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Our Curriculum

Assessment

Our Assessment Policy

St James’ is committed to:

Giving reliable information to parents about how their child, and their child’s school, is performing;

We do this by:

  • Allowing meaningful tracking of pupils towards end of year and key stage expectations in the new curriculum, including regular feedback to parents,
  • Providing information which is transferable and easily understood and covers both qualitative and quantitative assessment,
  • Differentiating attainment measures between pupils of different abilities, giving early recognition of pupils who are falling behind and those who are excelling.

Driving improvement for pupils and teachers;

  • Assessment is closely linked to improving the quality of teaching,
  • Ensure feedback to pupils contributes to improved learning and is focused on specific and tangible objectives (see Marking and Feedback Policy),
  • Produce recordable measures, which can demonstrate comparison against expected standards and reflect progress over time.

Making sure the school is keeping up with external best practice and innovation;

  • We work with a cluster of schools locally in order to moderate, compare and contrast standards of work and to ensure that there is uniformity of expectations across schools,
  • Working in a cluster also allows us to share best practice.

Assessments:

Pupils will be assessed each half term (6 weekly cycle- 5 assessment periods per academic year).  NFER, White Rose Maths Hub and Rising Stars tests are utilised along-side a rigorous and continuous Teacher Assessment cycle (with objectives from Southwark STAR documents). Tests are used to complement Teacher Assessment judgments in Maths, Reading and GP&S. For Writing,  Writing is moderated weekly and aa level of attainment within year group expectations for is given (this is in the form of a ‘Big Write’ tick sheet,  which assesses on a weekly and half-termly cycle, and all judgments are informed by regular internal and external moderation). . Foundation subjects, as well as Religious Education, are assessed each half term and Foundation leaders check topic books as part of the book scrutiny cycle through work scrutiny cycles to ensure coverage. 

Children who are on the SEN Register and are either showing unmeasurable progress in the whole school system or are working significantly below, will be assessed using systems that show narrower margins of progress: PIVATs or MAPP. The students who are receiving SEN support or those with an EHCP will be assessed using MAPP according to the targets set out in their Individual Provision Plan. Students working significantly below age-related expectations will also be assessed using PIVATs. All assessment and target setting is shared with parents/carers to ensure that there is clarity.r…..

Recording:

Each half term teachers will upload results into the school data management system (Arbor). Through ongoing formative assessment, they will also have a ‘gaps analysis’ from their working Teacher Assessment documents according to the year group’s key objectives which will inform their planning. for the next half term. Big Write scores will be recorded weekly and then at the end of the half term the Teacher Assessment document will be used to remind of coverage and give an accurate picture of a child’s attainment.

Reporting:

At the end of each term parents/carers will be given a single page termly report. This will be given out at parents’ evenings. We have three parents evening per year (Christmas, Easter and Summer). All subjects are reported at the end of the year with a brief personal comment and level of attainment.

Please find further information about KS1 and KS2 SATs from the government here: 
www.gov.uk/national-curriculum-assessments-information-for-parents

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