Assessment Overview at Blackheath Primary School
Our Aims:
- Every child knows and understands what they need to do to improve and how to get there through regular feedback
- Every teacher is equipped to make accurate judgements about pupils’ attainment, understands the concepts and principles of progression, and knows how to use their assessment judgements to forward plan.
- Every parent and carer knows how their child is doing, what they need to do to improve and how they can support their child and their teachers.
From September 2015 we have implemented NEW staged targets. The new staged targets are numbered depending on the year groups. For example Stage 1 targets relate to Year 1 and Stage 2, to year 2.
Teachers asses against these staged targets and make a judgement as to whether a child is working well below, below, at or at greater depth at this point in time.
A child may have gaps in their knowledge and still be working at age related expectations as these gaps are appropriate at the point within the year or the staged targets may not have been covered yet within the year. If a child is working at greater depth, this child should not move on to the next years curriculum, rather they will be challenged to apply their knowledge at greater depth, within the subject.
To help make assessments, the school uses summative and formative approaches. To support formative judgements, staged target for Writing and Maths are tracked on the schools tracking and assessment system. This helps the school to track individual and group progress whilst signposting teachers to specific interventions that may be needed.
Children’s understanding and gaps in learning are shared at parents meetings and copies of their child’s targets are sent home to support parental understanding.
Three times a year, the school uses summative assessment materials to help support teacher judgements. These published materials are reviewed to ensure that the school feels they are in line with the national expectations for each year group.
Moderation is also essential in ensuring that our judgements are in line with other schools. Therefore subject leaders and teachers, attend cross school moderation throughout the year, taking peer moderated examples from our school then feeding back to staff. In house moderation also takes place termly.