ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
amended July 3, 2005
1. AIMS
To enable and encourage teachers through a philosophy of assessment for learning to use good assessment practice to inform lesson planning, and to organise well focused, relevant learning at a pace suited to the needs of the pupils;
to facilitate the judgement of pupils’ achievements against national standards;
to facilitate the monitoring of the progress of each individual pupil;
to determine the standard and breadth of understanding and knowledge of individual pupils;
to enable parents and pupils to understand how pupils’ work is being assessed; what is expected of the pupils; how pupils can achieve those expectations; and how pupils can contribute to assessment procedures.
2. PREAMBLE
In the actual marking of pupils’ work, the school distinguishes between the marking of day-to-day classwork and homework, on the one hand, and test or end-of-module marking on the other.
Day-to-day marking in Years 7, 8 and 9 (KS3) should comprise a comment, and, if required, an appropriate National Curriculum level (up to 8*) or a letter grade A-E. Where the work is self-evidently a series of closed questions, a numerical mark may be used
Test or end-of-module marking in Years 7, 8 and 9 (KS3) should comprise a comment, and, if required, an appropriate National Curriculum level (up to 8*). Where a test is self-evidently a series of closed questions, a numerical mark may be used; the average score in the class may also be included.
At KS3 some key pieces of work, as required by individual department’s responses to the requirements of the national curriculum, will be marked against the level descriptions of the national curriculum orders, and these pieces of work will include these levels in their assessments. This grading should offer a valid and justifiable assessment against national standards of achievement at KS3.
Throughout, the comments should offer a judgement of the work in accordance with the criteria stated by the teacher when setting the work, pointing out successes and failures, and, most especially, plotting a way forward for continued learning.
In years 10 and 11 (KS4) marking, whether for day-to-day work, or for homework or for coursework assignments, etc., should similarly comprise a comment and, if required, a letter grade; in this case the letter grades A to G should be used to suggest GCSE standards of achievement and understanding. Departments can if they wish add a numerical or percentage mark to pupils’ work where it is self-evidently a series of responses to “closed” tasks.
School examinations in Years 7 and 8 are held at the discretion of individual departments and are carried out in normal lesson time. In Year 9 pupils, of course, complete SATs in NC subject areas; other subject areas may set internal examinations if they so wish. In Year 10, pupils sit a formal internal examination in the summer term;
In Year 11, pupils sit mock GCSE examinations at the end of the autumn term, and the external KS4 GCSE examinations in May and June.
Testing of Year 7 pupils is undertaken in the autumn term to supplement KS1 & KS2 records and to give detailed information on various fields of achievement.
Heads of year monitor progress through half-termly assessment sheets, analysing learning, attitudes to classwork and homework, collated and then distributed to teaching staff, senior staff and tutors; pupils and parents.
Reports are written annually for each pupil, in each subject.
In Years 7 and 8 reports should include a comment on effort and attainment; in Year 9 NC levels for attainment, including the SAT result where appropriate, and a comment which includes a report on effort; in Years 10 and 11 the report should include a target GCSE grade (A*-E) and, similarly, a comment including a report on effort.
Copies of KS1/2 information, summative annual reports, KS3 and KS4 results and all other assessment information are kept centrally in the assessment records office.
This is supplemented by full medical and personal records compiled by heads of year and tutors.
Word-processed Records of Achievement, modelled on the national RoA, are compiled by pupil and tutor throughout each key stage. Completed RoAs are presented with public examination certificates in the November following the completion of KS4.
During each academic year parents are offered the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress with teachers on an individual basis, at parents’ evenings or, where necessary, by pre-arranged personal interview.
GCSE coursework must be completed by deadlines set and monitored by the head of key stage four.
Years 12 and 13
Marking of Year 12 and 13 assignments should comprise a comment which is sufficiently detailed to enable students to see successes and failures and which shows how improvements can be made. Grading should be given on an A to U scale as with A-level examinations. Throughout the comments should offer a judgement of the work in accordance with the criteria stated by the teacher when setting the work.
External examinations are held in May and June of each year for GCSE and GCSE Applied, AS and AS Applied and A2 and A2 Applied. There is also a series of modular examinations.
Regular testing is carried out by subject teachers throughout all courses.
Tutors and heads of year monitor the progress of students through the use of assessment sheets and examination results; these results are discussed with students.
Profiling with teachers and tutors takes place regularly during AS and A2 years. Parents see full copies of all the profiles and are invited to comment.
During each academic year parents can attend a parents’ evening where they have an opportunity to discuss their son or daughter’s progress. Personal interviews can be arranged at any time during the school year.
3. OBLIGATIONS REQUIRED BY POLICY
(i) Heads of year:
Monitor assessments and internal examinations;
ensure that profiles and reports, academic assessments are completed and that parents have the opportunity to contribute to them;
ensure that individual students are counselled on their work if they are experiencing difficulty.
ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to contribute to their records of achievement;
ensure that every parent/guardian has the opportunity to contribute to their child’s record of achievement;
oversee the timing and completion of coursework, setting a deadline for all ‘minor’ written coursework.
oversee the individual target setting tutorials.
(ii) Heads of department should:
Organise, implement and monitor moderation procedures, particularly towards the end of each key stage, to ensure that marking is consistent within the school and matches national standards;
decide, with the department, an (internal) examinations policy;
organise a departmental system where examples of pupils’ work are used both to support the teacher’s record of marks and provide evidence of achievement which can be passed from teacher to teacher as the pupil progresses through the school;
monitor the assessment procedures and marking in the department;
take responsibility for the choosing of all external examination syllabuses;
take responsibility for the entry of pupils for appropriate SATs, KS4 GCSE, AS/A2 and other external examinations;
ensure that pupils are fully informed about all relevant aspects of the examinations for which they have been entered.
set and mark appropriate tests and examinations;
liaise with tutors, heads of year and the sixth form management team with regard to the welfare (both personal and academic) of students;
liaise with the examinations secretary for entry of students for external examinations.
(iii) Teachers should:
Assess effort separately from attainment, rewarding good effort with credits or written praise;
make the assessment of attainment part of the learning process, (through the establishment of criteria-referenced assessment);
use the assessment of attainment to inform and amend teaching programmes by enabling pupil and teacher to plan the next stage of learning in a way which maximises individual potential;
offer opportunities for pupils to contribute to the evaluation of their work;
highlight pupils’ strengths and weaknesses while remaining positive and supportive;
encourage parents/guardians to take part in the assessment and learning process;
complete marking regularly, (twice a fortnight for 3 or more contact periods; once a fortnight for fewer), correcting inaccuracies and commenting on presentation. In Year 12/13 corrected work should be returned almost always within one week;
keep an accurate mark book and use assessment records to monitor the progress if each pupil;
apply assessment criteria consistently, heeding moderation processes where applicable.
In Year 12/13 carry out profiling as required.
4. The execution of this policy shall be monitored by the school’s management teams.