Assessment Workshop for Parents

Wildmoor Heath School27th March 2014

To know about statutory end of phase assessments (and the coming changes)

To know about on going assessments in school

To look at test materials

Aims of the workshop

What skills / knowledge do they have now and what do they need to do next? (Target setting)

Have they reached their targets? (Tracking)

What do we need to do to get them there? (Interventions)

Why do we assess?

Summative ◦ Statutory assessments at end of EYFS, KS1 and KS2◦ Half termly ‘tracking’ - informs intervention planning (RAP

groups)◦ NC levels

Formative (Assessment for Learning - AfL)◦ During and between lessons – informing teaching and planning◦ AfL techniques include:

Talking (learning) partners Effective questioning Learning objectives and success criteria Self and collaborative marking and feedback

How do we assess ?

EYFS Profile

End of Year 1 Phonics test

End of Key Stage 1 SATs (end of Year 2)

End of Key Stage 2 SATs (end of Year 6)

Statutory assessments

Children are assessed against 17 Early Learning Goals 3 Prime areas of learning & 4 specific areas:

Children assessed through observation Learning journeys “Development Matters”

Foundation stage – no tests!

Prime Areas Specific AreasCommunication & Language

Literacy

Physical Development MathematicsPSED Understanding the world

Expressive arts and design

Photos Incidental and narrative observations of

children in their environment Samples of children's work Parent’s comments and observations Children’s comments

Learning journey

Completed in June Teacher assessment – ‘best fit’ Assesses against Early Learning Goals

(ELGs) Short narrative describing child’s three

learning characteristics Judged as emerging, expected or

exceeding Good level of development (GLD) defined as at least expected development in prime areas and mathematics and literacy.

EYFS Profile

Week beginning 16th June 2014 40 words 20 real words 20 pseudo words e.g. spron, jound Specifically tests decoding (AF1) NOT

reading as a whole Children that do not achieve required level

in Year 1, repeat the test in Year 2

Year 1 Phonics check (a test!)

Commonly known as ‘SATs’ Tasks and Tests that the Government sets

for children aged 7 & 11 Children's knowledge in English,

Mathematics and Science is assessed A mix of tests and teacher assessment

depending on the Keystage and subject

End of KS1 and KS2 Assessments

What is assessed?Key Stage 1(All teacher assessed)

Key Stage 2(Tests and teacher assessment)

LiteracySpeaking and listeningReading Writing (including spelling and handwriting)

MathsScience

EnglishReading (test)Writing (teacher)Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation (test)

Maths (test)Science (teacher)

National Curriculum Levels

End of Year 2 End of Year 4 End of Year 6WTL1Level 1 Below averageLevel 2c Low averageLevel 2b National standardLevel 2a High average Below averageLevel 3c Above average

(Not sub-levelled for SATs)

Below average(Not sub-levelled for SATs)

Level 3b National standardLevel 3aLevel 4c Above average Low averageLevel 4b National standardLevel 4a High averageLevel 5 Above averageLevel 6 Well above average

The tests help to inform teacher assessment

One overall level for each subject reported to parents

KS1 - It’s not all about the tests!

Carried out as part of normal teaching practice

Purpose is to identify next learning steps

Reported to parents at each stage of child’s education

Teacher Assessment

Normal day One to one, or in small groups Some whole class Children asked to do their best Teachers explain what the children have to

do Children must work without adult help

KS1 Test / task organisation

2a - Must be entirely accurate 2b - Can make a mistake on 1 word in 20

2c - Can make a mistake on 1 word in 10

KS 1 - Level 2 Reading Task

Comprehension booklet

2a in both task & test - children go on to take Level 3 test

KS1 - Level 2 Reading Test

Two writing tasks One longer - about 45 mins – eg a recount

or a story One shorter - about 30 mins, eg an

invitation or a postcard Done on different days Spelling test Marks for handwriting

KS1 – Writing

Teacher assessment Level 1 Teacher assessment Level 2 or above, then

take tests Level 2 or Level 3 test

KS1 - Maths

Teacher assessment (no test) 4 attainment targets

◦ Scientific Enquiry◦ Life Processes & Living Things◦ Materials & their Properties◦ Physical Processes

Overall Level given

KS1 – Science

Used as a progress measure from KS1–2◦ Children expected to make at least ‘2 Levels of

progress’ from Year 2 - 6 (e.g. from Level 2 to 4) Published (league tables)

◦ %-age making Level 4+ in each subject◦ %-age achieving Level 4+ in reading, writing and

mathematics combined Allows comparison against other schools Tests the knowledge, skills and

understanding that is taught in school daily – no tricks!

