Assessment, Monitoring and Reporting

The robust approach to assessment, reporting and monitoring is encompassed in Southborough Development Planning Cycle. The Assessment Policy provides the rationale and brings clarity to the purpose and importance of assessment as the driver of pupil progress and the measure of effective teaching and learning;

‘Assessment is the means by which the progress, skills and knowledge of pupils is monitored and tracked.’

The policy further defines the importance of assessment:

• To define each learner’s ability: what the child knows understands and can apply
• To gain as full an understanding as possible of each learner’s skills level
• To gain a full understanding of the progress made by each learner
• To gain an awareness of the steps needed to continue progress of both skills and knowledge and to help these steps occur
• To enable teaching staff to plan and deliver learning opportunities which will ensure progression for learners
• To gain an understanding of the efficacy of teaching strategies
• To ensure continuity and progression throughout the school
• To reveal children’s strengths and weaknesses
• To enable teachers to plan and deliver learning that is appropriately challenging to pupil’s attainment
• To communicate accurate information about the learner that is useful to teachers, pupils, parents, and other educational agencies
• To ensure early identification of children with SEN and those who are more able

The staff at Southborough are developing a wider range of strategies for assessing children’s work, through; continued professional development, peer support and observations, coaching, constructive feedback from lesson observations and work scrutiny to transform the policy into practice.

These strategies include:

• Observation – watching the children on task
• Working with guided groups
• Listening to, questioning/discussions with the children
• Photographing
• Examining children’s written/recorded learning
• Marking children’s learning
• Target setting and attainment
• Assessment notes for future planning
• Assessment for learning marking – next steps
• Traffic light cards / discs / spots– assessment for understanding
• Formal testing to assess children’s skills and knowledge against standardised levels
• Work scrutiny

Summative assessment data is systematically recorded and tracked electronically through Insight, quality assured through the systems described above, with: half termly tests in the core subjects, mock SATs, Pupil Progress meetings and moderation meetings.

The assessment leader creates and distributes a page for each class with the ‘on entry’ baseline data and class lists included. It is the responsibility of the class Teacher to ensure that this page remains up to date and that data is entered efficiently.

The assessment leader and the core subject leaders analyse the data, focusing on gender, ethnicity and individual levels. This helps to inform the school leaders of areas for future development and increased challenge. It also informs the school’s intervention strategy, which is responsive to the assessment tracking system.

Intervention programmes

Intervention programmes are frequently put in place to support or extend learning for children with particular aptitude or experiencing difficulty in making progress towards their targets.  The assessment data for children attending these groups is recorded as an entry level. This will include Booster Classes and setting arrangements.

Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs) for Year 6

Children in year six take part in the KS2 SATs for reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation and maths during a specific week in May. These tests are marked externally and the results reported to the school and LA. 

Reporting and Communication with parents/carers

Reporting and partnership with parents is crucial to success for the child. Each parent/carer will have three formal opportunities each year to meet their child’s teacher to discuss their progress and attainment.

Autumn

This will be a ten minute evening interview in the Autumn Term, designed to allow the teacher and parent/carer to share any concerns or anxieties they may have regarding their child’s new class. Initial impressions will be shared and points to help the development of the child discussed.

Spring

In this meeting parents are able to meet the teacher and look through their child’s books and work samples.

Summer

We have an informal open evening where parents can discuss the recently written reports and look at books. 

Reports

At the end of the summer term each teacher for each pupil will publish a formal report. This report will have full written sections on general attributes and successes, English, Mathematics, Science and computing. Attendance data and the other National Curriculum subjects will also be reported. Assessment data recorded, giving teacher assessment for Reading, Writing, Maths, Science and computing. Parents will be clear on the progress made through the termly meetings and tracking the individual targets and any intervention programmes for their child.