Assessment
What do we mean by assessment in school?
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Assessment is the collection of information about children’s learning, which is then review with the purpose of improving learning and development.
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In other words, a picture about children’s learning and understanding is created by looking at a range of evidence
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This is used to make improvements in teaching and decisions about provision for children
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Doing regular assessments and systematically means that quick changes can be made in response to fluctuations in children’s academic achievement
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What is achievement?
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Achievement is the word educators use to describe the combination of two factors:
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Attainment – which means how each child is doing in relation to their peers in the school.
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Progress –which reflects how well a child is doing in relation to how they have done previously.
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Why do we assess children?
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At Mosaic, we check regularly where children sit in terms of attainment and progress, so we can ensure that all our pupils are getting on as well as possible.
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When we assess a child as either falling below national expected standards, or making limited progress, we can take effective action to improve this:
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Explore reasons for the problem, talking with the class team, the child and the family.
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Explore different approaches to support the child in making progress.
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Put additional provision into place to help improve progress and/or attainment.
Different forms of assessment may serve different purposes for different people and organisations:
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Pupils
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Teachers and support staff
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Parents
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Teachers and support staff
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School leaders and governors
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The government
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OFSTED
What do we assess?
In Early Years, 7 areas are assessed regularly on an on-going basis:
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Prime Areas
Communication and language
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional
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Specific Areas
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Art and Design
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Year 1 - 6
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The biggest focus is on assessment of the core subjects:
Literacy (reading and writing) and Numeracy are assessed in most depth.
Other subjects are assessed at the end of each topic either through the use of a quiz around the key concepts taught, and for art, PE and design and technology we assess against criteria given.
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How do we assess children's learning
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Two kinds of assessment:
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Formative
Dialogue​
Observations
Children's answers
Marking
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Summative
Tests
Formal Assessments
All children also sit national statutory tests.
These are:
Phonics (Year 1, with any resits taking place in Year 2)
Multiplication Tables Check (Year 4)
End of KS2 SATs (maths, reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling).
These results are compiled nationally for schools and parents to benchmark to. Writing is also assessed and reported at the end of KS1 and KS2 and this is done through marking against clear shared criteria. The teachers' judgements are moderated, and at times, the judgements are moderated by an external advisor as part of a checking exercise.
We also sit tests on a termly basis in Maths, Reading and GPS (spelling, punctuation and grammar) from the end of Year 1 upwards. This process supports children in building their test technique as they move up the school.
Writing is assessed half-termly against year group national curriculum objectives.