Assessment
Assessment and feedback
We consider assessment and feedback as vital if teachers are to establish what stage of learning each pupil has reached and be able to plan effectively, ensuring progression. We aim to ensure:
Every pupil understands what they need to do to improve and how to get there. They get the support they need and in many cases receive imaginative and different interventions to ensure they can tackle and overcome barriers to learning and start on a rapid trajectory of improvement and progress.
The crucial part of this process is feedback; celebrating what pupils have done well and giving them specific areas for development.
Staff make judgments about pupil progress on both academic and social levels; they use a raft of different tools to support this.
Teachers carry out periodic reviews during each term which provide a profile of pupil’s achievement across a subject (drawing on the evidence of day to day assessment). All assessment processes feed into the department and school tracking systems.
Academic progress continues to be tracked for Key stage 3 (years 7, 8 and 9) by comparing a pupil’s academic progress with their Age Related Expectation (ARE), which is in line with national expected progress in each subject for each year.
Pupils are assessed on joining the school and at the start and towards the end of each academic year; the assessment used here judge against ARE. We use GL assessments in science and maths. Literacy is assessed using EXACT which covers areas needed for exam dispensation.
Pupils’ progress in class, where they are closing the gap towards being at their ARE, is also assessed periodically. The majority of pupils are well below ARE on joining the school and have large gaps in their education.
Progress for Key stage 4 (year 10 and 11) is measured against objectives which are linked to the qualification being studied. This includes: vocational courses, BTECs, Entry levels, Functional Skills and GCSEs. Some pupils also participate in Duke of Edinburgh and ASDAN courses.