu in a number of subject contexts, incuding, in this instance, reigious education. Whie competing a simpe task at the beginning of the reigious education esson, Year 8 pupis were asked to make their homework avaiabe to the teacher as he circuated.they then received brief, hepfu comments on the quaity of their response, sometimes with reference to a faiure to finish or foow instructions. 71. The use of informa assessment methods, incuding games and quizzes, can gavanise the interest of pupis. In successfu science departments though this approach is equay appicabe to other subjects the use of games and quizzes to check earning is popuar with pupis, who respond with enthusiasm. Some ike the competitive eement; others appreciate being abe to communicate their uncertainty about new ideas without exposing this to the rest of the cass through a more forma approach.a successfu exampe of such a game was observed in a chemistry esson. This was the first esson on a new science topic: chemica change. It started with a game of chemica bingo that got the esson off to a brisk start and enabed the teacher to check pupis reca of ideas from the previous chemistry topic. Later in the esson chemica anagrams were used to ascertain pupis understanding of the new terms just introduced. 72. Compementing assessment made by the teacher are pupi sef-assessment and peer assessment. A 35-minute mathematics esson began smarty with the whoe cass brainstorming a the statistica terms they had in their jotters, with a description offered for each.

33 Good assessment in secondary schoos 29 In turn, three pupis demonstrated their methods for cacuating the mean, mode and range for grouped data, responding confidenty to questions raised by members of the cass. Pupis were then asked to work with their marking partner to mark each other s work.the peer marker was asked to consider the foowing questions: Are a the necessary terms incuded? Do the definitions make sense? Does the expanation of how to cacuate the mean, mode and range make sense? Is it compete? Are exampes used we to hep the expanation? What advice woud you give to your partner to improve the draft? During the ast few minutes the teacher used questions directed at individuas to draw out the main issues and omissions before giving the pupis three or four minutes to note any aterations they wished to make to their draft. 73. Such peer and sef-assessment practices refect a commitment to heping pupis become independent earners, abe to identify for themseves the skis, knowedge and understanding to move forward. In a Year 7 geography esson the teacher discussed a decision-making exercise from the previous esson concerning the ocation of a eisure centre. He provided severa aternative answers. Pupis were asked to rank these answers in terms of quaity against the marking criteria. As a resut, pupis were ceary abe to see the difference between simpe descriptions and attempts to expain and anayse the information. Pupis were then asked to compare their own answers with the exampes and decide which one of their answers had fitted best.the pupis were ceary inspired to anayse their own work, comparing it with a better answer and highighting how their own coud be improved. 74. In this and other successfu instances of sef-assessment, pupis had a cear sense of what they had to achieve and, importanty, the criteria against which their success was to be judged. Often, these assessment criteria were speed out in wa dispays or in photocopied sheets in pupis workbooks. In one art and design department,year 11 pupis criticised each other s paintings constructivey, invoking GCSE assessment criteria pinned to the whiteboard.the teacher had created an ethos in which pupis coud be honest with each other without feeing got at. Each pupi, in turn, paced an exampe of ongoing work on an ease, together with preparatory visua research, which was then subjected to peer and teacher scrutiny.the anguage used by pupis was suitaby evauative and informed by a sound knowedge of particuar artists for exampe: You have generaised the face too much, even though it s based on a study of Modigiani s stye. No one took offence: disagreement, such as it was, centred mosty on interpretations of the criteria. 75. Whie emphasising the need for shared criteria, the exampe aso highights the need for an evauative anguage, party drawn from the assessment criteria but aso from the terminoogy of the subject. 76. Good marking makes cear the assessment criteria the teacher is using. It provides detaied and personaised evauations and points for future deveopment. Often, grades are given for effort and attainment, but it is usuay in the detai of the comment that marking is particuary hepfu to pupis. In one history department, for exampe, comments on GCSE scripts, which indicated how pupis might improve, incuded: An exceent answer as far as it goes but it does not mention sources. If it did this, it woud be eve 4 against the examiners mark scheme, but without the sources it can ony be eve 2. 4A: good.you have shown how to ink points.this wi get you higher grades in the exam if you can expain yoursef in this way.

