Assessment, Recording and Reporting Policy
Assessment Position Statement
At Plympton St Maurice Primary we believe that assessment is integral to high quality teaching and learning. It helps us to ensure that our teaching is appropriate and that leaners are making expected progress. We give learners regular feedback on their learning so that they understand what it is that they need to do to improve. This allows us to base our lesson plans on a detailed knowledge of each pupil. All staff are regularly trained in assessment and we have a senior leader (Head Teacher) who is responsible for assessment across the school.
Our method of assessment
Since the removal of National Curriculum Level descriptors and the implementation of the New Curriculum, we are currently in a transition period. During this academic year, in Y2 and Y6 we will continue to use levels and Average Points Scores to monitor and track the progress of pupils.
We will continue to use two distinct types of assessment:
- Assessment for learning (formative) helps to identify the next steps needed to make progress. It takes account of pupils’ strengths as well as weaknesses.
- Assessment of learning (summative) is more associated with judgements based on grades and ranks and with public accountability.
We use these assessment procedures to measure outcomes against all schools nationally:
- End of EYFS (% of pupils achieving a “Good Level of Development”)
- Phonics Screening Test at the end of Year 1 (% of pupils achieving the required screening check)
- End of KS1 (% of pupils achieving Level 2B and above in reading, writing, maths and teacher assessment in speaking and listening, science and % of pupils achieving Level 3 in reading, writing, maths and teacher assessment in speaking and listening, science)
- End of KS2 (% of pupils achieving Level 4B in reading , writing and maths and the % of pupils achieving 2 levels or more than 2 levels progress in reading, writing and maths)
In the remaining year groups we have established an alternative method of assessment which tracks individual pupil progress and attainment against key year group objectives set out within the new National Curriculum.
Through this approach we will endeavour to:
- Use assessment to help teachers, parents and pupils plan their next steps in learning.
- Assess pupils against assessment criteria which are short, discrete, qualitative and concentrate descriptions of what a pupil is expected to know and be able to do derived from the school curriculum, which is composed of the National Curriculum and our own local design
- Assess each pupil as either low (emerging), middle (developing) or high (secure) against relevant criterion at set points in the year, at Plympton St Maurice Primary this will be termly (x6)
- Use the outcomes of assessment to check and support our teaching standards and help us improve.
- Ensure that assessment judgements are recorded and backed up by a body of evidence created using observations, evidence of work in books and testing
- Ensure that assessment judgements are moderated by colleagues at Plympton St Maurice Primary and by colleagues in other schools to make sure our assessment judgements are fair, accurate and valid.
Our use of assessment
- Teachers will use the outcomes of our assessments to summarise and analyse attainment and progress for their pupils and classes
- Teachers will use this data to plan the learning for every pupil to ensure that the vast majority of pupils meet or exceed expectations
- Senior leadership team will analyse the data across the school to ensure that vulnerable groups are making appropriate progress and that pupils are being suitably stretched in their learning.
We continue to analyse and review our methods of assessment and work upon establishing systems to support pupils and their parents to have a clear understanding of how well they are performing in school.
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