Assessment, Recording & Reporting Policy The Governing Body of Blandford St Mary Primary School is committed to promoting equality and diversity. By recognising and appreciating individual needs and differences the school will be broadly representative of the communities it serves, and be a place where children and staff will thrive – physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. This will be achieved by implementing equal opportunities and diversity practice across the three dimensions of the School’s activity: as an employer; an educator; and a resource of the local community.
Blandford St Mary Primary school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. These posts will require a criminal record bureau check via the CRB.
Date Adopted: June 12 Review Date: June 13
In B o urne mo uth, D o rs e t a nd P o o le
BLANDFORD ST MARY FIRST SCHOOL: POLICY FOR ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING
POLICY FOR ASSESSMENT, ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING REPORTING
Our Philosophy At Blandford St Mary, the main purposes of planning, assessment, recording and reporting is to help children progress. Continued monitoring gives a clear picture of how each child is doing. It is important that the class teacher knows what the child remembers, what skills have been acquired and what concepts have been understood. Assessment enables teachers to consider their teaching strategies, and shapes their future planning. One of the outcomes of our assessments is that children raise their own expectations, celebrate their own achievements and increase their selfmotivation. Our assessments are also used for: ♦ discussing progress/concerns with parents, and involving them in the teaching process ♦ helping other teachers gain informed views and with planning ♦ providing outside agencies with hard evidence of attainment ♦ providing hard evidence of attainment to the Special Needs Co-ordinator.
Our over-arching Teaching and Learning Policy explains in details how the curriculum is delivered at Blandford St Mary. This policy focuses upon the specific ways this curriculum is planned, how assessment is built into this and the reporting arrangements in place for sharing pupils attainment. Planning at Blandford St Mary Long Term
Literacy & Numeracy
Medium Term [Appendix 1.]
Foundation subjects A yearly overview displayed on a curriculum web identifies coverage of and RE Foundation subjects, PHSE, Citizenship and RE. At the centre of this are the key skills that these subjects develop. Units Use of NNS & NLS of work identified on this web are based primarily on QCA schemes frameworks RE planning follows the Dorset agreed syllabus REVisions [see RE Policy] Termly overviews Activities are identified highlighting showing whole differentiation in Foundation subjects curriculum coverage. where appropriate. Cross-curricular links are shown and, where appropriate, a topic approach[when subjects may be grouped or combined thematically.] Foundation subjects are often blocked to create a focus upon which may mean that not all subjects are being taught every week e.g. History focus, then Geography. Planning in Foundation subjects is taken from QCA schemes plus other supporting schemes including Music Express, SMART learning [ICT]
BLANDFORD ST MARY FIRST SCHOOL: POLICY FOR ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING
Short term [Appendix 2]
Early Years Stage
Weekly/daily
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Foundation A yearly thematic overview underpins the curriculum for our youngest children.
Folens [Science] as well as teacher initiated activities and activities taken from suitable websites. The detailed information highlighted in medium term planning serves as short term planning for Foundation subjects. Planning for Literacy and Numeracy identifies specific learning objectives for our children, with high focus upon differentiation. Additional sheets for completion by Teaching Assistants [Appendix 3] highlight their key roles in the weeks planning. Children with SEN at School Action + may have individual programmes of work, but wherever possible this is linked to whole class themes. Children at School Action needs are primarily met through a differentiated curriculum[see SEN policy] Combining subjects where appropriate operates in Reception as the topic approach naturally lends itself to this. Planning is carefully linked to the Stepping Stones, with its progressive acquisition of key skills and concepts. The hands on, active approach to delivering this curriculum is highlighted in our teaching and learning policy. Half termly plans for each of the 6 areas work progressively through the Stepping Stones broadly focusing on:Autumn Term ~ Blue Spring Term ~ Green Summer Term ~ Silver ~ ELG (Early Learning Goal) However, this planning is guided by ongoing assessment and is adapted appropriately as and when necessary.
