Broadoak Primary School

Assessment

 

At Broadoak Primary School, we believe that in order for all our children to be successful learners then assessment for learning must be at the heart of everything we do. The primary purpose of assessment is to inform the next steps in teaching and learning in order for us to ensure every individual fulfils their maximum potential. Assessment provides the basis of informed teaching, helping pupils to overcome difficulties and ensuring that teaching builds upon what has been learnt. It is also the means by which pupils understand what they have achieved and what they need to work on. At Broadoak, we have a robust assessment and tracking system, which reflects the National Curriculum 2014, and uses a carefully planned combination of formative and summative assessment.

Assessment in Key Stage One and Key Stage Two

At Broadoak Primary, we use the Broadoak Backpack statements to track children's progress in all areas of the curriculum from Year One to Year Six. These are available on each class page in the learning section of our website. For each year group, the Broadoak Backpacks outline the Age Related Expectations (ARE’s), a set of statements which clearly outline the skills and knowledge that a child should achieve by the end of a particular year. At the end of the academic year, the total number of age related expectations a child has met will then be converted into an end of year judgement. The end of year judgement will report as to whether a child is ‘Below‘, Secure' or 'Exceeding'  for their year group expectations. 

 

Alongside the Broadoak Backpacks and regular formative assessments, we also use NFER assessments to support teacher judgements on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Children also complete statutory assessments as follows:

Phonic Screening Check - Year One

Statutory Assessment Tests (SATS) - Year Two

Multiplication Tables Check - Year Four 

Statutory Assessment Tests (SATS) Tests - Year Six

 

Assessment in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Children in EYFS are assessed against the Foundation Stage Profile and the seventeen Early Learning Goals. During the Nursery and Reception years observational evidence in the form of written observation, photographs, annotated pieces of work and learning journeys will be used to capture children’s learning and inform staff planning developmentally appropriate next steps. At the end of the Reception year, children are reported as to whether they are ‘emerging’ or ‘expected’  for each ELG and whether they have achieved a good level of development. The profile is available by following the link below.

 

For more information about our assessment procedures and practice, please see the school's Assessment Policy. 

 

 

Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs)

Year Two
Your child’s teacher is responsible for judging the standards your child is working at in English, maths and science, by the end of key stage 1. To help inform those judgements, pupils sit national curriculum tests in English and maths, commonly called SATs.  The tests are a tool for teachers to help them measure your child’s performance and identify their needs as they move into key stage 2. They also allow teachers to see how your child is performing against national expected standards.The tests can be taken any time during May and they are not strictly timed. Pupils may not even know they are taking them as we will incorporate them into everyday classroom activities.
Teachers will use the results from these tests, along with the work your child has done throughout the year, to help them reach their own judgements about how your child is progressing at the end of key stage 1.
These teacher assessment judgements will be reported to you by the end of the summer term.
Year Six
If you have a child in year 6, at the end of key stage 2, they will take National Curriculum tests in English reading, English grammar, punctuation and spelling and mathematics.
The tests help measure the progress pupils have made and identify if they need additional support in a certain area. The tests are also used to assess schools’ performance and to produce national performance data. The key stage 2 tests will be taken on set dates and we encourage you to avoid taking your child out of school during this period. At the end of the summer term,  you will receive test results for:
  • English grammar, punctuation and spelling
  • English reading
  • Mathematics
As there is no test for English writing, this will be reported as a teacher assessment judgement. This is a judgement teachers will make, based on your child’s work at the end of key stage 2. You will also receive teacher assessment judgements for English reading, mathematics and science.

 

 Minister of State: The Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP said:

"The tests themselves vary but the principle remains constant. These tests do not exist to check up on our children. Our national curriculum tests (often called SATs) exist to check up on the system – and those who oversee it on your behalf. There are few duties on me that are more serious than ensuring that children are literate and numerate by the time they leave primary school. It is absolutely right that you should know whether we are succeeding in this duty or not."

Multiplication Tables Check 

Following the success of the Phonic Screening check in raising standards nationally, the same approach is to be used with multiplication tables. 

The multiplication tables check is designed to help ensure children in primary school know their times tables up to 12 off by heart. As well as being critical for everyday life, knowledge of multiplication tables helps children to solve problems quickly and flexibly, and allows them to tackle more complex mathematics later on in school.

The new on-screen check will last no longer than five minutes and is similar to the checks many schools use already. It will enable teachers to monitor a child’s progress in a consistent and reliable way but has been carefully designed to avoid causing additional stress for children and teachers.

Phonic Screening Check

The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is not a formal test, but a way for teachers to ensure that children are making sufficient progress with their phonics skills to read words and that they are on track to become fluent readers who can enjoy reading for pleasure and for learning.

The Phonics Screening Check is taken individually by all children in Year 1 in England. It is designed to give teachers and parents information about how children are progressing in phonics. It will help to identify whether your child needs additional support at this stage so that they do not fall behind in this vital early reading skill.

There are two sections in this 40-word check and it assesses phonics skills and knowledge learned through Reception and Year 1. Your child will read up to four words per page for their teacher and they will probably do the check in one sitting of about 5-10 minutes.

It is a school-based check to make sure that your child receives any additional support promptly, should they need it. It is not a stressful situation as the teacher will be well-equipped to listen and understand your child’s level of skills. There will be a few practice words first to make sure your child understands the activity.

It checks that your child can:

  • Sound out and blend graphemes in order to read simple words.
  • Read phonically decodable one-syllable and two-syllable words, e.g. cat, sand, windmill.
  • Read a selection of nonsense words which are referred to as pseudo words.

Pseudo words are included in the check specifically to assess whether your child can decode a word using phonics skills and not their memory.

The pseudo words will be shown to your child with a picture of a monster and they will be asked to tell their teacher what sort of monster it is by reading the word. This not only makes the check a bit more fun, but provides the children with a context for the nonsense word which is independent from any existing vocabulary they may have. Crucially, it does not provide any clues, so your child just has to be able to decode it. Children generally find nonsense amusing so they will probably enjoy reading these words.

The check is not about passing or failing but checking appropriate progress is being made. If children do not reach the required standard, then the teacher will be in touch to discuss plans and offer additional, tailored support to ensure that your child can catch up. Children progress at different speeds so not reaching the threshold score does not necessarily mean there is a  problem.