Assessment

 St. Patrick's Catholic Primary School Assessment 2020-2021

Pupil progress and attainment is now communicated in terms of descriptive profiles rather than numerical data. Assessment is at the heart of teaching and learning All staff understand that the new curriculum focuses primarily on assessment as a formative tool for improving teaching and learning, rather than a means for gathering data. Assessment is first and foremost a diagnostic tool to highlight knowledge gaps in pupils’ learning and to identify the appropriate strategies to tackle them. Our assessment encompasses:

• what a child knows now
• how well they know it
• what they need to know next
• whether they are on track to reach these targets by the end of the year

Assessment enables staff to measure whether pupils are on track to meet end of key stage expectations. It enables staff to pinpoint the aspects of the curriculum in which pupils are falling behind, and recognise exceptional performance. It supports teaching & planning for all pupils It enables staff to report regularly to parents and, where pupils move to other schools, providing clear information about each pupil’s strengths, weaknesses and progress towards the end of key stage expectations.

Outcomes dictate teacher’s planning and teaching, this means assessment should be viewed as a vital aid to teaching and learning. Staff will integrate their assessment approaches to build a picture of a child’s learning that can be used to identify strengths, weaknesses, areas for support, progress and attainment grades for each pupil.

Teacher judgement, pupil progress meetings and moderation is used in the interim to identify, what is expected progress, and whether a child was on track term by term. This means assessment is still tracked however this is to inform whole school picture and to make comparisons of groups such as pupil premium children, gender, SEND/vulnerable groups

Assessment sheets and records are kept by all class teachers which demonstrate every child’s learning journey in literacy and maths. This is shared with all senior leaders. New assessment sheets in line with the new curriculum have been prepared by the English and maths leader and all staff now record on the new format. The English and maths leader will monitor and evaluate these assessments every term, more regularly in years 2 and 6, this will help plan any interventions necessary to ensure gaps in learning are addressed.

• Assessments will be shared with pupils and parents so as to give next steps and achievements
• The assessments will help inform moderation and pupil progress
• Assessments will help provide clear targets

Summative tests: Statutory tests will take place in Year 1 phonics, year 2 phonics if pupil not successful in year 1, tests end of KS1, tests end of KS2. Summative English tests (Puma) will take place in all year groups in KS2. Summative Maths (Pira) progress tests will take place throughout the school to help inform attainment and progress. This will help analyse whole school performance and certain groups.

The new curriculum focuses on depth and breadth and therefore it may be not always be possible to show progress in this way. The expectation now is that all learners fully understand the key facts and concepts before moving on to new material. Progress will now involve developing deeper, wider understanding, and consolidation not moving on to work of greater difficulty. Formative assessment strategies will now distinguish those learners who had successfully mastered the new learning, and could clearly demonstrate it, from those who needed more time thereafter, the former would be provided with opportunities to deepen and enrich their understanding, whilst the latter would receive further support and feedback personalised to their needs, so that they too achieved the intended learning.