Changes in Assessment in an Infant School

1. ASSESSMENT IN AN INFANT SCHOOL March 2016

2. Aim of this meeting Explain some of the changes in assessment nationally Respond to questionnaire

3. What is assessment? • Questioning • Marking • Observation • Dialogue • Testing Testing is just one element of assessment.

4. Our view… Assessment should support good teaching and learning. It should help teachers and students keep track of progress and drive improvement. Assessment is for learning!

5. Assessment Principles and Policy Assessment is at the heart of teaching and learning and is appropriate Assessment is fair Assessment is honest and consistent Assessment is ambitious Assessment is meaningful and understandable Assessment feedback should inspire greater effort and a belief that, through hard work and practice, more can be achieved.

6. Who wants to know what?

7. Changes • No more numbered levels at end of KS1 • Raised expectations • Changes to Year 2 testing arrangements • New Baseline for Reception

8. Assessment begins the moment your child starts at Coombe Hill Infants School. Through observations, your child is assessed using the early learning goals in the Early Years Framework. There are three Prime areas of learning ……..

9. Communication and language development Listening & attention Understanding Speaking

10. Physical development Moving & handling Health & Self-care

11. Personal, Social and Emotional Making Relationships Managing feelings & behaviour Self confidence & self-awareness

12. There are four specific areas of learning ……..

13. Literacy Reading Writing

14. Maths Numbers shape, space and measure

15. Understanding Of the World People and communities The world Technology

16. Expressive arts and design Exploring and using media and materials Being imaginative

18. Throughout the year ….. • Open door policy • Regular updates if your child needs extra input eg Speech Link, Nurture, Early Morning Reading • Parent chats Autumn & Spring • Summer term – in depth report of achievement and next steps

19. At the end of Reception…… • Above typical • Typical • Below typical

20. Changes to Key Stage 1Years 1 & 2 • No more numbered levels • Phonics testing in Year 1 • Raised expectations • Changes to Year 2 testing arrangements

21. “Following the introduction of the reformed national curriculum and the removal of national curriculum levels, new statutory assessment arrangements have been introduced for the 2015-16 academic year.”

22. These include …… New National Curriculum Tests • reading, • grammar, punctuation and spelling • mathematics ………at the end of Key Stage 1

23. Plus…… New Interim Frameworks to guide teacher assessment At the end of KS1, your child is given a descriptor, based on teacher assessment/ The test forms only part of the evidence. At the end of Year 1 and Year 2:- Working at greater depth at the expected standard Working at the expected standard Working towards the expected standard Foundations for the expected standard

27. How this compares with levels however the new KS1 curriculum is harder…

28. QUESTIONS I crammed, I passed, I forgot. or I learned, I remembered and I did something with it

29. FEEDBACK FROM MEETING • Has this presentation been useful in helping you understand the changes to assessment? • (100%) responded yes • “definitely, very helpful session to explain reports and methods” • “very clear”, “very much indeed”, “very useful”, “very insightful” • “I am happy with the school and support we are getting” • “a much clearer understanding of what my child needs to do to get to a “typical” level. I have every confidence that the school/teachers provide my child with the support she needs. Thank you.” • “yes, very useful for understanding the new assessment levels” • “yes, especially explaining the working at/working towards standards” • “This has been incredibly useful! I am so very impressed by the volume of data you hold across the year groups …… I was so very pleased with the parent chats …. targets ….. and the teachers know the children ….clearly care for them and teach to their needs”

30. Any other questions you would like us to address Q What is the mastery level – have heard the term bandied around? A Mastery is the equivalent of Working at a deeper level within the expected standard. Q Spellings and Maths Challenge are no longer being sent home. I feel there is now a gap in knowing how to support my child at home. A Maths Challenges are still being sent home so that you are aware of the maths covered that week. However, we are no longer asking you to return the Maths Challenge as the teacher has already assessed your child duringthe week. Spellings – to help the children use and apply their learned spellings in their writing, we have decided to move away from a weekly spelling test and replace it with daily spelling activities in the classroom, leading to a dictation task at the end of the week. As before, the children are learning the words in school. Year Group Plans and the KS1 word lists , including common exception words, can be found on our website under the Curriculum Acorn.

31. Q Is it possible to have access to Earwig so as parents we can access information about our child and their activities? A We have trialling Earwig this year in the Reception Classes. We were planning to have shared information with parents by now but there have been some technical hitches. We will update you as soon as we can. Q Is it possible to have more Nurture and ELSA groups? A We would love to have more groups. We are looking into funding and staffing for the next academic year. Q What types of criteria define emerging, developing, secure? A Corresponds to Foundations for the expected standard, Working towards the expected standard and Working at the expected standard. “I was not sure whether to attend or not, but am very pleased I came. Thank you!” “Thank you very much for organising this.” “Thank you for all your efforts.” “I am not sure whether the new objectives and assessments will necessarily help the children to learn and enjoy it.”

32. If you have any other questions, please contact us.