ASSESSMENT, RECORDING & REPORTING POLICY

Our school is:

a safe, supportive stimulating learning environment;

a team of respectful, tolerant, open minded citizens;

a community where everyone aspires to be the very best they can be;

a community of resilient lifelong learners;

a centre of excellence where all achieve success.

 

PURPOSE

 

This policy outlines how we use assessment to set educational objectives and express and monitor children’s progress against these. 

 

 

 

 

Approved By:

 

Head Teacher …………………………………………….……………… Date …………………………….

 

 

Chair of Governors …………………………………………….……….. Date …………………………….
CONTENTS

 

1.      Rationale  - 2 -

2.      Principles  - 2 -

3.      Types of Assessment - 2 -

3.1.      Formative: - 2 -

3.2.      Summative: - 4 -

3.3.      Assessment in the Foundation Stage  - 4 -

4.      Records and Record Keeping  - 4 -

5.      Standardisation/Moderation  - 5 -

6.      Reporting  - 5 -

7.      Monitoring and Evaluation  - 5 -

Appendix 1. - 7 -

Appendix 2                                          Marking Key. - 8 -

Appendix 3                                                                                                                            - 9 -

 

1. Rationale

Assessment lies at the heart of the process of promoting children’s learning. It provides a framework within which educational objectives may be set and children’s progress expressed and monitored. This should be done in partnership with the children.

Assessment should be incorporated systematically into teaching strategies in order to diagnose any problems and chart progress. It helps the school to strengthen learning across the curriculum and helps teachers enhance their skills and judgements. Our assessment procedures are free from bias, stereotyping and generalisation in respect of gender, class, race and disability.

1. Principles

 

Using the principles and processes of assessment, we aim to:

 

• monitor progress and support learning

• recognise the achievements of pupils

• guide future planning, teaching and curriculum development

• inform parents and the wider community of pupil achievement

• provide information to ensure continuity when the pupil changes school or year group

• comply with statutory requirements

1. Types of Assessment

 

1. 1. Formative:

 

This is the ongoing assessment carried out by teachers both formally and informally during a unit of work. The results of formative assessments have a direct impact on the teaching materials and strategies employed immediately following the assessment. Results and observations are kept in teacher’s own record books, or the children’s own books.

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING is vital to this process. Through a range of strategies a teacher can assess where a child is at in their learning and what they need to do to progress to the next stage. Pupils are involved in this process to ensure that they know what is being taught (learning objectives) and how they know that they have achieved this (success criteria).

 

 

Day to day assessment strategies include:

• Questioning
• Observing
• Discussing
• Analysing
• Checking Children’s understanding
• Engaging children in the review process- peer and self-assessment
• Marking

 

Marking

 

All marking should be meaningful, manageable and motivating.

 

Meaningful: marking varies by age group, subject, and what works best for the pupil and teacher

in relation to any particular piece of work. Teachers are encouraged to adjust their approach as

necessary and trusted to incorporate the outcomes into subsequent planning and teaching.

 

Manageable: marking practice is proportionate and considers the frequency and complexity of

written feedback, as well as the cost and time-effectiveness of marking in relation to the overall

workload of teachers.

 

Motivating: Marking should help to motivate pupils to progress. This does not mean always writing

in-depth comments or being universally positive: sometimes short, challenging comments or oral

feedback are more effective. If the teacher is doing more work than their pupils, this can become a

disincentive for pupils to accept challenges and take responsibility for improving their work.

 

 

Principles of marking at Arboretum Primary School.

 

1. The focus of marking should be on the quality of feedback and not the quantity. Quality feedback by the teacher will offer prompts to help close the gap and move learning closer to achieving the lesson objective.
2. Feedback can take the form of spoken or written marking, peer marking and self-assessment.
3. Feedback can be given in different ways e.g. steps to improve, examples, reminders and challenges.

1. Where appropriate, marking should be completed before the next task is set and in time to

effectively inform future planning.

1. Every lesson/ unit of work should have clearly identified learning objectives and success criteria which are shared with the children.
2. Check for the correct spelling of the date and IALT including the use of capital letters and punctuation.
3. The main learning objective can be ticked off, highlighted or the LO achieved stamper used to signify that the LO has been met.  W/T is not required.
4. At least one comment should be made within a unit and appropriate to age and ability- (specific to learning objectives) and should be used in order to move children forward in their learning.
5. When marking writing, highlight the words/phrases that meet the lesson objective or are high quality.
6. All marking is to be done in green pen. Consistent with the marking key  Appendix 2
7. Dojo points are to be used to motivate and denote recognition of effort, application and achievement.
8. Marking may also comment on presentation, if poor, with a specific comment or WAGOLL for improvement.
9. In some cases it may be appropriate not to mark work, e.g. final drafts for display.
10. It is NOT necessary to stick photographs in books as evidence of practical/group work- this can be collated and stored on IPADs or added to a display in the classroom. There is no need for an IALT in books if no work is going to be recorded in them for that day.
11. Keep the use of worksheets to a minimum and where meaningful or purposeful to the learning ensure the sheets are reduced in size, neatly trimmed and stuck in books.

