Mount Pleasant Primary School

Assessment

Assessment is a fundamental part of our day to day teaching cycle.  It is used to plan for future learning, identify gaps in understanding, and to ensure all children are challenged to achieve their best.

Key Principles

Our key principles for assessment are:

Assessment is at the heart of our teaching and learning:

  • 'Assessment for Learning' is used as our everyday practice.
  • It provides evidence to support further planning and identify pupils who require intervention.
  • It engages pupils to understand and review their own progress.

Assessment is used fairly:

  1. Assessment is inclusive of all abilities and ages.
  2. Arrangements are made so that children can access each assessment such as being helped with reading a maths test.
  • Assessment is robust:
    1. Assessment is moderated with others, including other schools, to ensure that it is accurate.
    2. Outcomes are reported as required by the school and in a transparent way so that pupils and parents can benefit from the process by understanding where the child is in their learning journey.

Assessment is ambitious:

  1. Assessments are placed in context against national criteria and expected standards.
  2. Assessment clearly sets a pathway of expected progress and development for every child.
  3. Assessment objectives set high expectations for learners.

Assessment is appropriate:

  1. The type of assessment used is appropriate to what needs to be assessed (age and ability of the pupil).
  2. Assessment draws on a wide range of evidence to provide a complete picture of pupil achievement and progress.
  3. Assessments should require no more procedures or records than are practically required to allow pupils, their parents and teachers, to plan future learning (including on transition).

Assessment is consistent:

  1. Judgements are formed using whole school common, agreed language.
  2. The outcomes of assessments are shared and clearly understood by all parties (incl pupils, governors, parents and staff).
  3. Our school's results are capable of comparison with other school locally and nationally.

Assessments provide meaningful and understandable information for:

  • Pupils in developing their learning.
  • Parents in supporting children with their learning (What do they need to do next?)
  • Teachers and Support Staff in planning teaching and learning next steps (maintaining ambitious outcomes expected for all pupils)
  • School leaders and governors in planning and allocating resources.
  • Government and agents of government.

Assessment that inspires greater effort and a belief that, through hard work and practice, more can be achieved;

  • Rewards and sanctions.