Target Setting: Technical Guide The Axholme Academy
Target Setting and Progress Tracking How are targets set for my child? At The Axholme Academy, all students are given aspirational targets to aim for in every subject. Targets are based on the following data: English targets based on students KS2 English SATS results Maths targets based on students KS2 Maths SATS results Science, Technology, ICT, MFL, Complementary Studies, Geography, History and RE based on average KS2 English and Maths SATS results Art, Music and PE based on a standardised baseline teacher assessment from the beginning of Year 7 (as outlined in Appendix 1) During the remainder of this document, students KS2 SATS results and Year 7 baseline assessment results will be referred to as KS2 Prior Attainment. We ensure that targets are appropriately aspirational by adding the following levels of progress onto students KS2 prior attainment: KS2 Prior Attainment Minimum levels End of Year 11 Target 5a added 4.3 A* 5b 4 A 5c 4 A- 4a 3.6 B 4b 3.6 B- 4c 3.3 C 3a 3.3 C- 3b 3.3 D+ 3c 3.3 D 2a 3 E+ 2b 3 E 2c 3 E- 1a 3 F+ 1b 3 F 1c 3 F- Table 1: Converting KS2 Prior Attainment to Year 11 targets Where this does not provide sufficient challenge for a student in a particular subject, or if we believe that a students KS2 Prior Attainment is below what they were capable of, additional challenge is added to their target. Schools receive additional Pupil Premium funding so that they can support their disadvantaged students and close the attainment gap between them and their peers. To ensure this aspiration is embedded within our target setting process, we add up to 1 / 2 a grade of extra challenge onto End of KS4 targets for these students. When should my child achieve their targets? All students are set end of Year 11 target grades as shown in table 1 above. Setting end of Year 11 targets for all year groups has the following advantages: 1. Targets are more accurate 2. Students know what grade they should aim for and have more time to achieve or exceed it 3. Targets remain the same from one year to the next allowing teachers, students and parents to track progress more consistently 4. Students know which subjects they should perform best in at the end of Year 11 when choosing their options 5. Assertive mentoring and other strategies for raising achievement can be used from Year 7 onwards 6. Teachers can monitor the progress of groups of students more accurately
How is my child s work assessed? Teachers assess students continually during lessons using questioning and other formative assessment techniques to establish what students have learned. This is by far the most effective form of assessment.
During Key Stage 3, students work is assessed each term to produce a teacher assessed National Curriculum Level for each subject. How do I know if my child is on target? Teacher assessed levels are plotted on a student s flight path to determine their End of Year 11 predicted grade. This prediction is then compared to their End of Year 11 target to determine whether they are working above, in line with or below target. The following flight path shows the progress that a student with a KS2 Prior Attainment of NC Level 4a should make each term to remain on track to achieve their end of Year 11 target: P 7au 7sp 7su 8au 8sp 8su 9au 9sp 9su 10au 10sp 10su 11au 11sp 11su Tgt A4a 4a F+ 5c E- 5b E 5a E+ 6c D- 6c D- 6b D 6b D 6a D+ 6a D+ 7c C- 7b C 7a C+ 8c B- 8b B B Key: PA = KS2 Prior Attainment, 7au = Year 7 Autumn term, 7sp = Year 7 Spring term etc Table 2: NC Level 4c flight path In the example above, the student should achieve an NC Level 5a for their Year 8 Autumn Term teacher assessment to remain on target to achieve a GCSE grade B at the end of Year 11. The NC Level that a student should achieve each term is called their Expected Level. This is used to let students know whether they are working above, below or in line with expectations. Where can I find my child s teacher assessments, predictions and targets? All of the data mentioned so far (KS2 Prior Attainment, Targets, Predictions, Expected Levels and Teacher Assessed Levels) are contained in students Progress Trackers in their books, as below: This example shows a student working below their expected Level in the autumn and spring terms, but improved in the summer term to achieve their expected NC Level and be predicted to achieve their target at the end of Year 11. Predictions and targets are also reported to parents at the beginning of each term. What happens if my child is underachieving? The best way for any student to achieve their potential is to put their full effort into lessons.
We believe that students should know where they are performing well and where they need to improve. When predictions are updated each term, every student has an assertive mentoring meeting to discuss their progress,
identify their strengths and plan how to improve. All data and outcomes of mentor meetings are recorded in students planners. In addition to timetabled lessons, we provide many opportunities for groups of students to achieve their targets. Examples of student groups that we monitor and arrange additional provision for are: Students with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities Students eligible for Pupil premium funding Students on the borderline of achieving A*-C grades in English and maths Students on the borderline of achieving the English Baccalaureate Students targeted to achieve A*/A grades in the core subjects Students most at risk of underachieving against their targets What do I do if I have any concerns about my child s progress? If you are concerned about how your child is achieving in any subject, please don t hesitate to contact the relevant subject teacher. If you have a general concern about your child s achievement, please contact their form tutor. Teachers and tutors can be contacted directly by email (FirstInitialSurname@theaxholmeacademy.com) or via reception on 01724 710368. Appendix 1 Target setting in Art, Music and Games Due to the creative and practical nature of Art, Music and Games it is not appropriate to use KS2 SATS results as a baseline for target setting. Target setting arrangements for these subjects are as follows: Art & Music 1. Students sit a baseline assessment early in Y7 to assess their ability in these subjects 2. The data manager provides departments with a cohort NC Level profile outlining the number of students at each NC level based on students average KS2 SATS results 3. Departments use their baseline assessment to match students to the cohort NC Level profile to provide a standardised baseline NC Level 4. Subject flight paths are used to derive students end of KS4 minimum targets from the standardised baseline NC Level 5. Where there is a significant gap between a student s baseline assessment and the standardised baseline NC the Level, department can adjust the expectednc level on theirprogress Tracker in order to close the gap the end by of Year 7. From Year 8 onwards, expected levels follow the published subjectflight path. Games / PE KS3 Games 1. Students sit a baseline assessment early in Y7 to assess their ability in Games 2. Results are plotted on the PE flight path to derive students Games end of KS4 minimum target 3. Expected levels are identified using the published PE flight path KS4 GCSE PE & BTEC Sport 1. Once students begin either of these courses, minimum targets are set using students KS2 SATS average NC Level