Assessing Without Levels

Sharmans Cross Junior School

Assessing Without Levels

Objective 1: To inform parents about changes to the curriculum and assessment procedures

Objective 2: To inform parents about the tracking of assessment within each year group in order to understand if their child is on track / making progress

Updates:

New National Curriculum No more assessment levels Each school is responsible for publishing its

curriculum and assessment framework Schools will be held to account both on the

progress they make and on how well their pupils achieve

One attainment target:“By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study”

Why no Levels?

What about pupils’ progression in a world without levels?

The research for the review of the National Curriculum showed that it should focus on ‘fewer things in greater depth’, in secure learning which persists, rather than relentless, over-rapid progression. The new primary curriculum is stated in year-by-year blocks, which helps teachers trace lines of development through key areas of subjects, yet still focusing on the necessary detail of each subject.

Why no Levels?

Aren’t Levels a simple measure of attainment and progress?

They were. And that was one of the problems. They were too simple. A child could have serious gaps in their knowledge, understanding and skills and yet still be claimed to broadly fit a levels descriptor. This encouraged children to move on to new curriculum content without secure grasp of key areas of a subject. To ensure secure understanding of key ideas and essential knowledge, we need to engage with the detail of learning. To know that a child has understood what a metaphor is, or understands the equals sign is the real stuff of education, not whether a child is ‘Level 3a’.

Why no Levels?

How can a school report to parents without using levels?

Levels are highly general. Parents need more detail of the strengths and weaknesses of each child in order to better support the child at home.

Reporting

Emerging Year 3 This child is working in the year 3 curriculum, but not grasping all key objectives.

Expected Year 3 This child is working at the expected level within the year 3 curriculum and is on track to be ‘secondary ready’ by the end of Year 6.

Exceeding Year 3 This child is working above the expected level within the year 3 curriculum and is on track to be ‘secondary ready’ by the end of Year 6.

KS2 expectations:

Emerging Year 2 → Emerging Year 6

Expected Year 2 → Expected Year 6

Exceeding Year 2 → Exceeding Year 6

Child A

Expected Attainment- Expected Year 3

Autumn- Expected Year 3

Spring- Expected Year 3

Summer- Expected Year 3

Child B

Expected Attainment- Exceeding Year 3

Autumn- Expected Year 3

Spring- Expected Year 3

Summer- Exceeding Year 3

Child C

Expected Attainment- Emerging Year 3

Autumn- Expected Year 3

Spring- Expected Year 3

Summer- Expected Year 3

Children with SEN/ Gifted & Talented

End of KS2 Test The raw score on the test (the total achieved

marks out of the total available marks) will be converted into a scaled score. Translating raw scores into scaled scores ensures performance can be reported on a consistent scale for all children.

Additionally, each child will receive an overall result indicating whether or not he or she has achieved the required standard on the test.

A standard-setting exercise will be conducted on the first live test in 2016 in order to determine the scaled score needed for a child to be considered to have met the standard.

End of KS2 Test- Reading

End of KS2 Test- Reading

End of KS2 Test- EGPS (English, Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling)

End of KS2 Test- EGPS (English, Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling)

End of KS2 Test- Maths

End of KS2 Test- Maths

End of KS2 Test- Maths

Next Steps:

Parents Evening

Website

Spring Term Moderation

Testing: Y3-5