Assessment at Goat Lees Primary School

How do we assess pupils' learning?

Knowing where children are at, where they need to go and how they will get there.

We assess children's learning and how they progress through a clearly planned sequence of learning to acquire skills and the knowledge needed to apply them in a variety of ways.

Our assessment and reporting system includes:

• Ongoing assessment as by the class teacher throughout each lesson, through questioning, observation and dialogue to inform next steps in teaching
• Children knowing what they are being asked to learn and why.
• Success Criteria are discussed and agreed with or formulated by the children during each lesson, work is then assessed against the success criteria.
• Written or verbal feedback including pupil conferencing.
• Regular pupils’ work scrutiny.

In addition to the above will have three 'formal' assessment points or 'data checkpoints' in the year. These will take place in December, towards the end of the spring term and at the end of the summer term. We use NFER tests for reading and mathematics, as these provide us with a standardised score and detailed gap analysis to tell us how much progress your child is making and if they are on  track to meet National Curriculum expectations for their age.  The tests will also to inform our next steps in teaching. We use teacher assessment for writing. 

Statutory Assessments (End of Key Stage)

In addition to the above assessments, pupils also complete the following statutory assessments: 

• Reception – Baseline, EYFS profile
• Year 1 (and 2) - Phonics Check
• Year 4 - Multiplication tables check
• Years 2 and 6 - end of key stage assessments

Early Years – Billy Class

Class teachers will use a combination of the EYFS profile and the baseline assessment to measure children's progress. 

Baseline:

• The baseline assessment will result in a score that forms part of each child’s baseline profile. By having a good understanding of the child’s abilities when they start school, class teachers are able to measure each child's progress and plan for next steps in learning.
• The baseline assessment is face-to-face with a mixture of tasks and observational checklists.

EYFS Profile:

• The EYFS profile assessment is carried out in the final term of Reception
• The main purpose of the EYFS profile is to provide a reliable, valid and accurate assessment of individual children at the end of the EYFS.

EYFS profile data is used to:

• Inform parents about their child’s development against the early learning goals (ELGs) and the characteristics of their learning.
• Help year 1 teachers plan an effective, responsive and appropriate curriculum that will meet the needs of each child.

Children in Reception are assessed against the Prime and Specific areas of Learning in the EYFS profile. Assessments are based on observation of daily activities and events. At the end of Reception for each Early Learning Goal, teachers will judge whether a child is meeting the level of development expected at the end of the Reception year:

• Emerging, not yet reached the expected level of development (Below)
• Expected (inline)

Phonics Screening Check Year 1

• The Phonics Screening Check demonstrates how well pupils can use the phonics skills they have learned up to the end of Year 1, and to identify those who need extra phonics help.
• The checks consist of 40 words and non-words that your child will be asked to read one-on-one with a teacher. Non-words (or nonsense words, or pseudo words) are a collection of letters that will follow phonics rules your child has been taught, but don’t mean anything.
• The 40 words and non-words are divided into two sections – one with simple word structures of three or four letters, and one with more complex word structures of five or six letters.
• Pupils will be scored against a national standard, and the main result will be whether or not they fall below, within or above this standard
• Pupils who do not meet the required standard in Year 1 will be re-checked in Year 2