Assessment, Feedback and Reporting Policy

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St John’s Church of England Primary School
Assessment, Feedback and Reporting Policy

Date Approved: Autumn 18
Headteacher: Mrs Helen Langeveld
Chair of Governors: Mrs Julie Griffiths
Review Date: Autumn 21

Love, Respect, Value

 

Purpose:
It is the aim of St John’s, through quality assessment procedures, to enable every child to make good or better
progress and to experience success.
Good assessment is at the heart of good teaching and is a key part of the learning journey. It informs teachers’
planning, it informs pupils about their learning and it measures pupil performance against national standards. St
John’s recognises the importance of working in partnership therefore parents/carers will be fully informed about
progress and achievement and supported in how best to embrace their child’s learning journey.
Aims:
St John’s assessment procedures will:
● Enable every pupil to reach their full potential through learning experiences that are stimulating, challenging
and purposeful
● Ensure high quality teaching and learning through effective assessment
● Help our pupils understand what they need to do to improve their work
● Gather information about the performance of individual pupils, groups and cohorts of pupils so that it can be
used for teachers to plan work that accurately reflects the needs of each child
● Ensure the assessment and recording is an integral part of the school’s performance management system
● Ensure continuity within the school and with national requirements
● Provide the Headteacher and governors with information that allows them to make judgements about the
effectiveness of the school
● Provide equal access to the curriculum for all pupils, being sensitive to all issues of equal opportunities
relating to gender, ethnic minorities and children with special educational needs
● Provide regular information for parents to enable them to support their child’s learning

 

Effective Feedback
At St John’s C of E Primary School, we recognise that feedback has an important place in the teaching and learning
cycle and that it has meaningful impact on progress. However, we are mindful of the workload implications of
written marking so, using current research, we aim to to maximise the effectiveness of the feedback we provide.
Our policy is therefore underpinned by evidence of best practice from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
and other expert organisations.
The EEF research shows that effective feedback should:
● redirect or refocus either the teacher’s or the learner’s actions to achieve a goal
● be specific, accurate and clear
● encourage and support further effort
● be given sparingly so that it is meaningful
● provide specific guidance on how to improve and not just tell pupils when they are wrong
Notably, the Department for Education’s (DfE) research into teacher workload has highlighted written marking as a
key contributing factor to workload. Along with the EEF’s recommendations, staff at St John’s have discussed
alternatives to onerous written marking in line with the DfE’s expert group which outlines that marking should be:
meaningful, manageable and motivating.
We have also taken note of the advice provided by the NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in Teaching
Mathematics) that the most important activity for teachers is the teaching itself, supported by the design and
preparation of lessons.

 

Our policy on feedback has at its core a number of principles:
● The sole focus of feedback and marking should be to further children’s learning and enable good progress;
● Evidence of feedback and marking is incidental to the process;
● We do not provide additional evidence for external verification;
● Written comments should only be used where they are accessible to pupils according to age and ability;
● Feedback delivered closest to the point of action is most effective, and as such feedback delivered in lessons
is more effective than comments provided at a later date;
● Feedback is provided both to teachers and pupils as part of assessment processes in the classroom, and
takes many forms other than written comments;
● Feedback is a part of the school’s wider assessment processes which aim to provide an appropriate level of
challenge to pupils in lessons, allowing them to make good progress.
● All pupils’ work should be reviewed by teachers at the earliest appropriate opportunity so that it might
impact on future learning.
● As part of the whole school Growth Mindset ethos, teachers and pupils will establish a learning culture with
a high challenge, low threat approach where feedback will embrace mistakes and pupils will openly share
learning experiences.
● Steps to success, questioning, discussion, feedback and mini and end of lesson plenaries.
Our aim is to make use of the good practice approaches outlined by the EEF toolkit to ensure that children are
provided with timely and purposeful feedback that furthers their learning, and that teachers are able to gather
feedback and assessments that enable them to adjust their teaching both within and across a sequence of lessons.

