Teachers assess the children in their classes all the time, through ongoing observation, questioning and by marking their books. This allows them to see exactly where each individual child is on their learning journey. This is called Assessment for Learning and will inform the teacher about any misconceptions the child may have, if they need any additional support or if it is time to move them on.

There are times during the school year that more formal assessment need to be made. These are reported on the school assessment system and are discussed during pupil progress meetings which are held each term. These results allow us to compare classes, groups and individual children to each other and the National Expectation, if there are gaps we then plan for interventions and support. We also ensure that we are doing all we can to ensure children at least meet their personal targets each year, if not exceed it!

The following links explain more about when Statutory testing will take place and also how our school assessment ‘point’ system works, now that levels are a thing of the past.

Start of Reception
All children are baselined using a National package called Early Excellence, this information is submitted to a National database. This will give a clear indication of the level that the children are entering primary school.

End of Reception
Children are graded in all aspects of the EYFS framework, these will be reported to parents in the end of year report using the following ‘grades’:

1 – The child is emerging towards the expected level

2 – The child is at expected level

3 – The child is exceeding the expected level

The school report to the Local Authority and the DFE on the number of children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD), these are children who have achieved the expected level in a specific number of areas of the EYFS framework, these are – Reading, Writing, Number, Shape Space and Measure, Physical Development, Personal Social Emotional Development, Communication and Language.

End of Year 1
All children will take the National Phonics Test, this is completed on a 1:1 basis with the class teacher. Children will either meet the expected level, or be below. This is reported to parents in the end of year 1 report. If the required level is not met, the child will re-do the test at the end of Year 2.

End of Year 2
All children will be tested during May. The tests consist of:

• English reading Paper 1: combined reading prompt and answer booklet

• English reading Paper 2: reading booklet and reading answer booklet

• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: spelling

• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 2: questions

• Mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic

• Mathematics Paper 2: reasoning

The children will be tested to check if they are working at the expected level or above, they will also be given a ‘scaled score’ (new for 2016). These results are shared with parents in the end of Year 2 reports. The statistics of these tests are reported to the Local Authority and DFE.

End of Year 6
All children are tested during a SATs week in May, the tests consist of:

• English reading : reading booklet and associated answer booklet
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: short answer questions
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 2: spelling
• mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic
• mathematics Paper 2: reasoning
• mathematics Paper 3: reasoning
•  

The children will be tested to check if they are working at the expected level or above, they will also be given a ‘scaled score’ (new for 2016). These results are shared with parents in the end of Year 6 reports. The statistics of these tests are reported to the Local Authority and DFE.

As the children enter Year 1 we give the children a ‘baseline’  based on the end of Reception ‘score’, this is so they can begin to be assessed using our school system.

How the System Works:

We use a point system in order to assess and track the children. The system has been designed carefully to ensure that children are taught with the depth and mastery of skills that the New Curriculum requires.

The points are made up of two numbers eg 2.6. The first number relates to the Year group objectives that the child is learning from (1-6). It usually matches the year group that they are currently in, but may be from the year below or above in some circumstances.

The second number relates to how well the child is coping with the work that is being taught. There are 6 levels to this and they work as follows:

1. needs support to manage the objectives and there is some evidence of this.

2. needs support to manage the objectives, there is widespread evidence of this.

3. is independent when working on the objectives, there is some evidence of this.

4. is independent when working on the objectives, there is widespread evidence.

5. has mastery of the objectives and they are being used in other contexts, some evidence of this.

6. has mastery of the objectives and they are being used in other contexts, widespread evidence.

So a child with a score of 2.6 would be working from Year 2 learning objectives and have a depth of understanding that they can apply in many different situations, demonstrating mastery of skill.

Each term the class teachers assess the children using  the point system. Depending on the time of the year each ‘score’ tells us how well the child is doing. We use the following terms to describe this:

Emerging – this is well below the level expected at this point in the year

Developing – this is working towards the level expected at this point in the year

Secure – this is working at the level expected at this point in the year

Exceeding – this is working above the level expected for this point in the year

Exceeding plus – this is working well above the level expected for this point in the year

At the beginning of each year we set challenging targets for the children to ensure that they fulfill their potential, these are reviewed at the end of each term. If a child is not making enough progress, interventions are swiftly put into place to ensure that they meet their targets.

The following grids demonstrate how the system works at each term.