Assessment and Reporting to Parents
Assessment at Key Stage 3
In Year 7, 8 and 9 our Knowledge and Skills descriptors are reported to parents/carers (acquiring, working towards, on track, advancing and extending) to communicate their daughter’s current attainment. They are also given a front sheet that explains these descriptors. These descriptors are also used in lesson time/ assessments so that they match up with the Skills and Knowledge Maps that have been produced for each subject.
We track the progress of all students throughout the year and use this information to target support for individual students and work with their parents/carers. In the final report to parents/carers, progress is measured from the baseline assessment in Year 7 to the final teacher judgement “End of Year Level”. This final level is decided by the class teacher taking into account assessments and classwork through the year and also the end of year exam where applicable. It is an overall level that the teacher judges to reflect the students’ attainment at their best (i.e. it is not an average mark of tests).
Assessment at Key Stage 4
In an ever-changing landscape of performance measures, GCSE grading systems and Key Stage 2 data, our target setting systems will be reviewed annually to ensure that they are supporting students in reaching their full potential and supporting continuous school improvement.
Students are set two targets each year, their Expected Progress Target and an Exceptional Progress Target. Both targets are shared with students and parents/ carers.
Expected Progress (EP). We have set the level of challenge for this target at high (in the top 20% of progress for students in each subject, measured against progress of students in each subject in schools nationally).
Exceptional Progress (XP). We have set the level of challenge for this target at very high (in the top 5% of progress for students in each subject, measured against progress of students in each subject in schools nationally). This target may be the same as the EP. Teachers are given the opportunity to raise this target at the beginning of Year 11, if they feel it is appropriate.
Current working grades are collected three times each academic year, and progress towards the student's target in each subject and overall is monitored. Interventions to support the student's progress are then put into place, tailored to her individual needs.