 

NEXT STEPS:

 

Maths – a minimum of one next step per unit of work.

 

RWInc:

Ditties – one next step a week per child.

Green to Grey – one next step given linked to the writing composition.

 

Literacy and Language – a minimum of one next step per unit of work.

 

Topic – there is no expectation for next steps to be given in Topic, however if there are specific Literacy or Maths skills that need to be addressed then a next step may be given.

 

1. Time must be allocated for children to respond to next steps and complete any actions given.
2. Teachers must check actions/corrections.

 

 

1. 1. Summative:

 

These occur at defined periods of the academic year such as pre-determined SATs tests, the Year 1 Phonics screening check and a range of standardised tests.

 

 

1. 1. Assessment in the Foundation Stage

 

On entry to the Two Year old unit and Foundation Stage 1 children will be assessed. Results are used to inform planning and aid early identification of special needs. Children will be assessed throughout each term to ensure that the next steps in learning are appropriately planned in order to help children make progress. On entry to FS2, baseline assessments will be made through observations and information received from previous settings. During their reception year children will be assessed using the Early Learning Goals which are based on the teacher’s ongoing observations and assessments in the areas of learning. Each child’s development and attainment are recorded on the school tracking system (Pupil Asset) and through Tapestry.

 

1. Records and Record Keeping

 

Teachers use records to review pupil’s progress, set appropriate targets for the future and to form the basis of reports.

 

Records are kept in many ways. These include:

 

• • Teacher’s annotated plans
  • Children’s work
  • Teacher’s mark book
  • Records of observations in Foundation Stage
  • Assessment Data information on Pupil Asset
  • Foundation Stage learning journals/Tapestry
  • Two Year Old Progress check

 

Assessment data information is updated termly on Pupil Asset and used for monitoring purposes and discussion at Pupil Progress Meetings, which take place at three weekly intervals led by SMT.

 

 

 

 

1. Standardisation/Moderation

 

The process of moderation is an essential part of the assessment system. Teachers and key workers are involved in the moderation process to ensure agreement on criteria for stage descriptors in the following ways;

• With colleagues in school

• With colleagues from other schools

• By attending LA sessions to ensure our judgements are in line with other schools

• By using the National Standards exemplification materials

 

Staff take part in regular standardisation sessions to ensure whole school agreement on the specific criteria required for each stage in the prime areas/reading, writing and maths.

 

1. Reporting

 

Reports promote and provide:

• Good home /school relationships

• Information for parents

• An opportunity for discussion with parents

• In some cases, information shared with outside agencies/other schools

 

A written report for each child is given to parents, once a year, at the end of the Summer term at the Assertive Mentoring Meeting.

Reports outline a child’s progress in the core and foundation subjects of the National Curriculum. The teacher will make a comment on the attainment of the pupil in terms of national age related expectations. Targets for literacy and numeracy are also set.

For children at the end of Key Stages 1 & 2, additional information including details of the SATs testing will also be provided.

Parents are invited to attend formal Assertive Mentoring meetings with the teacher during the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms. Should the need arise, parents are welcome to discuss the progress of their child with the teacher or Head teacher at other times.

 

1. Monitoring and Evaluation

 

Assessment, recording and reporting procedures should be monitored annually in order that they remain meaningful and manageable. Policies and procedures may change in response to any changes or new initiatives. This policy should be reviewed in line with the school cycle.

 

Teachers follow the agreed Assessment Cycle using the procedures outlined in Appendix 1

 

 

Appendix 1.

 

ARBORETUM ASSESSMENT CYCLE

 

LITERACY

• Termly teacher assessment for writing and reading( standardised tests available Y1-6)
• Weekly spellings test – linked to HF words and spelling bank
• Weekly Grammar hammer tests- age appropriate(Y1-6)
• Phonics assessments-RWI every half term
• SATs - May- writing( TA) ,reading and spelling, punctuation and grammar
• Reading records, reading folder and guided reading
• Writing – objective led planning  FS

 

MATHS

• Termly assessments for maths  (AM/ standardised tests) (Y1-6)
• Weekly tables test ( or number bonds )
• Weekly AM skills check- age appropriate(Y1-6)
• KS1 and KS2 SATs 
• Maths – objective led planning  FS

 

NON CORE SUBJECTS

• Cumulative  assessment of skills and learning in subjects such as History, Geography, Music, ICT , PE, D and T, Art etc., collated termly where applicable on Pupil Asset
• Observation based or oral questioning.
• Use of mind maps/KWL grids at beginning and end of topics
• Linked to learning objectives
• EYFS – ongoing observation and assessment in specific and Prime areas

 

 

 

 

Appendix 2                                  Marking Key

(Please refer to the pdf for further details)

 

Next Steps

Appendix 3.