Assessment Recording and Reporting Policy 2007

Rationale:

Teachers at Whitgift are committed to raising achievement to ensure that all our students realise their potential and have their efforts recognised. To this end our formative assessment will be through ‘Assessment for Learning’, the key characteristics of which are:

• a strong focus on how learners learn and on maximising the progress of every student at Whitgift School
• providing students with individual learning pathways, which inform them of their current level, end of year and end of key stage target
• ensuring that students know and recognise the standards they are aiming for involving students in self and peer assessment
• providing feedback on the next learning steps
• involving both students and teachers in reviewing and reflecting on assessment information
• providing summative as well as formative assessment
• fostering motivation

Additionally, assessment in each faculty must help pupils by:

• Identifying national average rates of progress and expected levels of attainment for every student
• Allowing students ownership of their own progress and achievement

Setting Targets:

Our students are set end of Key Stage targets. In Y7 these targets are initially generated from KS2 test raw scores in Maths, English and Science and on CAT test scores, which provide a ‘check and balance’ and which are completed in the July prior to transition.

Also in the July prior to KS2-KS3 transition, all intake students will be tested to find their preferred learning style from: linguistic; logical; visual; musical; interpersonal, intrapersonal; physical. Preferred Learning styles will be recorded in the SIMS and also recorded on the front of pupil exercise books.

Other year groups are set targets using the estimates provided by FFT estimates from FFT band B (Target Minimum Grade) and Band D (Aspirational Grade). Lead Learners will break down end of KS3 targets down into end of year targets, by sub-level, i.e. 4a, 4b, 4c,etc., working on the premise that, where a student is making sound progress, they can expect to progress two-thirds of a NC level each year. In KS4, targets are broken down by GCSE grade or by the levels awarded by the accreditation route being followed.

Classroom teachers are expected to share these end of year and end of Key Stage targets with students and to help them work towards their individual targets by breaking targets down into small steps which are made explicit. Students will record targets in their passport and subject exercise books. Teachers are further expected to keep a personal record of student targets and of progress towards targets.

Marking work:

Across all subjects and both key stages, there are three possible marks for any given piece of work, as follows:

Above Target (AT) – the piece of work has been assessed to be above the current target for the student.

On Target (OT) – the piece of work has been assessed to be in line with or approaching the current target set for the student.

Below Target (BT) - the piece of work has been assessed to be significantly below the current target for the student.

Additionally, work should be annotated with an effort grade on the scale A-C.
A=Exemplary; B=Acceptable; C=Unacceptable.

All class and homework will be frequently marked (homework always marked weekly, classwork checked weekly and initialled, with a mark or comment at least fortnightly). Work which is fully marked should include a helpful curriculum-based comment, such as ‘To improve this work you should …………..’. A target may be included, where appropriate.

Quality Marking

Major Quality Marking sessions are clearly calendared and will take place tri-annually. Additionally, each half-term term every subject area team will identify another piece of student work for Quality Marking. Quality Marked work will be closely marked and annotated, including attention to spelling corrections and punctuation and grammar, and the award of a NC sub-level in KS3 or grade equivalent in KS4. The highest benchmarked level/grade achieved each term will be recorded in SIMS.

The quality marking should be in green ink to enable it to be clearly identified as a significant part of the progress agenda.

Formal Examinations:

Each year group will be subject to an annual cycle of examinations, under full exam conditions. Our aims in this are to provide an additional ‘Benchmarking’ opportunity, measured against a NC level or GCSE grade and to ensure that students are familiar with examination techniques and protocols.

Assessment Glossary:

Attainment:

• Expression of what a student knows and can do
• May refer to the learning outcomes of a lesson or a task
• May refer to a level or grade description

Assessment:

• Measure of attainment

Progress:

• The difference between two measures of attainment taken at different times
• Often described as ‘achievement’ in national documentation

Target Minimum Grade (TMG)

• The minimum level of attainment which may be expected at the end of a Key Stage, assuming satisfactory progress

Aspirational Grade:

• The level of attainment which may be expected at the end of a key stage, assuming exceptional progress

FFT (Fischer Family Trust):

• An organisation which produces national tables providing estimates of future attainment, based on prior attainment

Recording

The school keeps formal records of attainment at 3 levels:

• Records of pupil targets, prior attainment, attainment, attendance and progress, kept by individual teaching staff
• Personal records of targets and attainment, kept by individual students
• Whole school records of pupil targets, prior attainment, attainment, attendance and progress, kept in the Schools Information Management System (SIMS), for manipulation and to provide analysis of data.

Records kept by individual teaching staff for each pupil must include:

• KS2 / KS3 prior attainment
• Current TMG
• Records of work marked and of pupil effort
• Records of Quality Marks
• Records of progress towards TMG

Personal records kept by individual students will be kept in the Student Passport and will include:

• KS2 / KS3 prior attainment
• End of year curriculum targets
• End of Key Stage TMG for each curriculum area

Whole school records will be inputted into the SIMS system by the Data Manager and must include:

• KS2 results in core subjects (Below level 4 sub set)
• KS2 raw scores for core subjects
• Average Points Scores, core subjects
• CAT scores
• Reading, writing and spelling levels (KS3)
• FFT estimates for end of Key Stages
• Termly records of progress/attainment
• Termly records of effort
• Daily record of attendance

The role of the data manager is:

To input data and to analyse data, so as to provide information about the progress of individual students, student sub-sets and the whole school, towards targets which have been set. Also, to inform the Headteacher and external agencies about any question related to targets they may need to ask, in the performance of their duties.

Questions raised will require analysis of the data by the data manager of the following nature:

• Calculation of Chronological Age / Reading Age difference
• Calculation of difference between FFT estimate and end of year attainment level / grade
• Value-added analysis KS2 to KS4 and KS3 to KS4
• Grid analysis of attainment data in order to compare the performance of virtual groups (eg Gender, EAL, LAC, etc.,)
• Tracking cohort progress over time (result set analysis)

Reporting

In all year groups, we will send home one computer generated report each term. The report will be produced in SIMS and will include the following information:

General

• Attendance
• Lates
• Whole school detention record
• Times in isolation
• Credits

Subject Specific

• End of Key Stage Target Minimum Grades
• End of year subject target grades/levels
• Current Grades/Levels
• AT, OT, BT (against end of year targets)
• Effort grade A-C

In the first term of Years 9 and Year 11, subject teachers will produce an additional, written report, which is intended to provide curriculum guidelines for the individual and their parents, which will guide them towards end of Key Stage assessment. The information normally provided in computer generated reports (above) will also be included.

Each year group will be offered an annual Parents Evening at which parents and students can meet with subject teachers.