ASSESSMENT AT GOLDSTONE
Here at Goldstone we try to ensure that all our assessment complements and assists teaching and learning. It plays an integral part in each teacher’s planning and enables the evaluation of current practice as well as pupil achievement. It ensures a whole school approach to the provision of an excellent education for all children at Goldstone. It is the entitlement of every child at Goldstone to be given an education that builds on their strengths, addresses their individual needs and ensures progression. Assessment is an essential tool in the delivery of this entitlement. The aim of the policy is to give a clear outline of all assessment techniques implemented at Goldstone, to ensure that assessment is used as a tool to inform planning, to track pupil progress and to raise standards.
Through our policy we ensure that:
- Assessment is fair, inclusive and free from bias.
- Assessment is open, honest and transparent.
- Assessment secures high expectations for all.
- Assessment is appropriate to age, task and individual ability.
- Assessment is accurate and consistent.
- Assessment supports comparison with other schools, both locally and nationally.
- Assessment outcomes provide meaningful and understandable information for pupils, parents and school staff.
- Assessment informs planning and provision for the next steps in learning.
Throughout the year – Teachers and support staff give children high quality verbal feedback in order to allow learners to reflect on their successes. In a range of subjects, next steps are given to show children where they can go next. Assessment for Learning (AfL) strategies during lessons are also used to give teachers instant feedback on the success of a lesson.
At the end of each term – Formal data is entered onto an online assessment system (Insight) to help teachers, Year Group Leads (YGL) and SLT look for areas of strength / weakness. Particular attention is taken to vulnerable groups such as SEND and PP. This is to show progress and attainment in their relevant programme of study (POS). Any children out of POS have a relevant age-related expectation sheet completed for them.
At least twice a year – The headteacher and assessment coordinator meet with year groups for pupil progress meetings. This is an opportunity to discuss the progress and attainment of children and discuss areas of strength and weakness. During these meetings, time is spent discussing vulnerable groups such as SEND and PP.
Across the year – Year groups moderate their work within their PPA time. Both core and foundation subject coordinators regularly collect books from teachers to ensure consistency across individual year groups and to ensure progress across year groups. In addition to this, we ensure that all teachers have the opportunity attend moderation meetings (particularly in the area of writing) both within our school and at local authority level.
In autumn and spring – Teachers meet twice with parents and carers for consultation meetings where progress and ways forwards are discussed. Teachers identify the families of vulnerable groups and to try to ensure that they are able to come.
In summer – Teachers write a comprehensive report of each learner in their class. They also indicate their attainment, effort and progress across the core and foundation subjects. A drop-in session is offered after the release of reports for any families who wish to come and discuss what has been written.
At the end of the year – Teachers meet after the new class lists have been completed to discuss their new children with previous teachers. This allow them to have extra information about their new class from someone who knows them well and this, combined with data from the previous year, allows them to understand their new cohort in preparation for teaching them.
The impact of rigorous assessment at Goldstone is as follows:
- It allows staff that work with children to understand their learning profiles and cater for their individual needs.
- It allows areas of weakness in the curriculum to be addressed and gaps filled.
- It allows children to know when they have been successful and gives them ways to improve next time.
- It allows coordinators to oversee their subject and have meaningful data about attainment and progress. It also allows them to know if there are areas where support needs to be implemented.
- It allows dialogue between teachers and parents / carers.
- It reduces to a minimum any lag between year groups whilst teachers get to know their new class.
