Assessment is used to provide pupils, teachers and parents with information to target improvements and celebrate success. It is varied, allowing all pupils the opportunity to demonstrate their full capabilities.
Assessment is applied consistently throughout school using standardised grading systems, pupil feedback on progress and in reporting to parents.
The school is very keen that the formats used are fully understood by pupils and parents. The school’s agreed assessment procedures are monitored frequently, to ensure consistency across departments.
Staff give grades for Effort, to note whether students are on track to meet their target in Years 7, 8 and 9 with forecast grades at Key Stage 4.
Effort covers a wide range of criteria: e.g. responsiveness, co-operation, personal organisation, presentation of work and punctuality. It can be acknowledged by staff on a day-to-day basis through verbal and written comments.
A pupil’s level of effort will be formally recognised, within each curriculum area, in the form of a grade awarded and fed back to pupils at least once each half-term. The grades given for effort for all year groups are:
- “Excellent Effort”: Working at or close to your maximum.
- “Good Effort”: Working reasonably hard.
- “Minor Concerns”: Probelms with some aspect of your appoach to work.
- “Major Concerns”: Significant problems with your attitude and/or approach to work.
Effort grades will be clearly labelled “Effort” or “Eff” on pupils work.
A pupil’s level of attainment, within each curriculum area, will be formally fed back to pupils and recorded in the form of levels or grades at least once during each term.
An attainment level or grade, depending on the particular year group of a pupil, can be awarded for particular major pieces of work or for general attainment over a period of time.
The attainment classification for each year group are as follows:
Pupils will be given a banded GCSE target Launch (1 to 3), Developing (4 to 6), Mastery (7 to 9) and feedback against this.
Years 8 and 9
Pupils will be given a GCSE target and feedback against this.
Years 10 and 11
In GCSE subjects grades A*-G or 9-1 will be given according to how well they are doing compared to GCSE standards.