Curriculum letters are written for parents at the start of every term and posted on the school website ~ These highlight the key topics / foundation subject focus as well as ongoing Literacy and Numeracy to be covered in the forthcoming term. Suggestions for ways in which these activities can be supported at home, including key websites are identified. Central to the planning process is the schools commitment to creativity incorporating the key elements of 'excellence and enjoyment' [Primary Strategy recommendations 2003]
BLANDFORD ST MARY FIRST SCHOOL: POLICY FOR ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING
Ways of assessing Teachers at Blandford St Mary assess in diverse ways dependant upon:• the stage of learning • the subject are [core or Foundation subject] • if the assessment is formative ~ informing the next stage of a child's learning • if the assessment is summative ~ a formal task or test ……gathering information through:• Keen observation • Speaking & listening, focusing in particular on children's responses in plenary sessions. • Analysing children's work • Tests / focused assessment tasks Children are involved in assessments through:• Discussion including circle time • Verbal feedback • Written comments from their teachers Children evaluate their own work and achievements through:• Activities such as 'plan ,do, review' in Early Years [Reception & Year1] • Setting their own targets, currently specifically in writing • Productive talk • Mapping activities or "board blasting" to illustrate breadth of knowledge. • Drama activities such as "the mantle of the expert". Methods of assessment / pupil performance indicators. Early Years • Baseline[in Reception ] All children are assessed at point of entry in all six areas of the foundation stage curriculum. This is based o the Stepping Stones of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Childrens baseline is used to make first predictions of children's long -term progress [KS1 SATs]. Expected progress is for children to travel across two stepping stones in the Reception year e.g. blue - green (1), green - silver (2). Value added is calculated by identifying greater than predicted progress. • Foundation Stage Profile [Statutory]. Children are reassessed during the Spring and Summer terms when the profile is completed. Special books Children from Reception to Year 4 undertake a piece of unaided / independent writing each half term. This work is levelled at the end of each term with a 'best fit' taken from the two pieces of work. It is the writing in these books which provides the evidence for the schools tracking and forecasting system.
BLANDFORD ST MARY FIRST SCHOOL: POLICY FOR ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING
Key Stage 1/2 Tracking and forecasting in reading, writing and maths [Appendix 4], foundation subjects and RE special assessment sheets designed to link with QCA and other schemes [appendix 5] identifying children who have exceeded expectations and those who have made less progress. • Salford Reading tests • Spar spelling • Numeracy focus end of unit assessments • Folens science end of unit assessments [KS2] • KS1 SATs [statutory] • Optional Y3, Y4 SATs Special Educational Needs {see SEN policy} Children whose progress gives cause for concern, for whom School Action has not made significant improvement are referred to outside agencies such as SENSS, EP and SALT for in depth diagnostic assessments. Target Setting This is a key aspect of planning and assessment at Blandford St Mary for:• Raising standards of achievement • Identifying children who are underachieving • Setting goals for individuals, group or whole cohorts of children • To track progress School and National data is analysed by the Head, subject co-ordinators and shared with the Governing Body. The information gathered highlights strengths and areas for focus to feature on our School Improvement Plan. The school uses the 'critical pathways' system for setting targets for different ability groups within each class. This is helpful in gaining an overview of a whole class's expected attainment. Critical Pathways focuses upon Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Target setting is a key component of the school's Tracking and Forecasting systems in Literacy and Numeracy. Individual targets are set for each child in the Autumn Term, and are reviewed each term. Longer term [end of Key Stage] targets are also identified. Children have their own 'child speak' targets in their Writing books which they work on with their class teacher. Currently the school is working on developing child speak reading targets for further engaging children in their own learning.
Recording We believe recording needs to be continuous, manageable and useful. The purpose of recording is:• To monitor and document children's strengths and progress • To motivate children, recognising and celebrating achievement • To inform future planning
BLANDFORD ST MARY FIRST SCHOOL: POLICY FOR ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING
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To form a basis for reporting to:Children Parents Other schools LEA Government
Recording in children's books follows the guidelines set down in the schools Marking policy. Reporting Written reports At Blandford St Mary our reports are summative and informative.[Appendix 6] They:• Provide information on a child's progress and achievements throughout the school year. • Include key targets in the core subjects for the future • Feedback results of formal assessments and tests. Parents and children are invited to comment on the report. The reports are written towards the end of the Summer term, and follow the agreed procedures laid down by legislation. A child's attendance is recorded, as well as authorised and unauthorised absences. When children move from Blandford St Mary , copies of the report are sent to a receiving school, as are copies of the statutory transfer document. The school retains copies of children's reports. In the Foundation stage, the profile of children's attainment over the year is completed by the end of the Summer term. This profile is produced in addition to the Reception children's annual report. Home/School share cards provide a two-way communication about each child's standard of reading. Key Stage 2 teachers meet with Middle School staff, and complete a comprehensive pyramid transfer document. Oral Reporting In the Autumn term a 'Meet the teacher' evening is held to share with parents either how their child has settled into school and how s/he has settled into their new class. A curriculum workshop is usually held as part of this meeting. Formal consultations are held in the Spring and Summer terms. [A meeting is held in May for parents of Year 2 children to explain the SATs process.] During the Summer term meeting Reception parents are informed of their child's Foundation Stage Profile and Year 2 parents are informed of their child's SATs results. Parents with children on the Special Educational Needs register meet with their child's class teacher and /or the school SENCO to share IEPs and sign them. There is personal contact with parents on a regular basis before and after school. The teaching staff at Blandford St Mary see reporting to parents in formal and informal ways as crucial in developing a partnership with parents. It means we can present a comprehensive account of their child and the curriculum provision and learning opportunities provided by the school.