At Joseph Turner Primary, we see assessment as an integral part of everything we do. Assessment is a fundamental part of the 'Plan, Teach, Assess' cycle which is utilised by all members of staff. In school, we rigorously assess children in many ways so that learning is pitched correctly for the children to access, is part of a well planned learning journey and incorporates the next educational step of every child.
Assessment is used to monitor progress and to inform future planning. Assessment is used to inform pupils, teachers, parents, governors, the local authority and any other governing body about the progress and achievement of pupils.
Types of Assessment
Formative assessment
Assessment for learning provides immediate feedback to inform the learning process. It is the ongoing, day to day assessment which enables teachers to recognise the achievement and progress of the pupils and to identify and plan for their next steps. This enables pupils to have a greater responsibility and involvement in their learning. Key strategies such as sharing learning objectives, success criteria, questioning, quality written and oral feedback are used by all members of staff. For more information, please see the Assessment Policy.
Summative assessment
Summative assessment is a 'snap shot' of the attainment of a pupil at the end of a unit of learning, end of term, end of a year group or the end of a key stage. It makes a judgement of a child's learning in relation to targets or set standards. At Joseph Turner Primary we use summative assessment as a part of the learning process which helps inform teachers' judgements and to support the planning of next educational steps. For more information, please see the Assessment Policy.
EYFS Profile – The EYFS profile summarises and describes pupils’ attainment at the end of the EYFS. It gives:
From 2016, the DfE will use scaled scores to report national curriculum test outcomes. Scaled scores are used all over the world. They help test results to be reported consistently from one year to the next. The scale 100 will always represent the ‘national standard’.
The scale will have a lower end point below 100 and an upper end point above 100. Once the DfE have set the national standard they will use a statistical technique called ‘scaling’ to transform the raw score into a scaled score. They will publish this after the first tests have been administered
Assessment in the EYFS
Nursery and Reception staff will informally monitor development and keep detailed records in the form of children’s individual learning journeys. This information is shared with families and either transferred to the Reception/Year 1 staff or to the child’s new school. The EYFS team make a summative judgement 3 times a year, based on information they gather from learning journeys and small group and individual assessments. This information is based on three categories - emerging, developing or secure within the appropriate 'Age and Stage' band for each individual child. EYFS data is tracked using the school’s tracker SPTO (School Pupil Tracker Online). The Learning Journeys are shared with parents at four points over the academic year.
At the end of Reception, the Reception teachers meet with Year 1 teachers to discuss each child and pass on the pupils’ individual learning journey folders. There is a transition period when children move from EYFS into Year 1 and teachers will continue to assess pupils’ progress against the EYFS developmental matters statements as appropriate, using the same formative assessment procedures as EYFS (observational assessments of pupils).
Moderation
At Joseph Turner Primary School, every year group takes part in moderation activities to ensure assessments are accurate. Moderation activities including work scrutinies are carried out regularly throughout the year to ensure teachers assess and evaluate children’s work consistently across the school. Moderation and work scrutinies are conducted in a variety of ways which include year group partner teachers, teachers from other year groups, members of SLT, outside agencies and also teeachrs from other schools.
Teachers and support staff in EYFS moderate informally on a weekly basis with staff using purple ink to moderate observations in children’s individual learning journeys. In addition, formal written moderation forms are completed at least three times per year within EYFS with at least one of these to involve another school. The Phase Leader also ensures paired observations are carried out at least once per year with every member of staff for moderation purposes.
Teachers and Support staff in KS1 and KS2 have opportunities throughout the year during PDMs and Phase meetings to moderate their assessments of children. Staff look at the available evidence (work in books, dated target sheets, SPTO comments and photographs) and cross reference this to the SPTO tracker when moderating.
As part of the Teaching and Learning Cycle, the SLT carry out work scrutinies which include staff finding and evidencing children’s work in books against objectives on the tracker.
Tracking Pupil Progress
Pupil Progress Meetings are designed so that individual pupils’ progress and attainment can be discussed with the SLT and class teachers. The school uses a tracking points system as a way of measuring progress and attainment
Pupil Progress Meetings take place three times per year. Teachers complete grids prior to the meeting highlighting class and group progress and attainment. Pupil progress meeting notes are completed to keep a record of any actions in relation to issues raised during the meeting. Teachers are expected to be able to talk about individual pupils’ progress with reference to the tracker and children’s books. Teachers are expected to know which children in their class are on the SEN register and the interventions they are receiving as well as their progress towards meeting their targets. Teachers have an opportunity during the meeting to share any concerns they have regarding individuals in their class (SENCO is present at all pupil progress meetings).
Results from formative and summative assessments are collected and used to inform progress. Staff can add information to the school’s tracking system, DCPro, at any time throughout the academic year. The SLT maintain an overview of all assessments on DCPro through their logins to enable progress to be monitored and intervention placed if required. DCPro is used to track children’s progress, identify gaps in learning, generate targets and ensure that prior attainment is built upon. Teachers are required to use all available assessment data and information to inform teaching and learning and pupil progress meetings are a way of monitoring this process.