34 30 Good assessment in secondary schoos 77. In a design and technoogy department, a more discursive commentary, based on both ora and written feedback, was recorded in the pupis og sheets. One exampe of written comment, reating to the design and fixing of a desk eg, provided a cear anaysis of strengths and weaknesses and targets for the future: Your anaysis of a wide range of existing soutions on tabes in the schoo means you have a very good basis to make your design decisions using conventiona soutions.your sketching shows good abiity to record shape and form with perceptive anaytica notes identifying crucia features. I particuary ike the comparisons you make between cast auminium and fabricated stee.you have captured the ways in which choice of materia, manufacturing and shape interact. Before the next coursework check the date I suggest you broaden the range of soutions you consider: can the eg/frame joint be achieved without a bracket, or without using meta? Broaden your horizon by ooking at frame construction in architecture. Finay, athough you are getting better, you sti need to practise fast design-sketches that are more thinking with a penci than attempting to be works of art. 78. This engthy commentary raises the question of manageabiity, especiay for teachers who take a arge number of groups, as is the case for many teachers of music and reigious education, for instance.the probem of manageabiity is being tacked successfuy in some schoos through systems for staggering marking or for samping for exampe, by marking ony three casses work each week, or that of 5 6 pupis in each group in one week, or marking in depth seected items ony. 79. Whie setting targets to focus improvement can be a part of written and ora feedback, they can aso be agreed formay at programmed review points throughout the year. Increasingy this is part of a whoe-schoo programme in which tutors work with subject teachers. In some of the most effective targetsetting in subjects, especiay that reating to attitudina change, this ink with tutors was particuary strong, heping to reinforce the importance of targets and ensure that they ed to appropriate action. 80. The foowing are characteristics common to the effective setting of targets in a subjects.the targets are: specific to the subject and reate to important aspects of knowedge, understanding and skis in that subject derived from teachers assessments and not ony pupi-devised imited in number and of manageabe proportions (for exampe, the speing of key words, or the reading of a particuar book) reativey short-term, capabe of being monitored and subject to reguar amendment stored so that they are accessibe to the pupis as they undertake the next task (for exampe, in a panner or draft book), not ocked in a fiing cabinet drawn from, or reate to, the teaching objectives of a unit of work or the assessment criteria for the current task, and so are immediatey reevant and can be referred to in marking and feedback.

35 Good assessment in secondary schoos 31 Forma assessment 81. Most subjects conduct end-of-unit and end-of-year assessments, which contribute to the assessment information on pupis acquired initiay in Year 7. As with day-to-day assessment, these assessments are most effective when there is a shared understanding of what is to be assessed and by what criteria. In one music department, at the beginning of each unit of work,year 8 pupis are given written detais of the topic, the activities, the resources and what they are expected to do and earn.the musica focus is made cear, for exampe to work in pairs and compose a piece of music using computer software.the task sheet contains the criteria on which both the ideas, the use of software and the structure and content of the fina piece of music wi be assessed. 82. Pupis need to know that forma assessment is purposefu and hepfu. In modern foreign anguages, for instance, pupis in one schoo were made we aware of how they were doing in speaking during routine ora work and periodic mini-tests in speaking, which they had to redo unti they got a satisfactory mark.this kept them on their toes, they said. 83. Essentia to end-of-key-stage assessments is a shared and robust departmenta understanding of Nationa Curricuum eves. One feature of effective practice is the deveopment of portfoios of work categorised by eve produced digitay in some art and design departments.these usuay contain best-fit assessments of exampes of pupis work against particuar eves. In one history department, a portfoio incuded an essay on how Britain changed from 1750 to 1900 accompanied by an informative commentary: This piece shows evidence of a student who can describe in detai and make inks between the main facts (a feature of eve 5).The student has aso found and ceary organised a ot of reevant and accurate information.the student has shown a coherent understanding and knowedge of history offering evidence of eve 6.This is reinforced in this task by her understanding of the reationship of cause and consequence. 84. Being cear about what eve descriptions mean is not ony important for teachers. Pupis aso need to know.the abiity to turn eve descriptions into anguage that pupis can understand (and, in the process, heping teachers to do the same) was a feature of good practice in severa subjects. One modern foreign anguages department had made particuary good use of sharing assessment criteria with pupis in Key Stage 3.This invoves Aim High sheets, which set out for each ski the Nationa Curricuum eve descriptions presented in pupi-friendy anguage. Pupis use these to monitor their own progress and to identify what they need to do to reach the next eve in a particuar ski. Pupis find this motivating and, aong with other strategies, it has resuted in pupis performance rising significanty in recent years. 85. Being specific with pupis about what they need to do to reach the next eve is essentia. However, as the best practice in a subjects demonstrated, it is important that this process is not too narrowy defined, but set within an approach to deveoping the breadth and depth of pupis understanding and skis in the subject.

