Assessment
There is no national system for tracking pupil progress against the National Curriculum. Schools are expected to demonstrate (with evidence) their assessment of pupils’ progress so that they can keep parents informed, enable governors to make judgements about the school’s effectiveness and also to inform inspections by Ofsted.
At Newlands, we have developed a system that builds on best practice nationally. Using a combination of exemplars, portfolios, pupil interviews and regular observations, our teachers carefully assess the needs of each child on a continuous basis.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage we use a system called Tapestry – an on-line tool that enables teachers and parents to work closely together at this key stage of development. At the end of each pupil’s Reception Year the team will provide judgements against the ‘Early Learning Goals’. Each pupil will be assessed against three judgements:
1 – Not yet reaching this level
2 – At the expected level
3 – Exceeding this level
This helps us to identify your child’s needs as they move into Key Stage 1.
In Key Stage 1 and 2 we use end of year expectations/key performance indicators (see link below) to support the process of gathering the information we need to ensure that every pupil is making the progress that they should – and if any pupils are underperforming we can make sure that they receive the help and support that they need to get back on track.
At the end of the academic year each pupil will again be assessed by using one of three key judgements:
WTS – Working towards age related expectations
ARE – Working at age related expectations
GD – Working at greater depth
The ‘expected level’ is carefully matched to portfolios of exemplar material, standardised summative tests and moderated records that are matched to other schools and sampled from local and national schools.