Assessment

It is important that the working assessment tool adopted by a school records attainment and clearly shows the progress children make from their individual starting points. At Pyrcroft Grange Primary School we have chosen to use the assessment tool Arbor.

Formative assessment is commonly referred to as assessment for learning, in which the focus is on monitoring pupil response to and progress with instruction. Formative assessment provides immediate feedback to both the teacher and pupil regarding the learning process. Assessment for learning guides planning and daily teaching.

Summative assessment is commonly referred to as assessment of learning, in which the focus is on determining what the pupil has learned at the end of a unit of instruction or at the end of a term and in maths and reading involves a standardised test. Summative assessment helps determine to what extent the instructional and learning goals have been met.

Formative and summative assessment contributes in different ways to the larger goals of the assessment process.

At Pyrcroft Grange Primary School we have divided the school academic year into 3 termly key assessment check points and each one is followed by a pupil progress discussion. These are led by subject leaders, who have analysed data and have selected children to observe in class, look at the pitch of lessons planned, monitor books, carry out pupil voice and have a professional discussion with class teachers. These are closely monitored by senior leaders.

At the end of each term the children sit a NFER standardised test in Reading SPAG and Mathematics and are given a scaled score that is recorded on Arbor. Writing is a teacher assessment judgement, using the assessment descriptors on I am a Clever Writer

NFER standardised scores

Early Years

At the end of EYFS, the expectation nationally is that children will achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD).   In order to achieve the GLD, children must reach the Early Learning Goals (ELG) in the Prime and Specific areas of learning.

Prime Areas:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Communication and Language Development

Specific Areas:

• Literacy Development
• Mathematics Development

The learning milestones of the various areas can be found in the Development Matters document.  Teacher and practitioners use this document to plan a child’s journey through learning and to guide their assessment of each child.  This document can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

Early Years Curriculum Development Matters

All children attending Pyrcroft Grange Primary School have a personal on-line Learning Journey called Tapestry which records photos, observations and comments, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage. Tapestry assists with evidencing practical learning and assessment.

Depending on whether or not they meet the ELGs in the various areas of learning, the following descriptors will be used to report outcomes for each child:

• Emerging (1) - yet to be secure in the end of year expectations.
• Expected (2) - solidly secure in the end of year expectations.

Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA)

The Reception Baseline Assessment is essential for building a fairer progress measure for primary schools. It is a new assessment that will be administered in all primary, infant and first schools in England to pupils attending Reception classes.

Your child will be participating in the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) within the first 6 weeks of starting Reception.

The purpose of the assessment is to provide the starting point for a new measure that will help Parents/ Carers to understand how well schools support their pupils to progress between Reception and Year 6 / the end of Key Stage 2.

What is the RBA?

The RBA is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, communication, language and mathematics skills when they begin school, using materials that most children of your child’s age will be familiar with. It is statutory for all schools from September 2021.

Information for parents (add document)

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

• Statutory end of Key Stage assessment in Years 2 and 6
• Statutory Year 1 phonics screening test
• Statutory Year 4 multiplication check
• NFER papers completed at the end of each term in reading, SPAG, and maths in year groups 1-6
• On-going assessment in core and foundation subjects

Moderation

Moderation can be described as a dialogue between two or more teachers, and between teachers and other professionals, to agree and make judgments about what pupils understand, know or can do, and the extent to which they are consistent in demonstrating their understanding, knowledge and skills. Pyrcroft Grange Primary School moderates writing using the moderation tool Pobble. Moderation within the school and across the Bourne Education Trust takes place on a regular basis.

Parents

Parents are regularly informed about their child’s progress through termly parent’s evenings and termly snapshot reports. The snapshot reports inform parents of their child’s attendance, their scaled score, teacher assessment, where they are at this point in time in relation to working towards, expected, greater depth, their next step and interventions that are taking place. Pyrcroft Grange Primary School operates an open-door policy and discusses a child’s progress with parents on a regular basis.