Parents  »  Assessment

Assessment
Why assess?
Children’s progress is closely monitored at Primrose Lane in order that we can provide the best possible opportunities and highest levels of support for all children.  All assessment activities aim to ensure that the children are able to make excellent progress in their learning whilst taking into account the needs of individual children.
 
The aims and objectives of assessment in our school are:
  • to enable our children to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do in their learning;
  • to allow teachers to plan work that accurately reflects the needs of each child;
  • to help our children understand what they need to do next to improve their learning;
  • to provide regular information for parents that enables them to support their child’s learning;
  • to contribute towards accountability data.
 
Aims of the new National Curriculum
Following the announcement, by the Department for Education, of the removal of levels for the attainment and progress of children and the relaxation of restrictions on centrally led reporting requirements, schools have now been given the opportunity to conduct more ‘assessment of the right kind’, to offer task specific, personalised feedback and to become ‘Assessment Professionals’ by creating an assessment system that supports the learning of the individual children in their school.
 
Assessment at Primrose Lane
Staff at Primrose Lane, together with colleagues from our partner schools in the Wharfe Valley Learning Partnership, are currently developing a new assessment tracking system that takes into account the criteria of the new National Curriculum and is in line with the ‘End of Year Expectations’ (see below). Working in collaboration brings many added benefits and we are confident that it will result in an excellent new system. (We will of course share more information about this new system just as soon as we have it.)
 
Assessment takes into account children’s strengths as well as areas where they need support. It consists of mainly formative strategies and a range of recording methods, as detailed below.
 
Early Years – Nursery and Reception
Nursery staff informally monitor development and keep detailed records in the form of a ‘Learning Journey’. This information is shared with families and either transferred to the Reception team or to the child’s new school. The Nursery team make a summative judgement 3 times a year, based on information they gather through observations of learners, samples of learning, photographs and conversations which demonstrate the child’s understanding of a given concept. This information is based on three categories - emerging, developing or securing within the appropriate 'Age and Stage' band for each individual child. Most Nursery children are working within the 30-50 month stage.
 
Children continue to be assessed in the Reception class where staff will add information to each individual Learning Journey. We value all contributions from parents and carers to the Learning Journeys and insights will be shared at parent consultation meetings. The team make a summative judgement 3 times a year, based on information they gather from the Learning Journeys and small group and individual assessments. This information is also based on three categories - emerging, developing or securing within the appropriate 'Age and Stage' band for each individual child. Most Reception age children are working within the 40-60 month stage. In addition to this ongoing assessment, staff also identify the learning behaviours of children and plan lessons and activities to develop a wide range of learning skills in preparation for the next stage in their education; Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2).
 
Years 1 - 6
In line with the New National Curriculum and raised expectations, children in Years 1 – 6 will be assessed against the ‘Year End Expectations’, which sets out the requirements for each specific year group. A copy of the ‘Year End Expectations’ for Reading, Writing and Maths for your child’s year group, are available here:
Year 1 leaflet         Year 2 leaflet         Year 3 leaflet          Year 4 leaflet          Year 5 leaflet         Year 6 leaflet
 
The DfE is clear that they have ‘raised the bar’ through the introduction of the 2014 National Curriculum. The New National Curriculum focuses very much on ensuring children have a breadth of understanding within the concepts and skills they learn. The application of skills and understanding across a wide range of curriculum areas is absolutely key. Rather than moving ‘up’ the stages eg completing Year 3 expectations and moving onto Year 4 expectations as part of the Year 3 curriculum, the focus is on moving ‘outwards’, developing what they describe as a ‘mastery and depth of learning’ within the expectations for their year group. 
 
Parents should be re-assured that, although the expectations may have been raised, our teachers will continue to differentiate activities and learning as appropriate to ensure that all learners’ needs are met.
 
Gathering evidence of learners’ progress and development will continue with a wide range of formative assessment (day-to-day assessment through learning completed, observations, questioning, teacher–pupil dialogue and guided sessions), which will inform teacher’s planning and also summative assessment (more formal assessment/tests), which will play a part in the overall assessment and progress checks for learners at set times throughout the year.
 
We know and appreciate that our Primrose Lane parents and carers are particularly interested in and supportive of their child’s achievement at school. We hope this information, alongside the Year End Expectations leaflets, has given you some understanding of assessment at Primrose Lane.
 
Any gaps identified in learning for the children due to the increased expectations will be covered and staff have worked together to ensure that the appropriate coverage for children is in place. 

As mentioned earlier, the expectation from the DfE is that each school has to create their own non-levels based assessment system. Primrose Lane, together with our partner schools in the Wharfe Valley Learning Partnership, is currently developing a new assessment tracking system in line with the ‘End of Year Expectations’. Working in collaboration brings many added benefits and we are confident that it will result in an excellent new system. (We will of course share more information about this new system just as soon as we have it.)

The DfE is clear that they have ‘raised the bar’ through the introduction of the 2014 National Curriculum. The New National Curriculum focuses very much on ensuring children have a breadth of understanding within the concepts and skills they learn. The application of skills and understanding across a wide range of curriculum areas is absolutely key. Rather than moving ‘up’ the stages eg completing Year 3 expectations and moving onto Year 4 expectations as part of the Year 3 curriculum, the focus is on moving ‘outwards’, developing what they describe as a ‘mastery and depth of learning’ within the expectations for their year group.  

Parents should be re-assured that, although the expectations may have been raised, our teachers will continue to differentiate activities and learning as appropriate to ensure that all learners’ needs are met. 

Gathering evidence of learners’ progress and development will continue with a wide range of Formative Assessment (day-to-day assessment through learning completed, observations, questioning, teacher–pupil dialogue and guided sessions), which will inform teacher’s planning and also Summative Assessment (more formal assessment/tests), which will play a part in the overall assessment and progress checks for learners at set times throughout the year.

Years 2 and 6
For this academic year, 2014 – 2015, both Year 2 and 6 children are in a unique position and during this period of transition they will continue to be assessed against the previous curriculum. Parents of children in both of these two year groups will still receive information on their child’s progress relating to ‘National Curriculum Levels’. Outcomes for children in these year groups will still be reported on in this way after the children’s SATs in the summer term. (National expectation for Y2 learners will still be Level 2, and for Y6 learners will still be Level 4.)

Children entering Years 2 and 6 next year will, however, move onto the new system for assessment without levels.  Results from the new external national tests will be published in a new format in line with the new requirements. 

We know and appreciate that our Primrose Lane parents are particularly interested in and supportive of their child’s achievement at school. We hope this information, alongside the Year End Expectations leaflets, has given you some understanding of this new world of ‘assessing without levels’ that we find ourselves in.

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