What is Assessment?

We assess the children every time we teach them - we find out what they do and don't know so that we can help to address anything they don't understand, to move them on steadily in their learning and to challenge them when it's needed.  We do this by talking with the children and marking the work in their books.

Towards the end of every term, approximately every 6 weeks, we have an Assessment Week, when teachers look closely at the progress the children have made and record this in our data tracking system.  This may include some tests or "cold tasks" which enable the teachers to ascertain what the children can do independently.  Following this, the data is examined carefully and 6 week bespoke intervention programmes are put into place for children who are making insufficient progress, regardless of their ability.  We will let you know if your child is on an intervention programme and hope that you will support us at home.

Early Years Foundation Stage

At the end of Reception the EYFS Profile must be completed for each child. It provides parents  a well-rounded picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities, their progress against expected levels, and their readiness for Year 1. Assessment for the EYFS profile is largely drawn from skilled observation of the child but will also include parental contributions and those of other adults working with the child. The EYFS profile indicates whether children are beginning to meeting expected levels of development (emerging), working at the expected levels  or exceeding them. It is important to remember that all children develop at different rates and at this young age a few months can make a huge difference.

Children in the EYFS are assessed according early learning goals.

The prime areas are:

The specific areas are:

Phonics Screening

Towards the end of Year 1 children are assessed on their phonic knowledge. 

All children need to be able to identify sounds associated with different letters and letter combinations (called graphemes and phonemes) and then blend these sounds together to correctly say the word on the page. The same skill is needed to help children with both reading and writing.  This assessment identifies children who are not using sounds to the expected level and, in that case, the child will take the screening check again when they are in Year 2 following additional support from school.

The Phonics Screening Check consists of a list of 40 words, half real words and half non-words, which Year 1 children read to their class teacher. Administering the assessment usually takes between four and nine minutes per child.

Non-words (made up words) are included because they will be new to all children. Children who can read non-words should have the skills to decode almost any unfamiliar word. The non-words are presented alongside a picture of an imaginary creature, and children are told the non-word is the name of that type of creature. This helps children to understand the non-word should not be matched to their existing vocabulary.

Key Stage 1 SATS

From 2016 there will be some changes to the Key Stage 1 SATS assesments.

During May, all Year 2 children in state schools nationally will be assessed in reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling and mathematics.  This assessment will take the form of test papers, administered in the children's classroom or another school space, by their teacher. 

 KS1 national curriculum test outcomes will be reported to you as part of your child's full end of year report but scaled scores will be used rather than levels as previously. More information will follow about these scores.

A new set of KS1 national curriculum tests replaces the previous tests and tasks. The new tests consist of:

• English reading Paper 1: combined reading prompt and answer booklet
• English reading Paper 2: reading booklet and reading answer booklet
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: spelling
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 2: questions
• Mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic
• Mathematics Paper 2: reasoning

There is no longer a test for English writing

Key Stage 2 SATS

From 2016 KS2 national curriculum test outcomes have no longer be reported using levels; scaled sores are  used instead with a scale score of 100 being the National benchmark for the expected standard in reading and maths.

There will only be one set of tests for each subjects. 

The tests will include a small number of questions designed to assess the most able pupils so seperate tests, such as the previous level 6 tests, will no longer be needed.

The mental maths test has been replaced with an arithmetic test. 

Teacher Assessment will be the main focus for writing at KS2 and will be based on a range of writing in class, for internal (6 weekly) assessments and for homework across a range of subjects.  Teachers will also submit their professional judgements of children’s standards of attainment in maths and science.

The key Stage 2 tests consist of:

• English reading: reading booklet and answer booklet
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: short answer qustions
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 2: spelling
• Mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic
• Mathematics Paper 2: reasoning
• Mathematics Paper 3: reasoning