Assessment and Marking policy Key Principles of Assessment at The Royal Docks Community School We aim to apply the following five groups of key principles at Royal Docks consistently across the school. Assessment for learning o questioning and higher level thinking skill development; o sharing learning objectives and success criteria; o peer and self- assessment; o oral and written feedback; o curricular targets Assessment of learning o end of unit test; o yearly exams; o twice termly interim levels and grades; o annual written reports. Personalised learning o differentiated learning provision o KS2 information used to set targets in all subjects (average point scores for foundation subjects) o strategies for improvement that meet individual needs Assessment embedded within long, medium and short term planning o progression across a key stage evident in long term plans a minimum expectation of three levels of progress across the two Key Stages with and expectation that 2 whole levels of progress be made in KS3. o schemes of work have half-termly assessments in place o lesson planning employs AfL practice throughout the lesson and follows the guidance provided by the Teaching and Learning Policy Recording and reporting o parents, governors and link colleges informed of student achievement and progress as appropriate o student progress and assessment practice to be key agenda items in staff, departmental and year team meetings Assessment for Learning At Royal Docks we expect teachers to: use the background data provided on their teaching groups to write a profile of need that will form the basis for their short term planning for that group throughout the academic year plan time into lessons for AfL opportunities
share learning objectives and success criteria with students in all lessons acknowledge student achievement on a regular basis (at least every 2 weeks) through marking of books provide constructive, diagnostic and positive comments in the form of either oral or written feedback to students focus formative assessment comments on the specific learning objectives and success criteria for a piece of work adjust teaching to take account of the results of assessment practices develop AfL peer and self -assessment skills in students through the use of modelling techniques assist students in becoming independent learners through the development of questioning, problem-solving and reflective processes and provide evidence in planning that this is happening record, update and share levels/grades with individual students ensure students know the level at which they are working recommend next steps to students when helping them achieve their interim targets We expect departments to: provide regular AfL opportunities within and between schemes of work plan for progression across and between schemes of work and years through the process of curricular target setting set, monitor and track student progress recommend, provide and record appropriate intervention to raise attainment ensure that data is used consistently across the department to provide differentiated activities that ensure all pupils can make progress Assessment of Learning At Royal Docks we expect teachers to: assess student learning formally on a regular basis through tests, public exams, course work and speaking and listening tasks ensure student work is formally assessed at least once each half term and achievement recorded appropriately share assessment information with relevant stakeholders in line with whole school procedures and to calendared deadlines set challenging targets, monitor and track student progress and recommend intervention when necessary assist students in becoming independent learners through the development of exam strategies We expect departments to: moderate and standardise assessment for each year group in line with the requirements of the school calendar
generate curricular targets that are layered to include KS - year unit - teaching group evaluating student targets following each TA, reviewing the class profile of need and establishing new, challenging targets and establish strategies and next steps to meet these targets ensure that summative assessment tasks encompass a variety of approaches and tasks, including key skills and understanding as well as knowledge testing and that the results of these are evaluated in departmental meetings to ensure that the mean levels achieved by each class and year group show pupil progress explicitly link assessment practice to the whole school Assessment Calendar develop student exam skills by providing tests that reflect the styles of external, public exams Ensure that appropriate strategies are put in place to enable groups of pupils identified as underachievers within the subject or the school to make appropriate progress We expect year teams to: monitor the progress of pupils within the year team whenever a Teacher Assessment is carried out; ensure that all pupils in the year group are aware of their levels, that these are recorded in the planner and that the pupil can explain the steps needed to meet their next targets. ensure that any underachieving groups are identified and appropriate interventions made and recorded. The Leadership Team will: monitor Department and Year Team action plans to ensure that appropriate provision has been made for identified groups of pupils meet with the Headteacher and the Subject Leaders of their Line Managed departments termly to monitor pupil progress, and annually in September to discuss standards and achievement at KS3 and KS4 will work with Subject and Pastoral Leaders through calendared Line Management meetings to monitor pupil progress and ensure that appropriate strategies are in place to raise standards. Assessment and Raising Achievement Events at TRDCS Work Scrutinies And TA moderation Teacher Assessment and Progress Reports School Exams These are done by the Subject Leader and by SLT as part of the Subject Review process. Pupil books and folders are sampled and monitored for regular marking and effective use of AfL. These assist teachers to track progress against targets and provide feedback to students and parents/carers Exam weeks in KS3 focus on the core subjects. Foundation subjects use lesson time for formal written assessments. These will usually coincide with reporting deadlines. In KS4 there are exams in all subjects, in the Summer term for Y10
Public Exams Reports Parents Evenings Achievement Evenings RAP/Intervention Meetings and in the Autumn term for Y11 mock exams. During Y9 and KS4 pupils take public exams, for example modular exams in Maths, the external assessment of which provides an accurate indicator of pupil progress A summary of progress and future targets in each subject that is either posted to parents at the end of the academic year or issued to parents and discussed at the parent evening Each year group has one evening per academic year when parents are invited to talk to the subject teachers A celebration of learning and achievement one per year group. Calendared meetings to discuss progress of targeted pupils identified as underachieving, attended by LT, relevant pastoral leaders and SEN Forms of Data Available to Inform Learning FFT Raise-online EAL SEN G+T Assessment Manager Monitoring Assessment Practice The leadership team will: The Fischer Family Trust provide an analysis and target setting guidance for each year group All members of the Leadership Team, Subject Leaders and Pastoral Leaders have access to RaiseOnline. This incorporates the QCA steps fro those students who are working below National Curriculum Level 1 in English This data set includes Code of Practice information, Individual Educational Plans for those pupils with Statements and who are on School Action Plus and p-levels The information here is to be used to provide appropriate extension activities All background data on pupils is available to teachers through their marksheets in Assessment Manager. This includes data on prior achievement, attendance, gender, ethnicity, free school meals, EAL, SEN and G&T status. Teachers are expected to use this data in the construction of the class profile of need Review Standards and Achievement in September and agree whole school and team strategies for improvement Support the Subject and Pastoral Leaders in monitoring progress and developing strong systems for intervention provide an Assessment Calendar (attached to this policy) for each academic year highlighting key assessment points and deadlines enable the subject reviews, Teacher Assessment weeks and reporting procedures to take place effectively support departmental and year team groups (through the line-management structures) in implementing the assessment policy
review and amend this policy in partnership with the Assessment for Learning Working Party provide the Governing body with appropriate information throughout the academic year to enable governors to carry out their duties in regard to monitoring achievement and ensuring that standards are met Key Principles of Marking at TRDCS What is marking for? Marking is to provide feedback to pupils on work that has been completed in class or at home Marking should provide praise for improvement Marking should rectify mistakes and correct misunderstandings The School s Literacy policy should be in all pupil books and teachers should use this to guide marking Marking should provide the pupil with next steps to meet targets Comments should focus on progression and improvement not on behaviour and attitude How often should work be marked? All pupil work should be acknowledged at least once every two weeks. A formal assessment of pupil work together with the next steps to progress towards the level the pupil should be working at to occur every three weeks A review of the level that they are working at, together with next steps to progress towards the level should be carried out and reported to students and parents every term. How should marking be recorded? In general no levels or grades should be put on individual pieces of work a piece of work should be viewed as evidence towards a level and not evidence that the pupil is secure in that level Marking should be linked to the learning objectives, and comments should, on the whole be restricted to how successful the pupil has been in meeting those objectives Work should be marked in such a way that teacher comments are clearly visible Where developmental comments are made there should be an opportunity for pupils to respond March 2013