Buckingham Park Primary School

Assessment

Assessment at Buckingham Park Primary School is at the heart of teaching and learning; it provides evidence to guide teaching and learning, as well as the opportunity for students to demonstrate and review their own progress.

To ensure fairness, assessment is:

• inclusive of all abilities 
• free from bias towards factors that are not relevant to what the assessment intends to address

Assessment is honest and outcomes are:

• used in ways that minimise undesirable effects
• conveyed in an open, concise and transparent way to assist pupils with their learning
• moderated by experienced professionals to ensure their accuracy

Assessment is ambitious, it:

• places achievement in context against nationally standardised criteria and expected standards
• embodies, through objective criteria, a pathway of progress and development for every child
• sets high expectations for learners

To ensure any assessment is appropriate, it should:

• have a clearly stated purpose
• draw on a wide range of evidence to provide a complete picture of a student's achievement
• demand no more procedures or records than are practically required to allow pupils, their parents and teachers to plan future learning

Assessment is consistent, as:

• judgements are formed according to common principles
• results are readily understandable by third parties
• a school’s results are capable of comparison with other schools, both locally and nationally
• it is moderated by locality, county and nationally by recognised bodies

Assessment outcomes provide meaningful and understandable information for:

• pupils in developing their learning
• parents in supporting children with their learning
• teachers in planning teaching and learning
• school leaders and governors in planning and allocating resources
• local authority and wider government agencies

Ultimately, any assessment and accompanying feedback should inspire greater effort and a belief that, through hard work and practice, more can be achieved

Our Approach to Assessment

• Assessment is integral to high quality teaching and learning. It helps us to ensure that our teaching is appropriate and that learners are making at least expected progress
• All staff are regularly trained in our approach to assessment
• We have senior leaders who are responsible for assessment and data

Our Methods of Assessment

Assessment serves many purposes, but the main purpose of assessment in our school is to help teachers, parents and pupils plan their next steps in learning. We also use the outcomes of assessment to check and support our teaching standards and help us improve.

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment takes place on a day-to-day basis during teaching and learning, allowing teachers and pupils to assess attainment and progress more frequently. It begins with diagnostic assessment, indicating what is already known and what gaps may exist in skills or knowledge. If a teacher and pupil understand what has been achieved to date, it is easier to plan the next steps. As the learning continues, further formative assessments indicate whether teaching plans need to be amended to reinforce or extend learning.

Formative assessments may be questions, tasks, quizzes or more formal assessments. Often formative assessments may not be recorded at all, except perhaps in the lesson plans drawn up to address the next steps indicated.

Summative Assessment:

Summative assessment sums up what a pupil has achieved at the end of a period of time, relative to the learning aims and the relevant national standards. The period of time may vary, depending on what the teacher wants to find out. There may be an assessment at the end of a topic, at the end of a term or half-term, at the end of a year or, as in the case of the national curriculum tests, at the end of a key stage.

A summative assessment may be a written test, an observation, a conversation or a task, depending on the year group or key stage. The assessment will show what has been achieved. It will summarise attainment at a particular point in time and may provide individual and cohort data that will be useful for tracking progress and for informing stakeholders (e.g. parents, governors, etc.).

At Buckingham Park Primary School, more formal testing takes place termly in Years 1 to 6, using NFER (National Foundation for Educational Research) testing materials.  These termly tests are taken in the follwing subjects: Reading; Maths; Spelling; Grammar & Punctuation, and hese results are collected by members of the SLT (Senior Leadership Team) and analysed. This data is used in each year group's Pupil Progress Meetings and is an opportunity for teachers to discuss and moderate the assessments for their children and provide evidence of weekly teaching that supports each child’s attainment.

Statutory Tests:

Assessment of Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Children with SEN are assessed, where appropriate, by the same means as the rest of the school. They are carefully tracked through both internal and external (statutory) data. Often, additional assessments are carried out as part of a baseline for intervention, or for staff to plan appropriate provision, e.g. Read Write Inc. 1-2-1 Tutoring.

Most assessments across the school are carried out as part of normal classroom practice. Where children reach statutory testing age, we administer tests according to the guidance provided. Where they qualify for additional time, or other adaptations, we ensure that this is provided.

If children are working below the standard of the tests, they may be withdrawn.

Our Use of Assessment

• Teachers use the outcomes of our assessments to summarise and analyse attainment and progress for their pupils
• Teachers use this data to plan the learning for every pupil to ensure they meet or exceed expectations
• Teachers analyse the data across the school to ensure that pupils identified as vulnerable or at particular risk in this school are making appropriate progress and that all pupils are suitably stretched
• Assessment results are collected by members of the SLT and analysed. The analysis informs the SLT of an overall picture of achievement and progress and helps with the provision of support for children and training for staff