KS2 – it’s more about the tests!

National timetable spread over a week

Week beginning 12th May 2014

Children absent during this week will take the test later

Children with SEN – reader or scribe

KS2 test organisation

Date Level 3-5 Tests Level 6 TestsMonday 12th May English reading test English reading testTuesday 13th May English grammar,

punctuation and spelling test

English grammar, punctuation and spelling test

Wednesday 14th May Mental mathematics testMathematics – Test A

Thursday 15th May Mathematics – Test B Mathematics – Paper 1Mathematics – Paper 2

KS2 test organisation

English spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG) test

SPAG test informs writing assessment Writing –teacher assessment only (based on

work done in class over time) Moderated by local authority team

KS2 - Writing

Test Changes made for 2014 Three different text types, no connecting

theme (easiest first, hardest last) 60 minutes to read and answer questions Children can approach paper as they wish

(i.e. read one text and answer questions before moving on to next text)

Different sorts of comprehension questions Externally marked

KS2 - Reading

Two papers – calculators can’t be used in either

Mental mathematics test

KS2 – Maths

Practise questions (technique)

Mock week

Revision

Intervention (booster) groups in and after school

Preparing for KS2 tests

Attendance every day & on time Avoid taking holidays during term time Enough sleep ensures they are alert &

ready to learn Attend parents evenings Encourage positive attitudes to school &

learning Encourage them to have a go, not worry if

they make a mistake

How you can help your children

Ensures ‘no child left behind’ Summative assessment made each half

term for reading, writing and mathematics◦ Are they at, above or below age related

expectations (ARE)?◦ Are they making progress (from previous July

and entry to phase)?◦ Pupil progress meetings identify children

needing extra support or challenge◦ Interventions planned and evaluated (RAPs)

Tracking

Any practice which provides information to teachers (and pupils) about what the children need to do to improve

Allows teachers to adapt lessons ‘in action’ to better challenge and support children

Based on both academic (Black & Wiliam, 1998) & classroom based action research (Shirley Clarke, 2001-14)◦ Talk (learning) partners◦ Effective questions◦ Marking and feedback – highlighting and ‘closing the gap’

comments◦ Learning objectives and success criteria

Assessment for learning (AfL)

Participation from all children (not just those with their hands up)

Time to think, formulate ideas and responses Teachers ‘listen in’ and take feedback to collect

information Randomly chosen partners – mixed attainment

groupings Changed every 2 weeks Talking partner rules established

Talk (learning) Partners

Demands explanation Promotes discussion and explanation Reveals misconceptions and understanding Develops critical thinking, reasoning and

problem solving skills (NB. Bloom’s Taxonomy) Gives pupils confidence in expressing their

opinions Stimulates curiosity and interest Reinforces previous learning Develops respect for other points of view

Effective questioning

Close to when the work is done (often during or shortly after the lesson)

Includes ‘formal’ marking, self and collaborative marking and verbal feedback

Focussed on the learning objective and success criteria

Marking highlights success and what needs to be improved

Comments help to ‘close the gap’ Children have time to make improvements

immediately

Marking and feedback

Children know what they are learning each lesson

Children know what success ‘looks like’ and what to do / include to be successful:◦ Modelling & ‘excellent’ examples◦ Compulsory◦ Optional

Marking and feedback given using LO and SC

Learning Objectives & Success Criteria

New NC starts in September 2014 Current Year 5 and 6 tested on ‘old’

curriculum – SATs used as now Current Year 4 and below will be tested on

‘new’ curriculum when they reach Year 6 – govt. yet to announce how and which subjects

End of KS1 assessment will still be ‘teacher’ rather ‘test’

Changes for 2015-16

Existing assessment framework - NC Levels (Level 4, Level 2b etc) scrapped from September 2014 - up to schools what they do!

Children will be assessed as ‘Secondary ready’, ‘KS2 ready’, ‘KS1 ready’

Proposals that children are ranked by test score and parents told which percentile their child is in compared to school / national

Changes for 2015-16 cont.

What are your questions?

Chance to look at the materials

Over to you