 

Formative Assessment
The main purpose of teacher assessment is to support pupils’ learning. To support the learning process, assessment
for learning (AfL) will be embedded in the teaching and learning at St John’s. This ongoing assessment enables
children to know where they are going, and what steps need to be taken to get there. It enables them to participate
in their learning journey and know what they have to do to improve their work. Formative assessment will be
embedded in teaching and learning at St John’s as follows:
● Initial assessment is carried out to diagnose what is securely known already, and where there might be gaps
in knowledge.
● Teaching is planned to consolidate and take learning forward
● Learning intentions are made clear to the children, along with clear success criteria for learning, which
enables children to be aware of their own progress.
● Learning is checked throughout the lesson or learning process to address misconceptions, and reinforce
learning intentions.
● Children will be encouraged to assess their own work against the learning objectives and/or success criteria.
They will have opportunities to assess the work of their peers, offering positive suggestions for
improvements and enabling greater depth of learning.
● Constructive feedback will be given to children throughout the learning process, primarily verbally in lessons,
and through feedback marking. (see below)
● Marking will focus on the learning intentions. It will celebrate children’s success in meeting them, and
indicate what children need to do to improve their work.
● Time will be allocated in lessons for children to edit, improve and correct their work so that learning is
embedded and moved forwards. Planning may be annotated for next steps in next lesson.
● There will be a high focus on assessment for learning strategies through lesson observations and staff CPD
(appropriate learning intentions, use of steps to success).

 

Feedback and Marking in Practice
In achieving ‘educational excellence’ and ‘development of the whole child’, feedback and marking within school will
be part of the positive learning culture where all strive to improve, take on new challenges and extend learning. It is
vital that teachers evaluate the work that children undertake in lessons and use information obtained from this to
allow them to adjust their teaching. Feedback occurs at one of three common stages in the learning process:
Type What it looks like Evidence (for observers)
Immediate ● Includes teacher gathering feedback from teaching, including
mini-whiteboards, book work, etc.
● Takes place in lessons with individuals or small groups
● Often given verbally to pupils for immediate action
● May involve use of a teaching assistant to provide support or
further challenge
● May re-direct the focus of teaching or the task
● May include highlighting/annotations according to the marking
code.
● Lesson observations/learning
walks/drop ins/professional
dialogue
● Some evidence of annotations or use of marking code/highlighting
Summary ● Takes place at the end of a lesson or activity
● Often involves whole groups or classes
● Provides an opportunity for evaluation of learning in the lesson
● May take form of self- or peer- assessment against an agreed
set of criteria in some cases, may guide a teacher’s further use
of review feedback, focusing on areas of need
● Lesson observations/learning
walks/drop ins/professional dialogue
● Timetabled pre- and
post-teaching based on
assessment
● Some evidence of self- and peer
assessment
● May be reflected in selected
focus review feedback
(marking)
Review ● Takes place away from the point of teaching
● May involve written comments/annotations for pupils to read /
respond to
● Provides teachers with opportunities for assessment of
understanding
● Leads to adaptation of future lessons through planning,
grouping or adaptation of tasks
● May lead to targets being set for pupils’ future attention, or
immediate action
● Acknowledgement of work
completed
● Written comments and
appropriate responses/action
● Adaptations to teaching
sequences tasks when
compared to planning
● Use of annotations to indicate future groupings

The stages are deliberately ordered in priority, noting that feedback closest to the point of teaching and learning is
likely to be most effective in driving further improvement and learning, especially for younger pupils. As a school, we
place considerable emphasis on the provision of immediate feedback. Where feedback is based on review of work
completed, the focus will often be on providing feedback for the teacher to further adapt teaching.

 

Marking Approaches
All work will be acknowledged in some form by class teachers.
In Foundation Stage, feedback will be verbally given on an individual or group basis. Pupils’ outcomes are
summarised by a sticker that indicates the following:
AL CIL I WS VF Adult Led, Child Initiated Learning, Independent, With Support, Verbal Feedback
CL PD PSED Communication and Language Physical development Personal Social Emotional Development
L M EAD UW Literacy Mathematics Expressive Arts and Design Understanding of the World

 

In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2:
T : Teacher Led
TA: Teaching Asssistant
S : With Support
I : Independent
Sc: Self corrected
Squiggly line: spelling
//: New paragraph needed here
^ : Missing word

In Key Stage 2, written marking and comments should be used where meaningful guidance can be offered (when it
has not been possible to provide during the classroom session). In the case of groups of pupils having a common
need, it may be appropriate for teachers to adjust planning or grouping rather than providing a written comment.
Where a child has achieved the intended outcome and is well-prepared for the next stage in learning, this need not
be annotated.
A significant aim of feedback should be to ensure that children are able to identify how they can improve their work
or further their learning. Through a ‘Low Threshold High Ceiling’ approach to learning, all learners access a starting
point where learning outcomes are endless, enabling pupils to take on challenges and next steps through structured,
planned and open approaches. Our classrooms embrace learning for all.

 

Subject Specific Vocabulary
When marking work in a subject such as science, teachers may concentrate on correction of scientific vocabulary
specifically, instead of correcting more general spelling errors. Where children attempt to use new terminology this
should be noted and applauded. We seek to introduce technical and complex language from an early age to support
the development of a language for learning.

