Assessment
Assessment at King's Hedges involves everybody
The purpose of assessment, recording and reporting:
Assessment, recording and reporting:
- Offers all pupils an opportunity to show what they know, understand and can do;
- Helps pupils to understand what they need to remember and how they can do this;
- Facilitates the setting of meaningful targets by the child and teacher;
- Takes into account the wider curriculum and pupils’ personal and social development;
- Enables staff to track progress of individuals and groups of children;
- Provides a clear framework of development for teachers;
- Relates to stated learning intentions and key performance indicators;
- Advances the learning process- pupils knowing more and remembering more;
- Enables teachers to plan more effectively;
- Involves parents in their children’s progress;
- Provides our school with information, which we can use to evaluate teaching and learning.
Assessment can take on two different roles:
- provide information for the teacher to plan the next steps and know what pupils can and cannot remember - formative assessment;
- provide a snapshot in time of pupil’s achievements – summative assessment.
In the classroom
From Nursery to Year 6 the teachers at King's Hedges regularly assess all areas of the curriculum through a variety of methods. We assess both formally through testing and informally. Informal assessment takes place in several ways and is our main way of assessing the children’s progress. We observe children working; listen to answers given during discussion times; use questioning techniques to draw out knowledge of different areas; set work for children, which gives them opportunity to show what they have learnt and help children improve their work through careful comments when marking.
Assessment is integral to the working and success of King's Hedges Educational Federation and helps us provide a supportive and personalised curriculum for every child as they make their way through our school.
My Pupil Profile
From Year 1 to Year 6 children take ownership of their learning through collaborative target setting. Every term after discussion with the teacher, the children review learning and set new targets for development of academic skills and attitude. My Pupil Profile is a simple way of recording, with pupils, their next steps in learning and how to progress with attitude and learning targets. My Pupil Profile targets will be set and reviewed with the children termly and these will be shared with parents at parent consultations.
Formative assessments
Formative assessments are crucial in knowing pupils current and next steps within their learning and what they remember. These are used throughout lessons, day-to-day, and are used by the teacher to inform classroom practice. It allows the teachers to gain an understanding of where pupils are within their learning, and any next steps that need to take place to ensure children keep up. It ensures that pupils make progress over time and informs future planning. Lessons are built on prior learning and learning is linked where appropriate. Interleaved learning is used to ensure knowledge is embedded and retrial practise is used throughout lessons to ensure pupils are secure in what they are learning and remembering. Children are aware what they will be learning through the LI and how they will be successful through the success criteria.
Summative assessments
Summative assessments take place at the end of each term and are shared with parents during parent consultation. Statutory assessments are also used to show attainment and progress.
Teacher Marking
Marking is seen as a crucial communication between teacher and pupil and an indicator of success or areas for development for the child. We believe that marking is a key factor in the teaching and learning process.
The ‘Marking and Feedback Policy’ details the form that marking takes in class. Marking can be ‘verbal’, ‘courtesy’ or ‘full’ as appropriate to the piece of work or task being undertaken. Marking links directly to the lesson’s learning intention, success criteria, expectations about presentation and effort. Rewards in the form of merits and tokens are given for excellent work.
Below is an example of how assessment supports children’s writing
Here is an example of a Y5 piece of writing. The Learning Intention: to write a persuasive advert is shared at the start of the writing. The success criteria grid is also shared at the start so that the children are very clear what they need to include in their writing to be successful. During their writing the children are encouraged to read it through out loud to ensure it is of the best quality from the start. The children then make corrections and improvements as they go, using the grid to help them.
Once the work is completed the child will read through their work and mark it against the success criteria and non-negotiables. During this time, the children will be given time in class to edit their work to further improve the piece, this may be completed as individuals or using peer marking. During this time, the teacher will look at the whole piece of writing to ensure it makes sense and that it is purposeful. Any good examples of where the child has met the success criteria effectively are again highlighted. The teacher will then include an improvement point (relating to the success criteria) for the children to complete to improve their work alongside 3 spellings to correct.
The parents
Parents with children from Nursery age to Year 6 can become involved with their child’s learning through their child’s ‘Home/School Partnership Book’. All parents are encouraged to support their child’s development at home. They can keep in touch with their child’s teacher through comments in the ‘Chatline’, by meeting their child’s teacher at the end of the day and at parent consultation.
During parent consultation, the children’s targets are shared with parents and a discussion is had around how the parents can help their children meet this target. Attainment and progress is also discussed with the parents. The parents are included in a discussion about their child’s My Pupil Profile.
In Nursery, parents are invited in every Friday to find out about the learning for the following week so that they can support this at home. Teachers and support staff are available to speak to parents during this time.
