At Kingslea Primary School we endeavour to support all pupils in making better than expected progress, raising confidence, self-esteem and independence in our pupils. We see assessment as central to this.
 
To ensure a robust and rigorous approach to assessment, in September 2015 the school leadership team reviewed assessment practice and adopted a clear and consistent approach to monitoring and tracking in order to ensure best outcomes for pupils.

​At Kingslea, our assessment approach includes: formative ongoing teacher assessment through regular marking and feedback, observations of pupils, termly summative assessments in core subjects (and including KS1 and KS2 National Curriculum tests) and weekly tests (e.g. spellings, mental maths etc). This policy is written in line with all subject based policies, the Early Years Policy and the Marking and Feedback Policy. ​

Aims

•    To ensure children progress, knowing their achievements and what they need to do next. 
•    To internally track pupils for attainment and progress.
•    To ensure teacher planning is amended in order that the teaching and learning meet the needs of all children.
•    To have a consistent approach that measures school progress against national standards.

Principles

​At Kingslea, our approach to assessment is centred on our core principles. 

•    All assessment is robust, reliable and accurate in order to capture where pupils are in their learning and identify what specific steps are necessary to help pupils make progress and achieve their full potential. 
•    Assessment drives our school improvement, raising standards and the quality of teaching and learning.  
•    Assessment should be used to give valuable feedback to pupils so that they can acknowledge their strengths and understand what they need to do next. 
•    Assessment should be coherent across the school, using one clear system (with judgements validated by internal moderation), which can demonstrate comparison against expected standards and reflect progress over time.
•    Assessment is used to give reliable information to parents about how their child is performing and what they can do to help them achieve further.

Monitoring & Evaluation

Both teacher assessments and formal assessments (tests) are moderated by senior leaders to ensure parity every term. Assessment data informs performance management targets to ensure pupil progress is at the heart of whole school improvement. Following assessment, data is analysed in detail by the headteacher or deputy headteacher and Pupil Progress Meetings are held with all staff to identify pupils who may require further intervention and support, whilst raising expectations and standards of the quality first teaching that pupils should experience. Lesson observations use outcomes from Pupil Progress Meetings to focus on these pupils and ensure that accelerated progress is being addressed within teaching.

Assessment Systems

​To track and monitor progress across the school, a new assessment without levels system has been introduced using Aspire Pupil Tracking software. This system is the primary assessment tool used in the school, capturing teacher judgements and calculating a progress measure that can be used by all staff to monitor how well pupils are doing. A bespoke system for  capturing summative test results has been designed by the assessment leader to ensure that  both systems are viewed side by side when analysing and reviewing assessments ​

EYFS

Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage is collected through observation and discussion and these assessments are recorded on the online learning journey ‘Tapestry’. Photographic evidence is collected along with pupil quotations and a description of what the child is doing. Parents are also encouraged to upload their own observations to Tapestry in order to further support the assessment of pupils. Along with any independent work, which is kept in a file for each child, these form the basis of on-going teacher assessments in line with national expectations of the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage'. Staff monitor pupils using Development Matters guidance, and the stages of learning are recorded and development tracked at the end of every term.
 
In September, the EYFS team undertake on entry assessments for the Reception children. The outcomes of these assessments are used to inform target setting for the end of reception and to calculate the proportions of pupils on track to reach a good level of development. This drives EYFS action planning, enables planning to meet the needs of all pupils and ensures that ongoing assessment accurately identifies how well pupils are doing given their starting points and the aims for the end of the year.
 
The EYFS team analyse data termly and use their knowledge of pupils and target-setting to ensure children remain on track to reach their potential. Pupil Progress Meetings are used to identify children who may benefit from extra support. Information about pupil’s attainment and progress is provided to parents and carers at parents evenings throughout the year. ​

Click to view All Types of Assessment

Special Educational Needs

​Pupils identified on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register are assessed in line with other pupils using the Pre-Key Stage Standards, Early Learning Goals and/or the Engagement Model (for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum assessments and not engaged in subject-specific study). If appropriate, staff use 'Rising Stars' progress tests from other year groups to support the summative assessment of pupils.
For pupils who receive specific programmes of intervention, baseline and exit assessments are completed in order for the school to monitor progress and the impact of the intervention on improving outcomes. ​

Setting

​To meet the needs of learners, particularly in mathematics and phonics where prior understanding of concepts is essential in order to access the level of work being studied, pupils in Reception and KS1 are taught in flexible groups  in phonics. In upper KS2 pupils are streamed into three maths sets in order to receive a level of teaching that is appropriate to the group. For more able pupils, maths teaching is targeted at a higher level of content, enabling these pupils to make accelerated progress in lessons that challenge them from the start.