PEDMORE TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE & COMMUNITY SCHOOL ASSESSMENT, RECORDING, REPORTING, MARKING & TARGET SETTING POLICY July 2006 Updated October 2008 Reviewed January 2009 Updated May 2010 Updated September 2010 Updated June 2012 Updated February 2013 Updated January 2014 Updated July 2015 Updated October 2015 Adopted by T & L & Full Governors: November 2015
Assessment Policy At Pedmore Technology College we recognise there are three broad overarching forms of assessment, each with its own purposes A Day-to-day in-school formative assessment, for example: Question and answer during class Marking of pupils work Observational assessment Regular short re-cap quizzes Scanning work for pupil attainment and development B In-school summative assessment, for example: End of year exams Short end of topic or unit tests Reviews for pupils with SEN and disabilities C Nationally standardised summative assessment, for example: End of KS4 external examinations A The purposes of day-to-day in-school formative assessment For pupils: In-school formative assessment helps pupils to measure their knowledge and understanding against learning objectives and wider outcomes and to identify where they need to target their efforts to improve. For parents: In-school formative assessments provide parents with a broad picture of where their children s strengths and weaknesses lie and what they need to do to improve. This reinforces the partnership between parents and schools in supporting children s education. For teachers: In-school formative assessment forms an integral part of teaching and learning. It allows teachers to understand pupil performance on a continuing basis. It enables teachers to identify when pupils are struggling, when they have consolidated learning and when they are ready to progress. It supports teachers to provide appropriate support or extension as necessary. It also enables teachers to evaluate their own teaching of particular topics or concepts and to plan future lessons accordingly.
For school leaders: In-school formative assessment provides a level of assurance for school leaders so that problems will be identified at the individual level and that every child will be appropriately supported to make progress and meet expectations. B The purposes of in-school summative assessment For pupils: In-school summative assessment provides pupils with information about how well they have learned and understood a topic or course of work taught over a period of time. It should be used to provide feedback on how they can continue to improve. For parents: In-school summative assessments (Key Periodic Reviews KPRs) are reported to parents to inform them about the achievement, progress and wider outcomes of their children across a period, 4 x per year. For teachers: In-school summative assessment enables teachers to evaluate both pupil learning at the end of an instructional unit or period (based on pupil-level outcomes) and the impact of their own teaching (based on class-level outcomes). Both these purposes help teachers to plan for subsequent teaching and learning. For school leaders: In-school summative assessment enables school leaders to monitor the performance of pupil cohorts, to identify where interventions are required and to work with teachers to ensure pupils are supported to achieve sufficient progress and expected attainment. C The purposes of nationally standardised summative assessment For pupils and parents: Nationally standardised summative assessment provides information on how pupils are performing in comparison to pupils nationally. For parents: Nationally standardised summative assessment also provides parents with information on how the school is performing in comparison to schools nationally. This enables parents to hold schools to account and can inform parents choice of schools for their children.