 

Summative Feedback
Comments should avoid feedback that implies innate ability e.g ‘You are really good at this!’
Feedback should offer comments on effort and engagement with the process e.g:
‘I can see that challenging yourself has really helped you to think today.’
‘You have applied the embedded clause skills to improve the detail in your writing.’
It is helpful to record if a child shows ‘secure’ understanding.

 

Summative assessment
Attainment and progress will be measured against planned learning outcomes and relevant national standards.
AfL will be an essential tool, used daily in every lesson, for ongoing teacher assessment that has direct impact on
next step learning.
Assessment in the Foundation Stage will be carried out in accordance with 2015 EYFS guidance. It is an ongoing
process, culminating in the completion of the EYFS Profile in the final term of the year in which the children turns five.
For Years 1-6 for Core and Foundation subjects the MIS system will be used to show summative achievement against
National Curriculum objectives. From this pupils will be tracked as working below/within/above Age Related
Expectations. Some children, for example SEN, may be tracked against their own Personal Curriculum.
RE will be assessed through the Herts and Understanding Christianity criteria.

The year 1 Phonics Screening check, Year 2 teacher assessment and the Year 6 SATS will be carried out to give an
indication of pupil performance against national standards, and will be measured against Age Related Expectations
(ARE).
Summative assessment will show what has been achieved by children. This may be in the form of outcomes at the
end of a unit and evidence in books, written test, a conversation, and observation of a task – appropriate to the
learning stage and needs of the children.

 

At St John’s the summative assessment process will be carried out as follows:

 

EYFS
● EYFS Baseline – Within the first 4 weeks of entry into EYFS pupils will be baselined. As part of their
everyday practice practitioners will build their knowledge of each child through their observations,
interactions and activities. They use this professional knowledge to make a series of judgements about each
child based on a clear set of assessment criteria. Practitioners will make an assessment of what matters most
using 47 assessment statements that cover the Characteristics of Effective Learning, all three Prime Areas
(PSED, C&L, PD) and the Specific Areas of Literacy and Maths. School profile of the pupil will start in the
summer term of transition when settings/and or home visits take place, information from parents/carers
collected and EYFS profile formats completed.
● The Early Years Outcomes will be referred to across the year and progress towards achieving The
Early Learning Goals will be formalised each term resulting from the daily observations. The EYFS profile will
be completed for June in the final term.

 

KS1 and KS2
● Teacher assessments in core subjects will be carried out regularly to monitor progress, and ensure
that pupils are on track to meet their targets against ARE. Pupil achievement in reading, writing and maths
will be assessed in December, March and June. Results of the assessments will be recorded in the MIS
system; data will be analysed termly in order to identify underachievement, and plan appropriate
interventions.
● Outcomes of assessments and tracking data will be scrutinized and discussed in Pupil Progress
meetings which take place at least once a term. The class teacher, SENCo and Headteacher will contribute to
the Pupil Progress meetings.
● Vulnerable pupils (for example Pupil Premium, SEN, EAL, FSM) who have been identified as being at
risk of underachieving will be assessed half-termly, in order that this can be addressed promptly.
● Accuracy of assessments is crucial to measuring progress. The school will organise moderating
sessions both internal and external. External will involve working alongside neighbouring schools and having
access to the LA moderation meetings. In the summer term the current class teacher will agree end of year
assessment judgements with the receiving teacher for September. These moderated and agreed
assessments will form the baseline for the next academic year.
● INSET for staff on assessing and agreeing judgements on children’s achievements will be built into
the CPD programme, and the school will build up a portfolio of exemplar work to provide benchmarks for
teacher assessment.
● National tests: Statutory tests will be administered at the end of Key Stage 2. Teacher assessments in
reading, writing and maths will be carried out at the end of KS1. The phonics screening check will be carried
out at the end of year 1. This will be carried out by the class teachers.
● At the end of a theme teachers will use the National Curriculum objectives to make assessments
against ARE.
● The assessment governor will hold a termly meeting with the Headteacher to be updated with
changes to assessment, targets, whole school, year group, class and vulnerable group data. The appropriate
governor committee will have access to termly and end of year depersonalised data to enable them to ask
challenging questions. The Headteacher report to Governors will have a data section at each FGB meeting.
It is recognised that summative assessment often provides a ‘snapshot’ view of a child’s performance, and should be
seen within the broader context of their achievements. It is crucial that the assessment test or task is designed to
give all children the opportunity to demonstrate their learning and that the curriculum is rich to provide children
with many opportunities to excel in all areas. Assessments will be adapted for pupils with special educational needs
or with English as an additional language. Similarly, pupils who find it difficult to record their learning and
understanding in writing will be assessed through other methods e.g. computer, audio, observation.
Assessment outcomes compared to ARE (not the specific numeric result) will be shared with parents through
consultations and reports. SEN outcomes will involve smaller steps of progress and the type of reporting will reflect
the individual.