36 32 Good assessment in secondary schoos GCSE coursework 86. Pupis are best prepared for GCSE coursework when they know how they are to be assessed against what criteria and have the opportunity to deveop the appropriate knowedge and skis to undertake the required work. In geography in one schoo, pupis undertake a mock study based on tourism in the area. As they compete this exercise before their rea coursework assignment, the pupis are famiiarised with the fiedwork assessment criteria.they are abe to anayse their outcomes and to identify strengths and weaknesses in their methodoogy.this is a vauabe formative exercise and coursework standards have improved as a resut. 87. Such preparatory work is given additiona weight where it is informed by exempars provided by an examining board, as noted in some of the best practice in reigious education. 88. How, when and where to give emphases to different coursework skis to ensure that pupis deveop the necessary eve of competence are questions that require appropriate teaching strategies and course design. In effective departments, the acquisition of reevant coursework skis begins systematicay in Key Stage In successfu music departments, for instance, soo and ensembe performance and individua compositions became a stronger feature towards the end of Key Stage 3 than at the start, where whoe-cass practica activities or group compositions were used more frequenty. In such schoos there was a good progression of skis through the two key stages. 90. Sometimes adjustments have to be made in the ight of pupis performance, as in some successfu Engish departments where teachers judged that too much emphasis had been paced on coursework skis, at the expense of those required for timed examinations. Severa of the successfu schoos surveyed for Engish had anaysed their resuts carefuy to identify where pupis were most and east successfu, and inked this to the emphases given in the scheme of work or teaching approach. Some had increased the attention paid to timed writing or note-taking on examination texts, whie spending ess cass time on coursework, for exampe. 91. Where in some schoos the approach to coursework in certain subjects had appeared to disadvantage boys, effective departments had found ways of enabing both sexes to succeed. One design and technoogy department had worked hard to ensure that pupis understood the nature of designing and the importance of genuine design thinking rather than the neat but specious design sometimes encountered. Pupis made rapid progress and boys attainment was much coser to that of girs than is usuay found. Simiary, in one successfu business studies department, the systematic attention given to boys and other groups achievements was informed by data anaysis. In this department, the performance of different groups of pupis was anaysed.where evidence from examinations indicated that boys were under-performing in coursework, better monitoring and shorter deadines were introduced. Performance improved as a resut of these measures.

37 Good assessment in secondary schoos 33 Standardisation 92. In a subjects, ensuring that staff have a common understanding of assessment criteria and standards is by no means easy, especiay in departments with parttime teachers or discontinuities in staffing. Standardisation is as much an issue at Key Stage 3, where pupis progress is reated to Nationa Curricuum eve descriptions, as it is at Key Stage 4. Successfu practice was evident, however, in a number of subjects. In science, for instance, coursework assessment in Key Stage 4 is usuay standardised by a combination of departmenta discussion and marking by two peope. In about haf of the departments visited, this is inked to a portfoio of previousy standardised work.teachers have honed these procedures in famiiar contexts so that they are confident of the reiabiity of their judgements. 93. More generay, secure standardisation was dependent on the scrutiny of exempars from examining boards, attendance by teachers at marking workshops provided by the boards or LEA subject advisers, and teachers own experience as externa moderators. One teacher described his period as an externa moderator as an opportunity to understand exacty what was required by the board and from visits to other schoos how and how not to achieve it. 94. In good subject departments, teachers are aware of the ground rues reating to the supervision of coursework and are agreed on a proper eve of intervention. In a design and technoogy department, for instance, the teacher monitored the coursework to ensure progress was being made. His interventions were noted in the course og sheet, ensuring transparency and accountabiity. Evauation and deveopment In an information technoogy department, coursework was the department s key deveopment focus for the year.this was because the anaysis of ast year s Year 11 resuts showed that coursework was the main weakness for those pupis gaining GCSE grades D and E.The head of department maintains individua pupis targets on the was of the computer room, aong with deadines. He aso maintains detaied information about what has to be done by each pupi to improve coursework and this is shared by pupis themseves. 95. As is cear from this exampe and in many of the others used in this report effective departments aso use information from coursework to evauate their practice.they anayse a the assessment information they have and make changes to the curricuum, teaching styes and earning materias accordingy. Good use of assessment information to review the work of subject departments was exempified in some of the best history departments. In these, there is thorough evauation of assignments and the teaching of them to estabish what does and does not work.this gives feedback on teaching, and can resut in raising the tempo for some pupis and providing more support for others. It can cause teachers to adapt their approaches, for exampe, by changing the baance in the teaching of knowedge, understanding and skis.

