Assessment
At South Harringay, we assess our pupils to keep track of what they have learnt and the progress they are making. In line with the new curriculum and raised expectations, which focusses very much upon ensuring that children acquire a deeper breadth and understanding of the skills and concepts they learn, assessment takes place in stages to allow teachers to plan for strengths and weaknesses.
Rather than ‘moving up’ through phases, the emphasis is on ‘mastering’ a phase, therefore enabling children to gain a better understanding. Children will be in one of the following bands: below expectations; working within expectations or exceeding expectations (mastery).
Early Years Foundation Stage
The Foundation Stage Profile is the nationally employed assessment tool that enables teachers to record their observations at the end of the Foundation Stage, and to summarise their pupils’ progress towards the early learning goals. The EYFS profile describes a child’s attainment against 17 early learning goals covering 7 areas of learning. It covers the three prime areas and four specific areas of learning contained in the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. The collection of assessment data in the Foundation Stage Profile remains a statutory requirement.
In Nursery and Reception, teachers make regular assessments of children’s learning. This information is used to ensure that future planning reflects identified needs and it is used to monitor the progress of individual and groups of pupils. Formative assessment is made using observations of children, implementing focussed activities and through daily interactions with children that build up the practitioner’s knowledge of the child.
In the first few weeks of Reception and Nursery, teachers make an informed judgment about children’s current attainment. This represents the baseline. These assessments allow teachers to identify patterns of attainment within the cohort, in order to adjust the teaching style and delivery for individual children and groups of children. These assessment judgements are made again in December, March and June. In Reception, the final assessment will be reported to parents – children are assessed as ‘emerging’, ‘expected’ or exceeding the Early Learning Goals for each area of learning. The judgment of a child is made as to whether the he or she has reached a Good Level of Development (GLD). A GLD means that the child has reached all the Early Learning Goals in Communication and language, Personal and social, Physical development and in Literacy and Maths.
Parents receive an annual report that shows their child’s attainment in each area of learning and some information about the characteristics of their learning. It highlights the child’s strengths and development needs, and gives details of the child’s general progress.
Key Stage 1/ Key Stage 2
On-going teacher assessment
Learning and progress is assessed through daily marking; observing approaches to set tasks and activities; questioning, conversations and discussions; monitoring the children’s self-assessment of their own learning and reflection upon responses to feedback.
Medium term assessment
An assessment of children’s progress in writing, reading, mathematics and science takes place each half term. This is in the form of teacher assessment and a test.
Long Term Assessment
Statutory Assessment: During May of each year, children in Year 2 and Year 6 take the Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs) in reading, writing and maths. During June, children in year 1 are tested on the application of their phonic skills.
Towards the end of the summer term an assessment of the progress made throughout the year, by children in years 1, 3, 4 and 5, is made using teacher assessment and a test.