For teachers: Nationally standardised summative assessment helps teachers understand national expectations and assess their own performance in the broader national context. 1. Governance, management and evaluation of assessment The Deputy Headteacher Curriculum & Assessment is responsible for ensuring the assessment policy is maintained and followed. The Senior Leadership Team and Subject Leaders are responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of assessment practices in the school through lesson observation, learning walks & work scrutiny. The effectiveness of this policy is evidenced through it having a positive impact in contributing towards student progress and attainment measured in terms of end of KS, KPR and other assessment outcomes. moderation of assessment data takes place within departments to ensure consistency and accuracy of assessment judgements at the time of KPR entry For school leaders and school governors: Nationally standardised summative assessment enables school leaders and school governors to benchmark their school s performance against other schools locally and nationally, and make judgements about the school s effectiveness. 2. Information about how assessment outcomes will be collected and used Student data is formally collected and recorded 4 times per year for years 7 10 and 6 times per year for yr 11. Subjects will also collect data from class tests, homeworks and end of unit assessments to provide formative information to inform future learning the data is used to identify student underachievement so appropriate interventions can be implemented to address student learning deficits The information is shared with students and parents through either Interim or Progress reports The data entered on to the school system is moderated and quality assured within departments to ensure it accurately reflects a child s attainment
3. Arrangements for ensuring teachers are able to conduct assessment competently and confidently The Deputy Headteacher responsible for staff CPD coordinates staff requests for professional development opportunities on assessment. Cross subject Year based work scrutinies are scheduled every half term where staff marking & feedback are quality assured Departmental moderation and standardisation takes place in department meetings which are scheduled regularly in the QA calendar As a PiXL school we stay abreast of current good practice around assessment and disseminate this through weekly staff CPD sessions as appropriate 4. Day-to-day in-school formative assessment At Pedmore we recognize that students possess different academic abilities on entry. We use summative KS2 assessment data to set appropriate and challenging KS4 targets. Formative assessment is embedded and is an integral part of our T&L strategy to ensure students make the progress they need to meet their targets. Subjects use formative assessment to assess knowledge, skills and understanding, and to identify gaps and misconceptions. This will then drive the ensuing teaching. This will include the use of rich question and answer sessions during lessons to evaluate pupil understanding. Pupils respond to teacher assessment (marking and feedback) through the Green pen / red pen learning dialogue in exercise books and generically through student voice. Where appropriate and relevant student suggestions / proposals are then incorporated into our assessment practice. Our SEND students are assessed appropriately and effectively in line with the purposes and principles of inclusive assessment.
5 In-school summative assessment KPR assessment outcomes are shared with parents via Interim / Progress reports (x4 pa)to help them support their children s learning. Summative assessment is an important tool which provides information so teachers can target future learning to address student misconceptions/deficits in their learning Our formal summative assessment procedures (KPRs) readily demonstrate where progress is being made over both the short and long term for individuals and groups of students. We use certain specific external tests to benchmark / validate known student data. Eg CAT tests To triangulate KS2 data - in yr 7, Salford reading tests to gauge reading ages in yr 7 & 8, PiE tests in English to calculate literacy ability in yrs 7&8 We support the accuracy of our teacher summative assessment through the use of standardized tests Eg KS4 exam pro. We use past KS4 exam papers and assess rigidly against mark scheme and examiner reports. A number of staff are employed as assessors/ markers for examination boards which validates accuracy of assessment in those particular subjects.
Recording Rationale To accurately report & record student attainment and progress Procedures/Expectations Staff o There are 4 points in the academic year when Key Periodic Review (KPR) data is entered into the school system to record a student s attainment and Progress. o Subject staff ensure the level/grades each for KPR is entered into the data proformas inside the front cover of student exercise books, together with an A(bove) O(n) B(elow) target indicator(appendix 1) and for Yr 7 onto a flight path tracker (Appendix3 ) Students o Students record KPR outcomes for all onto their subject data sheets after each KPR and indicate whether they are Above/On/Below target and onto their flight path tracker (Appendix 3). Monitoring and Evaluation Subject Leaders will ensure that o Levels/grades and A.O.B indicator are entered correctly onto student data sheet to provide an indication of a child s attainment & progress. Reporting
Rationale To provide students and parent/carers with information relating to a child s performance in a language which is readily understandable 3 times a year. Procedures and Expectations o Each child receives 3 reports per year; 1 Progress and 2 Interims. o For all reports KPR data is used to provide an indicator of whether a child is A(bove), O(n) or B(elow) their expected target. o For subject specific Progress Reports staff are expected to provide; a general comment, targets for improvement together with an indication of proficiency in the relevant skills associated with the subject. Monitoring and Evaluation o Subject Leaders check the reports written by colleagues in the department using corporate monitoring grids in their designated weekly Quality Assurance time.
