Assessment

Assessment is fundamental to the teaching and learning process.  The main purpose of assessment is to enable each teacher to find out what children know, understand and can do.  Assessment also gives the teacher the opportunity to better understand how an individual best learns – visually, practically, mentally or a combination of methods. This then allows all teachers to plan appropriate learning opportunities to ensure all children are enjoying their education and making adequate progress. 

 

Aims and objectives

  • To identify the individual needs of each child in order to raise their level of achievement.
  • To provide feedback to children and identify their next steps in learning.
  • To plan for future learning for each child through review and target setting.
  • To track individual children over time to raise their level of achievement.
  • To provide information for parents, Governors and outside bodies as well as evidence for moderation.
  • To comply with statutory requirements

 

Planning and Assessment

Weekly planning reflects the teacher’s assessment of each child’s progress in Maths and English.   This assessment is ongoing from the time a child starts at Elm Tree.  Children are identified on weekly planning to ensure all planned learning opportunities meet their individual needs.

As well as continually assessing children’s progress, we use an online assessment tool called B-Squared Connecting Steps to track progress over time to ensure individuals are make outstanding progress.  This is updated weekly by teachers based on an evaluation of learning during the previous week.

 

Target setting

All pupils have individual targets on their IEP’s for Maths, English and SEMH containing next steps in learning.  These are identified by the class staff working with the child and are updated termly in line with progress made.

Children with ASD and associated considerations need a more targeted approach specific to their needs and learning styles.  We therefore have begun to assess these individuals using an ASD package called Show Progress.  The AET Autism Progression Framework 2.0 powered by  Show Progress provides a convenient online alternative for progress tracking in all eight of the framework's areas of learning:

Communication and Interaction; Social Understanding and Relationships; Sensory Processing; Interests, Routines, and Processing; Emotional Understanding and Self-awareness; Learning and Engagement; Healthy Living; Independence and Community Participation.

Curricular development is not the only aim for these pupils, development in the triad of impairments and associated difficulties can be documented and tracked to show progression in areas other to curriculum and set to the pace of the invividual.

 

Reports

Reports are sent out termly at Christmas, Easter and at the end of the summer term.  Each report will provide parents with an update progress score from B-Squared, the targets for the coming term and a summary of progress made during that term.

 

Parents Evening

Parents will be provided with the opportunity to visit school in the summer term to meet with a child’s class staff, discuss progress, next steps and look at your child’s books.  If parents are unable to attend this evening, then an online appointment will be offered at a mutually convenient time.