Assessment

At Albourne CE Primary School, we believe that assessment should place the child at the centre of their learning and that it should raise achievement for all.  We focus on the progress of each individual child.  Assessment is not a singular activity; it is both about the measurement of performance at a given point in time and an ongoing process of gaining information to promote future learning. We believe that this process should be thorough, manageable and relevant.

The purpose of assessment is:

  •      To enable children to progress
  •      To support children in recognising how to progress
  •      To inform future planning for individuals, groups and classes
  •      To summarise attainment

 In addition, assessment supports teachers and the SLT in monitoring the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

Our Key Principles for our assessment and moderation are briefly as follows:-

Feedback to pupils should:

  • Be as immediate as possible
  • Be easy for the pupil to understand
  • Enable the pupil to make progress and demonstrate this progress
  • Enable the teaching team and other adults to understand the context and level of support
  • Be simple and quick for the teacher/adult/pupil/peer to give or write on the work
  • Enable pupils’ self-assessment, peer assessment and independence to develop over time
  • Enable teachers to assess accurately against the National Curriculum

Two distinct types of assessment are identified and used in our school. These are:

 

1. Assessment for learning (AfL)

Assessment for learning helps to identify the next steps needed to make progress. It takes account of pupils’ strengths as well as weaknesses. Assessment for learning essentially promotes future learning, often expressed in ‘next steps’, targets and teacher’s planning.

 

2. Assessment of learning (AoL)

Assessment of learning is more associated with judgements based on scores or levels for statutory or summative purposes. Assessment of learning describes and labels past learning. At Albourne we use some tests and external assessments (for example SATs papers, Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, Phonics Screening and the Multiplication Check) as well as teacher assessment.  These assessments give a snapshot of a child’s attainment on a particular day, and are useful for benchmarking and comparative purposes.

 

Both AfL and AoL are essential in raising standards and should be used in all classes within our school therefore assessment for learning and assessment of learning are both embedded throughout the school. These 2 assessment types are complementary in many senses, and have an equally significant role to play when making teacher assessment judgements. 

 

Below are documents we use to make our judgements which schools are required to submit to the government.