 

Tracking Progress
The primary purpose of tracking is to support pupils’ learning and to serve as a tool for teaching. Pupil attainment is
tracked by an electronic target tracking program on the school’s MIS. Without the use of national levels, this
program reflects pupils’ progress and attainment at monitoring phases throughout the year. Pupils may be assessed
as ‘secure’ all year if they are keeping pace with the curriculum; this is seen as making good progress.
If required, a sophisticated filtering system enables different groups of children to be tracked, e.g. gender, date of
birth, FSM, EAL etc. If analysis shows that certain groups or individuals are underachieving, early interventions will be
put in place to meet the needs of the individual/group.
There will be an assessment file for each cohort which will be passed to the receiving class teacher at the end of the
year. June assessments will be moderated with the receiving class teacher to ensure that assessments are agreed to
be accurate, and they will then form a secure baseline for progress in the following year.
Gathering Prior Attainment from other schools:
● Records will be requested of tracking and any statutory results
● Moderation between different systems to attain interpretation of different levelling systems
● Evidence of school work in books
● Conversations with previous teacher
● SEN – all previous paperwork and liaise with involved agencies
Information the school will provide for other institutions when the pupil leaves the school:
● Records of tracking and any statutory results will be forwarded
● Evidence of school work in books will be forwarded
● Invitation for conversation with class teacher
● SEN – all previous paperwork and involvement with agencies
EYFS Profile and Year 1 phonics screening:
● EYFS Profile and the Year 1 phonics check will be analysed for cohort and individual achievements and
compared in a historic setting, compared to similar schools, Herts and National data.
● Areas for improvement/support will be identified and fed into the SDP

 

Termly Assessments
● Core Subjects: The MIS Assessment Tracking System will be used in EYFS and Years 1-6 to identify pupil
progress. At the end of each term judgements are made by class teachers about each pupil and if they are
below/on track or exceeding in standards against the National Curriculum expectations. These are tracked
and analysed on the MIS. This then informs teachers’ planning.
● Foundation Subjects: the NC objectives will be used for teachers to teach for and assess ARE. These
judgements will be made from teacher observations and evidence in books
● In KS1 and 2 exemplar SATS style questions will be used to support learning and for assessment
opportunities throughout the academic year
● Years 5 and 6 will experience test type situations to prepare them for end of key stage tests.
● These will be used as learning opportunities and to plan relevant next steps
● The cycle of planning, teaching and assessment from NC based frameworks will enable teachers to assess for
ARE on evidence from books and knowledge of the child
● Home Learning will be a tool for a balance of pre learning, over learning, open ended activities, individual
and collaborative learning. As appropriate, teachers will be able to use it as a tool for assessment for depth
of learning

 

Formal Assessment
● National Curriculum tests (SATs) are to be administered in accordance with statutory national policy for Year
2 and 6. The Year 1 phonic screening test will be administered in accordance with statutory national policy.

 

Responsibility
● The Headteacher has overall responsibility for ensuring effective assessment procedures are having impact
on improving teaching and learning
● Governors are responsible for challenging practices and ensuring accountability
● Class teachers will have responsibilities for ensuring their daily practice supports the school policies
● As the school grows an Assessment leader and/or Key Stage Leaders will work together to ensure procedures
throughout whole school are robust and evaluate for further improvements

 

Monitoring and evaluation
The Headteacher will currently be the Assessment lead and will take responsibility for all systems and procedures.
The Headteacher will report to Governors in her Headteacher reports and will liaise closely with the Assessment
Governor. Governors will have access to the Governor Dashboard and Raiseonline and there will be specific agenda
items for the Governors to challenge on target setting and school data.
Signed and date The policy document must be signed and dated by the head teacher
and chair of governing body. A review date should also be stated.

 

Legislation:
Academies Act 2010
Education Act (2005) Section 5
School Standards and Framework Act 1998
Education Act 1996
Learning and Skills Act 2002
Funding Agreement 2013

 

Websites
www.ofqual.gov.uk
www.ofsted.gov.uk
www.education.gov.uk

 

Statutory guidance
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2015
EYFS Profile 2016 Handbook
Ofsted School Inspections Handbook: Evaluation Schedule 2015
2016 Assessment and Reporting Arrangements (annually published) EYFS, KS1, KS2, (as appropriate to age of pupils
on roll)