A guide to tracking and assessment
Tracking and assessment is essential to ensure that every child is making good progress and that teaching, classwork and homework are set at an appropriate level for your child.
How do you monitor and assess my child?
In Nursery and Reception assessment is based on the 7 key areas of learning and development laid out in the Early Years Foundation Stage. These guide the teacher's engagement with your child's play and activities, and assessment takes place through close observation as your child learns new skills and knowledge. Your observations of your child's learning and development at home are also an important part of this process and we welcome notes, pictures and photographs from parents and carers. The expected levels that your child should achieve at the end of Reception are called the Early Learning Goals. At the end of Reception your child's school report will detail their progress against these goals, ready for their transition onto the Key Stage 1 curriculum.
As they progress through school your child's teacher assesses progress and attainment in a variety of ways; through observation, through testing, and through monitoring independent written work. From Reception right through until Year 6 each child maintains an Independent writing book which provides a unique and invaluable record of their writing throughout their time at Newton Regis, as well as an important tool for assessment. In day to day lessons teachers are constantly monitoring whether children have understood a concept, and adjusting the planned work accordingly to re-teach, consolidate or extend. We use a number of learning schemes to motivate students, set targets and enable progress to be assessed. These include Maths passports and My writing goals. Over the course of the year children work through levels within the schemes as they gain new skills. From Year 1 weekly spelling tests help consolidate literacy skills.
Teaching staff are involved in regular pupil progress meetings where we ensure that each child is thriving and making appropriate progress. Each term teachers submit data based on the EYFS profile (Nursery and Reception), and age related expectations (Years 1-6). This benchmarking process typically takes place each term, in October, February, and June, and comparison with previous assessment data helps us to accurately chart progress.
What statutory assessments will my child take?
Children take external national assessments in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6.
In Year 1 children take one formal external assessment with their class teacher in June, called the Phonics Screening Check. The Phonics Screening Check is a short, simple assessment to make sure that all pupils have learned phonic decoding to an appropriate standard by the age of 6, and you will see the results of this check in their end of year school report in July.
In Year 2 children are assessed by their class teacher in May to provide outcomes for their end of Key stage school report. A range of methods such as observation, class work, independent writing and testing are taken into account in determining these levels, and you will see the results of this assessment in their end of year school report in July.
In Year 6 children sit statutory assessment tests or 'SATs' in May which assess reading, mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and spelling. Children are also assessed by their teacher for writing and science. You will receive a report on their results as part of the end of year school report.
All teacher assessments are moderated across our school, the academy and with schools in the local community. The local authority will moderate some of the teacher assessed work as well. This means that you can feel confident that teacher assessments are accurate and comparable to other children of the same age.
How often will I receive feedback on my child's progress?
Every term we will report back to you about how your child is progressing. We hold two annual Parent evenings, in the Autumn term and Spring term, when you will be able to meet with teachers, view your child's work and discuss any issues or concerns. In the Summer term we hold a Parent's afternoon when you are invited to visit us informally and spend time with your child sharing all the fantastic work they have produced over the course of the year. Teachers and Head teacher Mrs Dennis are available to meet with you to discuss your child.
At the end of the Summer term in July we prepare a detailed written School report, outlining your child's level of attainment in each key area and giving an overview of their progress over the course of the year. There are lots of other opportunities for you to discuss your child, including our open Stay and play sessions every Thursday morning, which enable you to spend time in the classroom with your child, playing games and getting a real insight into their school life.
What steps are taken if my child needs more help?
Maintaining progress may mean more help and support for some pupils, or more challenges for others. Extra time with the class teacher or a teaching assistant, or sometimes the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) can make all the difference. Intervention strategies also help to ensure that more able pupils who are already working above the age related expectation for their age are able to maintain and accelerate progress through more challenging work, and participation in extra workgroups, like the More Able Writers Group and More Able Maths Group.