SOUTH WONSTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Assessment Policy

‘Together, we nurture, inspire, challenge and achieve’

1. Aims

This policy aims to:

• Provide clear guidelines on our approach to formative and summative assessment
• Establish a consistent and coherent approach to recording summative assessment outcomes and reporting to parents
• Clearly set out how and when assessment practice will be monitored and evaluated

2. Legislation and guidance

Since the removal of National Curriculum levels in 2014, schools have been free to develop their own approaches to assessment.

This policy refers to the recommendations in the Final Report of the Commission on Assessment without Levels.

It also refers to statutory reporting requirements set out in the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005: schedule 1.

3. Principles of assessment

To ensure that:

• assessment is a continuous process which is integral to teaching and learning, based on best practice, focusing on the curriculum and that it lies at the heart of promoting children’s education
• high quality teaching is supported and informed by high quality formative assessment (ongoing assessment)
• the school ethos promotes and emphasises the opportunity for all children to succeed when taught and assessed effectively
• there is always a clear purpose for assessing and assessment is fit for its intended purpose
• assessment is used to focus on monitoring and supporting children’s progress, attainment and wider outcomes
• assessment supports informative and productive conversations with staff, children and parents
• children take responsibility for achievements and are encouraged to reflect on their own progress, understand their strengths and identify what they need to do to improve
• we achieve our assessment without adding unnecessarily to teacher workload
• assessment is inclusive of all abilities
• a range of assessments are used ‘day-to-day in-school formative assessment, in-school summative assessment and nationally standardised summative assessment

4. Assessment approaches

At South Wonston we see assessment as an integral part of teaching and learning, and it is inextricably linked to our curriculum.

We use three broad overarching forms of assessment: day-to-day in-school formative assessment, in-school summative assessment and nationally standardised summative assessment.

4.1 In-school formative assessment

Effective in-school formative assessment is the day-to-day assessment which is carried out by teachers and is key to effective classroom practice. It enables:

• Teachers to identify how pupils are performing on a continuing basis and to use this information to provide appropriate support or challenge, evaluate teaching and plan future lessons
• Pupils to measure their knowledge and understanding against learning objectives, and identify areas in which they need to improve
• Parents to gain a broad picture of where their child’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and what they need to do to improve

A range of day-to-day formative assessments will be used including, for example:

• Rich questioning
• Written and verbal feedback of children’s work
• Observations
• Pupil self-assessments
• Peer marking
• Pupil conferences

4.2 In-school summative assessment

Effective in-school summative assessment enables:

• Senior Leadership Team to monitor the performance of pupil cohorts, identify where interventions may be required, and work with teachers to ensure pupils are supported to make progress and attain personal learning goals
• Teachers to evaluate learning at the end of a unit or period and the impact of their own teaching
• Pupils to understand how well they have learned and understood a topic or course of work taught over a period of time. It should be used to provide feedback on how they can improve
• Parents to stay informed about the achievement, progress and wider outcomes of their child across a period

Children at South Wonston are assessed periodically and progress and attainment data is recorded on the assessment system ‘Insight’. These assessments are carried out three times a year in December, April and June. Teacher Judgements on Insight for Reading, Writing, Maths and Science will relate to the National Curriculum age related expectations and will state whether a child is working Below age related expectation; Just Below age related expectation, On-track or at Greater Depth. These assessments are used to monitor the performance of individuals, groups and cohorts; to identify where interventions may be required; and to work with teachers to ensure that children are supported to achieve at least sufficient progress and expected attainment. Test materials are used at the end of units or the academic year to support teachers with making accurate teacher assessment judgements.

A range of in-school summative assessments will be used including, for example,

• End of year tests
• Short end of topic or unit tests or tasks
• Reviews of progress against individual targets for pupils with SEN
• Teacher judgements on Insight relating to the National Curriculum age related expectations

4.3 Nationally standardised summative assessment

Nationally standardised summative assessment enables:

• School leaders to monitor the performance of pupil cohorts, identify where interventions may be required, and work with teachers to ensure pupils are supported to achieve sufficient progress and attainment
• Teachers to understand national expectations and assess their own performance in the broader national context
• Pupils and parents to understand how pupils are performing in comparison to pupils nationally

Nationally standardised summative assessments include:

• Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) profile at the end of the Reception year
• Phonics screening check in Year 1
• National Curriculum tests and teacher assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) and Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

5. Reporting to parents

Parents are given the opportunity to meet with teachers whenever the need arises and specifically after receiving their child’s annual report at the end of the Summer term. Parents’ Evenings are held twice a year in the Autumn and Spring terms. Each class presents two assemblies that parents are invited to during the year. After the assembly parents are invited to the classroom to look at their child’s work. An Open Evening is held towards the end of the Summer term to enable parents to see some of the work that has gone on in school during the year.

Annual reports to parents include:

• Brief details of achievements in all subjects and activities forming part of the school curriculum, highlighting strengths and areas for development
• Comments on general progress
• Arrangements for discussing the report with the pupil’s teacher
• The pupil's attendance record, which will include the total number of possible attendances for that child and the total number of unauthorised absences for that child, expressed as a percentage of the possible attendances.
• The results of national statutory assessments

6. Inclusion

The principles of this assessment policy apply to all pupils, including those with special educational needs or disabilities.

Assessment will be used diagnostically to contribute to the early and accurate identification of pupils’ special educational needs and any requirements for support and intervention.

We will use meaningful ways of measuring all aspects of progress, including communication, social skills, physical development, resilience and independence. We will have the same high expectations of all pupils. However, this should account for the amount of effort the pupil puts in as well as the outcomes achieved.

For pupils working below the national expected level of attainment, our assessment arrangements will consider progress relative to pupil starting points, and take this into account alongside the nature of pupils’ learning difficulties.

7. Training

After joining the school, all teachers will be provided with a copy of this policy and it will form part of the induction program. In all staff meetings and training, there will be an emphasis on teachers having a good understanding of assessment and assessment practice.

Continuing professional development may take various forms including the provision of direct face to face training and online training. The Assessment Leader will ensure that best practice is shared and will endeavour to keep up to date with latest research. The Assessment Leader will attend Local Authority Primary Assessment Network meetings and subscribe to the weekly Assessment Update email from Standards and Testing Agency. External assessment systems will be continually reviewed and evaluated to ensure that they support the delivery of the school’s assessment policy and are in line with the aims and principles outlined.

8. Roles and responsibilities

8.1 Governors

Governors are responsible for:

• Being familiar with statutory assessment systems as well as how the school’s own system of non-statutory assessment captures the attainment and progress of all pupils
• Holding school leaders to account for improving pupil and staff performance by rigorously analysing assessment data

8.2 Headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for:

• Ensuring that the policy is adhered to

• Monitoring standards in core and foundation subjects
• Analysing pupil progress and attainment, including individual pupils and specific groups
• Prioritising key actions to address underachievement
• Reporting to governors on all key aspects of pupil progress and attainment, including current standards and trends over previous years

8.3 Teachers

Teachers are responsible for following the assessment procedures outlined in this policy

9. Monitoring

This policy will be reviewed every two years by the Assessment leader. At every review, the policy will be shared with the Curriculum and Standards Committee.

All teaching staff are expected to read and follow this policy.

The Assessment Leader will monitor the effectiveness of assessment practices across the school, through: moderation, lesson observations, book scrutinies, pupil progress meetings, data analysis.