Assessment
Assessment is a term which encompasses a wide range of activities, formal and informal, summative and formative. A range of different assessment methods will be used by teachers at different times. At Key Stage 4 controlled assessments have been replaced by non-examination assessments. Non-examination assessment is only included where it is impossible to asses those skills in an exam.
Teachers are subject experts and are fully trained and aware of what constitutes effective assessment and feedback in their classrooms. All teaching staff understand that not only is frequency of assessment and feedback important, but that instant feedback yields the greatest impact. Feedback links explicitly to our three categories of assessment:
- Daily assessment
In-class assessment which takes place on a daily basis. Teachers read students’ work regularly and use a variety of the following feedback strategies ensuring that feedback always forms an integral part of every lesson. This includes:
- Low stakes quizzing combined with questioning every lesson.
- Purposeful teacher laps throughout the lesson – teachers use this opportunity to provide instant verbal feedback to students and also to make brief notes regarding student work to share at the next collaborative planning meeting.
- Academic talk opportunities.
- Visualiser feedback to showcase, construct or deconstruct student work.
- Deliberate practice combined with feedback.
- Individual verbal feedback and discussion.
- Self and peer-assessment of work supported by model answers, checklists and 100% sheets.
- Show me activities using mini whiteboards, a hand show or suitable alternative.
- Regular informal assessments.
- Reading of student work followed by a whole class feedback session identifying strengths, areas of development and next steps.
- Directed improvement / reflection tasks.
- Consolidation assessment
At the end of a sequence of learning, teachers will select a specific task or question to consolidate students’ knowledge. Teachers use a variety of the following feedback strategies to ensure that both the teacher and student know what the student can / cannot do:
- Self-assessment using pre-loaded answers if using multiple choice / short answer questions. Students should use a different colour pen to mark their work so that the strengths and areas for improvement are clearly visible.
- Peer-assessment using pre-loaded answers if using multiple choice / short answer questions. Students should use a different colour pen to mark their peer’s work so that strengths and areas for improvement are clearly visible.
- Whole-class Feedback Session: Students should use a sub heading of ‘Whole-class Feedback Session’ and use a different colour pen when editing and re-writing their work.
- Auto-marking ICT software which gives instant results to class teachers at question level and / or topic level.
- Formal assessment
Formal assessments take place twice a year according to the assessment calendar. These assessments are cumulative, in that they assess content from the programme of study to date.
- Year 11 will sit formal mock examinations in the autumn term.
- Year 13 will sit formal mock examinations in the spring term.
REPORTING
We provide students and parents/carers with reliable and accurate data identifying student progress and attainment. We host a parents’ evening once a year for Years 7-13. This is an opportunity for parents/carers to meet to discuss their son/daughters attainment and progress with their class teachers. Reports are generated twice a year, Reporting on students’ attitude to learning and:
- Years 7 to 10: The result from the students’ formal assessment. The report shares the students test scores (%), average score for the year group, the average score for the class and the best mark in the year.
- Year 11: The result of the students’ mock examination. GCSE courses are marked using a numerical system that ranges from a maximum of 9 through to 1. Anything less than a 1 is ungraded. Vocational (BTEC and technical awards) courses are marked using the 4 tier marking system that goes from Pass, up through Merit and Distinction to Distinction*. These grades will be an assessment of their current position and also a prediction of where the teacher believes that they will be at the end of Year 11. The report shares the students test scores (%), average score for the year group, the average score for the class, the best mark in the year and the predicted grade (generated from the mock assessment).
- Key Stage 5(Years 12 & 13): The result of the students’ mock assessment. Students’ work is assessed using the grading criteria that matches the course that they are studying. GCE courses are marked using a letter system that ranges from a maximum of A*, down through A and B until the minimum pass of an E is reached. Anything less than an E is a fail, and noted as a U grade. BTEC courses are marked using the 4 tier marking system that goes from Pass, up through Merit and Distinction to Distinction*. These grades will be an assessment of their current position and also a prediction of where the teacher believes that they will be at the end of Year 13. Students will sit internal summative tests (mock examinations) once a year. The report shares the students test scores (%) and the predicted grade (generated from the common assessment).