THE MONITORING OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS

amended July 3, 2005

1. AIMS

to ensure that lessons and units of learning are taught and prepared to ensure that all pupils progress through their learning;

to ensure that specific problems hindering academic progress are identified and addressed;

to ensure that pupils are sensibly, rationally and fairly placed into appropriate teaching groups.

2. PREAMBLE

It is first and foremost the responsibility of individual departments to plan lessons within agreed units of learning and to place pupils into appropriate teaching groups.

The school teaches both in sets and in mixed-ability form groups in years 7 & 8, moving to banding in each half of the paired timetable in Years 9, 10 and 11. Heads of department have the primary responsibility for determining departmental policy regarding banding and setting, but are expected to work with heads of year and the management teams to ensure that all pupils are treated fairly. The school's strategic management team discourages departments from setting year 7 pupils until they have settled into life at St Peter's.

From September 2005, it is hoped that the DfES 'Pupil Tracker' programme will be used to assist heads of department in making decisions regarding setting.

Each half-term , by and large, all teachers must complete an assessment sheet which records the progress of each pupil. This information is published for heads of school and by heads of department; the chief function of this exercise is to discover those pupils who are consistently under-achieving across a number of subjects in the curriculum. Each head of year is attached to one particular year group, and follows that cohort as it works through the school.

The academic assessment sheet identifies specific weaknesses as well as satisfactory and exemplary work; this information is of great use to all teachers.

Letters are sent home to the parents/ guardians of all pupils who show cause for concern in more than three subjects or, conversely, who show exemplary work in four or more subjects. The dates for the academic assessment programme are set out in the school's calendar.

3. OBLIGATIONS REQUIRED BY POLICY

i The heads of year should

monitor pupils' academic progress through the use of half-termly assessment sheets;

contact parents with letters of praise or of concern after the compilation of these assessment sheets;

undertake the checking of written work with forms in Years 7 & 8, and regular follow-up meeting with pupils whose work shows some concern in Years 9, 10 and 11;

monitor closely the progress of pupils who are causing concern across a number of subjects through, for example, the use of "Track Records";

pass on information regarding teachers' assessments to all heads of department at the beginning of each half-term;

consult with heads of year about half-termly assessments and play a part in the pastoral team for each section of the school;

assist with the banding and grouping of pupils as requested;

assist with the identification of pupils with special educational needs, in consultation with the PAL department.

iii The leadership team should

convene regular meetings with the heads of year to discuss progress;

monitor departmental policies regarding banding and setting and move the school towards linking more closely setting procedures and targets.

iv Heads of year should

work with heads of year to monitor pupils' progress, especially in cases where pupils are given a large number of assessment showing cause for concern;

specifically address behavioural problems which are hindering the academic progress of individual pupils and the group in which they work;

use the Thursday morning meeting after publication of assessment profiles to raise any relevant points with tutors.

v Heads of department should

monitor the assessments before passing the assessment sheets on to be processed;

use the academic assessment sheets as a guide to pupils' progress and respond to them as appropriate to support teaching staff;

use departmental meeting time on Tuesday mornings following the publication of assessment profiles, when appropriate, to address issues raised by the assessments.

vii Teachers should

complete the academic assessment sheets professionally and accurately;

support the use of "Track Records" and other monitoring systems;

liaise closely with heads of department regarding the academic progress of their teaching groups, particularly, for example, homework and discipline problems;

inform pupils of what assessment they have been awarded - and why - before submitting the assessments;

keep a mark book to record the progress of pupils within their subject;

in their capacity as form tutors, check the recording and completion of homework and the homework timetable in the journal;

ensure that assessments are entered into the journal;

use form period time to discuss assessments with pupils.

4. The execution of this policy shall be monitored by the leadership team.