Assessments
As a school, we see assessment as central to high quality education. Your child will be assessed throughout the year, both formally and informally.
All work is marked at the school and guidance is given to each student on strengths and areas for development. We refer to this feedback as "Stars and Wishes".
At the start of each learning unit, students are given an “Unit Outline”. This states the Learning Objectives for the unit, summarises the learning that will take place, specifies the “Learning Outcomes” and establishes “Success Criteria” for assessment. The students, parents and teachers are requested to assess the effectiveness of the work produced in each unit, using the Unit Outlines. Each unit in all subjects is assessed based on age-related expectations. This is done by gauging the child's success in the unit by analysis of the work produced throughout the unit and by an “End of Unit Assessment”. At the end of each term, students are awarded a National Curriculum Level in all subjects. This level is reported to parents at the end of each school year. At the end of the academic year, students sit for formal written tests in order to confirm the levels awarded. In English and Mathematics we use optional SATs from the UK, to standardise our assessments.
In order to ensure you are regularly informed of your child's progress and attainment, you will receive 6 school reports each year. These reports consist of:-
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A judgement for each curriculum area, which states whether your child is Meeting(M), Working Towards(W), or Exceeding(E) the set expectations;
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A judgement of your child's effort and progress;
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Judgements on your child's personal and social progress;
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In addition, the End of Term reports contain a written general comment;
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End of Year reports also contain a written comment for each subject as well as your child’s best fit National Curriculum level.
To support your child and ensure progress in the key cross-curricular areas of Literacy and Numeracy, your child is also set Learning Targets six times each year. These targets are central to our classroom practice and developed across all areas of the curriculum.
In addition to the six (6) sets of Reports and six (6) sets of Learning Targets, we hold three (3), parents meetings each year to discuss your child's attainment and progress. In these ways we hope to fully involve you in your child's education.