Assessment

From September 2014, along with the introduction of the New Primary National Curriculum the government’s assessment reforms came into force; these included:

National Curriculum Levels were removed and not replaced

The new National Curriculum programmes of study set out what pupils should be taught by the end of each key stage and schools were required to design their own curriculum around this.

Schools needed to decide on a new method of assessing pupils and how they would track pupils’ progress using the performance descriptors linked to the new curriculum.

(Note: Statutory National Curriculum tests at key stages 1 and 2 continued. The first tests based on the new National Curriculum took place in summer 2016)

Why do we assess?

Our assessment provides valuable information to help children, teachers, parents and school leaders to acknowledge, analyse and review achievements and progress in learning against age related expected standards. Assessments are then used to inform planning to support our children to maximise their potential.

Market Drayton Junior’s Tracking System

At Market Drayton Junior School children will be assessed against governmentally determined age-related expectations, these will be translated into the following:

Below: Working below the year group expectations.

WTS: Working towards the year group expectations.

EXS: Working at the expected standard for the year group.

GDS: Working at a greater depth for the year group.

Under the old levels system children who were exceeding might have moved into the next level. In line with DfE guidance we now want children who are in the exceeding bracket to add more depth and breadth to their knowledge, and have more opportunities to develop their using and applying skills. Only in exceptional circumstances will children move into working towards the end of year expectations from the year above. Similarly, children who struggle to meet expectations may work towards the expectations from the year or two years below.