Assessment and Examinations
Assessment, through testing and ongoing monitoring of classwork and homework, is one of the ways in which the student can monitor his or her own progress and the school can gauge the success of the teaching programme.
It allows the school to communicate the progress of the students to parents, universities and the wider community. Assessment is not just simply an addition to the curriculum, but an integral part of the educational process, and is incorporated systematically into teaching strategies and practices at all levels. We believe in effective assessment for learning.
Subject teachers may use various assessment methods to determine the achievement of each student. These will consist of continuous assessment, including written or oral/aural work, as well as practical experiments/demonstrations and investigations. Such appraisal normally takes place during the class-teaching period but assessment may also be carried out through class and mid/end of year tests as well as homework, projects, fieldwork and coursework. The mid/end of year tests are standardised to facilitate comparisons within a class and between classes of the same year group. Parents receive two formal written progress reports each year, including public examination results. Additionally, there is at least one formal opportunity for parents to visit the school and talk to the various subject teachers and pastoral teachers about their child's progress.
The dates for the school's four assessment periods are set out in the school's calendar. The school has embraced the challenges of the NI Curriculum, infusing Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities into all areas of learning. At the end of Year 10, all pupils are assessed in the cross curricular skills of Using Mathematics, Using Communication and Using ICT. This assessment takes the form of continuous assessment through externally moderated portfolios. Public examinations are taken at the end of Year 11 and 12 by GCSE students while AS and A2 modular examinations are taken in Year 13 and 14.