38 34 Good assessment in secondary schoos Concusions and recommendations 96. In summarising findings on the quaity of assessment, Ofsted s review of secondary education in 1998 commented: Overa, the purpose of assessment is to improve standards, not merey to measure them. 4 Inspections of secondary schoos continue to indicate that many schoos need to work on features of assessment to ensure that it heps pupis to earn better. 97. As practice in the schoos covered in this report demonstrates, positive deveopment occurs when senior and midde managers share a cear view about what they want to achieve and then set about adjusting schoo systems in a coherent way over a period of time.the schoos systems differed in design and sometimes consideraby in their detai, but there was a arge measure of consistency in the principes underpinning them. 98. The ist of issues that foows refects weaknesses in assessment practice in secondary schoos generay. Attention to them needs to be adapted to oca circumstances, but without any weakening of the important principes they embody. Issues for attention o To ensure that data inform assessment, schoos shoud: consider whether more searching use can be made of Key Stage 2 data, incuding the profies of raw scores, thus reducing the voume of assessment at the start of secondary schoo use data fuy to identify pupis who may be gifted and taented or those who, whie not having specia educationa needs, may benefit from specific additiona support seek opportunities to refine the skis of staff in understanding and using data. o To improve practice in teaching, marking and setting targets: professiona deveopment in schoos shoud focus on exempifying productive approaches to the day-to-day use of assessment in teaching marking shoud ensure that action points are cear and require pupis themseves to take responsibiity for soving a probem heads of department and senior managers shoud monitor the quaity of marking cosey in order to reduce variation in its standard in encouraging pupis to work for higher standards in tests and examinations, schoos shoud focus on improving pupis breadth and depth of subject understanding and skis, rather than concentrating too narrowy on the finer requirements of the next higher eve or grade. 4 Secondary education : a review of secondary schoos in Engand, The Stationery Office, 1998.

39 Good assessment in secondary schoos 35 o To improve the way pupis progress is monitored and supported, schoos shoud: give tutors appropriate time and training so that they can propery monitor pupis academic progress and iaise with other staff ensure that pupis themseves are invoved as much as possibe in assessment discussions and decisions and have the chance for reguar confidentia discussion with a member of staff or externa mentor about their progress. o To improve communication with parents, schoos shoud: offer reguar, informa opportunities for parents to speak with tutors and other key staff as needed work further on improving the carity and consistency of reports to parents. o To improve the management of assessment and make good use of teachers time, schoos shoud: invest, in consutation with one another and their LEAs where appropriate, in setting up management information systems that provide efficient handing of assessment data ook to empoy administrative staff more fuy to assist with assessment procedures.

40 36 Good assessment in secondary schoos Annex: Schoos visited Ofsted is gratefu to the schoos visited in connection with both parts of this report for their wiingness to share their good practice. The schoos visited in connection with Part 1 of the report were: The Cardina Wiseman Roman Cathoic Schoo, Eaing LEA Charton Schoo,Teford and Wrekin LEA The Chase Schoo and Technoogy Coege,Worcestershire LEA Denbigh Schoo, Miton Keynes LEA Dixons City Technoogy Coege, Bradford LEA The Heathand Schoo, Hounsow LEA Kettethorpe High Schoo,Wakefied LEA Northaerton Coege, North Yorkshire LEA Pittvie Schoo, Goucestershire LEA Sacred Heart High Schoo, Hammersmith and Fuham LEA Trinity Cathoic High Schoo, Redbridge LEA Withernsea High Schoo and Technoogy Coege, East Riding of Yorkshire LEA

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