Assessment

 Assessment and Reporting at Saint Ambrose Barlow

At Saint Ambrose we believe that Assessment is integral to high quality teaching and learning. It helps us to ensure that our teaching is appropriate and that learners are making expected progress

We assess pupils according to the following categories:

• Working below Age-related Expectations – Beginning to acquire the knowledge and skills related to the curriculum
• Working at Age-related Expectations – Secure in the end of year expectations
• Working Above Age-related Expectations  – Working beyond the expectation for their year group

Throughout the year, teachers will use their knowledge of assessment for learning and formatively assess children during lessons to ensure they are planning appropriately for all learners. It is important that all learning is accurately pitched at the appropriate level and sufficient support and challenge is given. At Saint Ambrose Barlow our chosen assessment system is ‘Balance’. This planning and feedback tool enables both teachers and children to assess learning and progress using a common framework.

 At the end of each term, children are assessed using summative assessment tests. These assessments help to further identify children’s strengths and areas that they must improve on. This is then used to support and inform the teacher assessments that are reported each term.

Phonics and Early Reading

Daily formative assessment opportunities are built into every phonics lesson. Choral response, group work, partner work and the small class sizes all allow teachers to evaluate pupils’ phonic knowledge and modify the pace of the lesson in response to the children’s needs.

All pupils are assessed every 6-8 weeks, using the Letters and Sounds assessment materials. The assessment is carried out by the Phonics Lead and trained staff, and the materials assess a pupils’ sound to grapheme correspondence, ability to apply phonic knowledge to decode regular words and to read common exception words. Pupils reading fluency is also evaluated. 

Pupils’ progress is tracked, to record their phonic knowledge and decoding skills, and this information is used to reorganise groups, Read Write Inc. Storybook level and the focus of the phonics input of the lesson. 

Key Stage 1

It is anticipated that a typical child will be Working At Age-related Expectation by the end of KS1, however, a smaller number of children may achieve beyond this or may be working below. Children in Year 2 are assessed against the KS1 Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs). These assessments are used to inform and support the teacher’s formative assessment.

Key Stage 2

At the end of Year 6 it is desirable that children are Working At Age-related Expectations, however, a smaller number of children may achieve beyond this or may be working below. This is assessed externally in Maths, Reading and SPAG using the KS2 Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs).