Assessment
National Curriculum 2014 is organised largely in year group expectations, with the phrase “level” not being used to assess children’s attainment.
Instead, teachers will be assessing whether a child achieves the standard expected for their year group.
Assessment is ongoing in lessons. Achievement is noted in children’s book, in teachers’ lesson evaluations. Towards the end of each term, teachers will record which skills each child has acquired and can apply in their work.
We use a system devised by the assessment team at the Local Authority for this purpose. They have taken the skills to be acquired by each year group, for each subject and listed them as KLIPs – Key Learning Indicators of Progress.
From this document, we can then see if any child or group of children are not on track to achieve age related expectations by the end of the year and quickly intervene in an attempt to close the gap between them and their peers.
This may be done by
- Individual support from a teaching assistant outside of the lesson
- Small group support from a teaching assistant outside of the lesson
- Guided group work by the teacher in forthcoming lessons.
Once a child has grasped all of the key skills for their age group, they will be challenged to apply them in a range of contexts, independently. Learning will become secure, as there is no rush to move to the next ‘level’ as before.
Statutory Assessment
EYFS Baseline – from Sept 2016
EYFS Profile – until July 2016
Yr1 phonics screening – June annually
Yr2 phonics screening to be taken by any child who did not achieve the expected level in Yr1.
End of Key Stage 1 – teacher assessments and SATS
End of Key Stage 2- teacher assessments and SATS
Times Tables Test – Yr6, starting 2017
Year 2 (End of KS1)
Teacher assessments are submitted to the DfE annually for maths, English and science. For 2016, an interim framework has been provided to schools to guide teacher assessments.
Children in Year 2 must also carry out tests to support the teacher’s assessment, but these do not have to be submitted. These have to be taken during May.
This year children will sit the following tests:
- 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
Any child who did not achieve the expected mark in the Yr1 phonics screening will retake the test in June.
There is no writing test – the teacher assessment is based on the work in the children’s books.
Year 6 (End of KS2)
In Year 6 teachers also make a teacher assessment, which is submitted to the DfE. These give an accurate picture of where is a child is working in relation to the age-related expectation. An interim framework has been provided for 2016, to guide teacher assessment.
The children will also sit end of Key Stage tests, which are marked externally. These results are reported to parents and the High School the child will be attending.
Yr6 pupils will sit the following tests:
- 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
There is no writing test – the judgement is made on the writing produced in a range of contexts over the year.