Assessment Methods
To support teacher judgements about pupil levels, teachers use a range of information. Sometimes school based tests are used; more often the children’s work and discussions with the children about their work. Work is cross referenced to a range of national criteria.
How do we know that our judgements are accurate?
- Firstly there is national guidance and criteria in all subjects
- We receive county led training as well as support training for some other schools
- We work alongside other schools
- In Y2 and Y6 samples of work in one subject (writing, reading or maths) are moderated annually with the county to ensure there is consistency
- We operate a system of internal school moderation in teams and across the age groups
- We have also put in our own system and have worked with other schools, including secondary schools to moderate work
Teachers at Mayfield use both formative and summative assessments throughout the year. These assessments are all entered onto the school database and we extract information to both look at how the children are achieving and what progress they are making. We use this information to discuss individuals, groups and year groups. Decisions are then made about support programmes which are all analysed to ensure we target support effectively. The information also used to report back to parents, at parents’ evenings and in the annual report as to
whether a child is below/at or above the national expectations.
We also set targets for all children. Where there is prior attainment this forms a baseline for targets.
Alongside that we use our knowledge of the children as not all children progress at the same rate. Targets are discussed in depth within school and we have access to data systems which ensure that the targets we set for our children remain ambitious and appropriate.
External Tests
We administer the new national phonics test in Y1.
- Y2 take some tests which help to inform the teacher assessments. With Y2 we tend not to make a big deal of the tests for the children and undertake them as part of the normal class routines – the children may/may not tell you they have had a test simply because they may not have realized that is what it was!
- Y6 have a national timetable and they are fully aware they are being tested. Y6 parents are given more details of what happens and when.