Marking & Feedback Rationale The feedback of pupils work is an important Assessment tool which is essential for both progression in pupil learning and effective teaching. Giving specific feedback helps pupils to understand how they can improve. Good practice is promoted through regular, accurate and consistent marking by all staff as part of a whole school approach to teaching and learning. Procedures/Expectations Staff should; (see Appendix 2) o Regularly mark/feedback to students regarding their work using green ink o Expect a student response to the above feedback in red (learning dialogue) o Employ detailed, peer, self-assessment + skim marking as appropriate o Use verbal feedback to inform learning (evidenced by stamp in books) o Correct literacy errors o Grade/level work after formal (summative) assessments o Create time for reflection in lessons (Fix it time) o Indicate an A2L numerical grade (as appropriate) Students o Respond in red ink to engage in the learning dialogue following the return of marked work o Engage in fix it time to secure their learning Monitoring/Evaluation o Marking & Feedback regularly monitored & evaluated by Subject Leaders Feedback to SLT in LMMs.
Appendix 1 PEDMORE TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE & COMMUNITY SCHOOL Subject: Assessment Grades My minimum Target Grade for the end of Key Stage 4 is Target Grade A*-G or 9-1 KPR1 Target Grade Progress A(bove) O(n) B(elow) A2L 1=Outstanding 2=Good 3=Requires Improvement 4=Poor KPR2 KPR3 KPR4 Interim Report 1 Interim Report 2 Progress Report
Appendix 2 PEDMORE TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE & COMMUNITY SCHOOL How will my work be assessed? An A2L Grade (as appropriate) eg: A2L = 2 1 Outstanding 3 Requires Improvement 2 Good 4 Poor A GCSE grade 9-1 or A*G A comment on what you have done well, where appropriate A comment on how to improve, where appropriate A comment on your literacy skills, where appropriate Peer Assessment Self-Assessment Verbal Feedback Marking Symbols // New Paragraph Spelling correction T Target Punctuation error Correct response N Numeracy Marking of books is a dialogue between the teacher and the student Green Pen= Teacher Red Pen= Pupils
Target Setting Rationale To set appropriately challenging yet achievable targets for students to ensure they fulfil their academic potential and so achieve success. Procedures/Expectations Staff: o All students have GCSE targets based upon their KS2 levelled outcomes A*-G or 9-1. o At KPR data capture points staff enter an appropriate grade to indicate current attainment and report as to whether students are A(bove), O(n) or B(elow) in relation to achieving their KS4 generated target. Students o Engage & work to achieve/exceed target grades Monitoring/Evaluation o Targets monitored by Subject Leaders and SLT Appendix 3
Assessment Without Levels Pedmore Technology College & Community School
Ofsted will expect to see evidence of pupils progress with inspection informed by the school s chosen pupil tracking data. Sir Michel Wilshaw Back ground The Government s decision to remove National Curriculum levels and leave individual schools to decide how to measure has caused concern for many schools. With levels removed and the focus now on raising achievement for every pupil, schools will have to choose whatever measure of pupil attainment & progress they feel is most appropriate, schools will now have the freedom to implement their, own assessment frameworks but will also still be required to have some form of monitoring system in place to report progress to Ofsted and to parents. Life After Levels How it works at Pedmore
At Pedmore in year 7 we use a child s KS2 SATS outcomes as their start point from which a formalised GCSE grade 9-1 is then set. For some non - core subjects a subject specific baseline test is taken by Yr 7 students in the Autumn Term to create a target which may differ from the formalised SATS driven grade. However should a child then continue with that non core subject at KS4 then the formalised grade will be adopted. Across the 8 data capture points across KS3 ( Years 7 & 8 ) a child s subject teacher indicates whether the child is A(bove), O(n) or B(elow), at that specific point in time, as to whether they will achieve that KS4 target grade This information is mapped on a flight path chart in the front of each child s exercise book and in their assessment folder. This visual information is shared with parents at consultation evenings This system of tracking allows progress to be monitored from Year 7 through to the end of Year 11 and underperformance to be identified English Flight Path