Assessment

Assessment is a continuous process in school. The purpose of assessment is to see what the children can do so the teachers can plan to meet their needs. Teachers are constantly checking if the children can do, remember and understand more. They do this in many ways, including questioning, observation and checking the children’s work. Teachers undertake mini-assessments such as times tables checks so they can adapt their planning to meet the needs of the children.

Assessments will be reported to parents termly through parents meetings and an annual report. Throughout their time in school, children will also undertake statutory assessment activities. You will receive the results of these. The school also runs workshops so you can find out more about them and how we report them.

Below is a summary of the assessments that are undertaken in each year group.

Early Years Foundation Stage

When the children join the school, the teachers will carry out a baseline assessment to see what they can do already. This is so they can plan to meet the children’s needs.
Teachers also gather information so they can assess those who have achieved a Good Level of Development by June. This data is reported to the Local Authority.

Year 1

Children take a Phonics Screen Check in June. This assesses their phonic understanding. The test is made up of a mixture of 40 words and non-words and administered by a familiar adult. If a child does not achieve the expected standard, they will need to re-sit the test in Year 2. This is a statutory test for all children.
The rest of the assessments in this year are teacher assessments.

Year 2

Children are required to take National Curriculum Tests (commonly known as SATs) in May. Teachers then use these to inform their professional judgement about whether each child is working below, towards, at the expected standard or at greater depth in Reading and Maths. There is also an optional Grammar and Spelling Test to help inform the teacher assessment writing judgement. These judgments are reported to the government.

Year 3

Although there are not any formal assessments, children will undertake SATs-style assessments termly, which will inform each teacher’s assessment.

Year 4

Children will be required to take the Multiplications Table Check in June. There are no other formal assessments, but children will undertake written assessments termly, which will inform each teacher’s assessment.

Year 5

Although there are not any formal assessments, children will undertake SAT style assessments termly, which will inform each teacher’s assessment.

Year 6

Children are required to take National Curriculum Tests (commonly known as SATs) in May. KS2 tests in Mathematics, English Reading and English Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar are externally marked. The DfE uses scaled scores to establish whether each child is working below, towards, at the expected standard or at greater depth and report the results of the tests to schools.

All statutory tests are moderated by the local authority, on a rolling cycle, to check that they are being administered properly.

 

Growing Together