Assessment Principles

At St. Osmund’s we believe that assessment is an on-going process. Therefore, we continually evaluate children’s knowledge, as well as their understanding, establishing what they can do and what their next learning steps should be. Only by having a working understanding of this can we move a child’s learning forwards. We consider assessment and timely feedback to be fundamental to the learning. For teachers, it informs planning and tells them the most appropriate pace and pitch of a lesson. For children, it gives them an opportunity to demonstrate the depth of their learning and understanding as well as a chance to reach their personal best.

We are committed to three broad assessment routines:

1. Formative Assessment

This is day to day assessment and is an essential part of learning. It provides ongoing checks on learning and progress at the point of learning and takes place in all lessons through questioning, dialogue, discussion, observation and oral and written feedback and is underpinned by the confidence that every learner can improve. Formative assessment includes the following:

Sharing learning goals and objectives with the children (e.g. success criteria).
Children completing an ‘OP marking’ grid after each piece of work. (Next to ‘O’ they assess their work against the learning objective and next to ‘P’ they assess the presentation of their work.) The teacher completes their side of the grid when marking it.
Involving children in peer assessment and self-assessment within the lesson.
Providing feedback, either through developmental marking or verbally in a lesson, which helps the children recognise the next steps they need to take, and how to take them. Highlighting particularly good work in yellow (golden) highlighter and work that needs to be improved on (growth) in green highlighter gives the child a clear picture of what they have done well and next steps.

2. Summative Assessment

Summative assessment gives an overview of progress and provides diagnostic information about individual children. This takes place in the core subjects every term.

Teacher assessment and tests to make a periodic review of progress and attainment. At the end of each term all children in school complete a PIRA (Progress in Reading Assessment) and PUMA (Progress in Mathematics Assessment). The results of these are standardised, taking into account the child’s age. The results of these assessments can be used to identify gaps in experience and knowledge which informs individual, group and whole class planning.
Each term an end of unit R.E. assessment is carried out, which measures progress and

identifies any gaps in learning.

Progress throughout each year group is measured and captured at the end of each half

term using Stat Sheffield. This is an assessment tool which allows teachers to record

progress and identify areas of specific focus for individual children. Stat Sheffield data

is shared with parents as part of each child’s end of year report.

NFER spelling tests are undertaken throughout the school in the Autumn and Summer

term. These results are standardised and shared with parents at Parent Consultation

Evenings. In addition to this weekly spelling tests are carried out within the classroom.

3. Transitional assessment

Transitional assessment provides a summary of where learners are at a given point in time, in relation to national standards. It takes place at the end of Early Years Foundation Stage, using the Early Years Foundation Stage profile. Towards the end of Year 1, children take part in the Phonics Screening Check, a statutory assessment to ascertain children's understanding of the phonetic system. At the end of Key Stage 1 and at the end of Key Stage 2 National Standard Assessment Tests are used in conjunction with Teacher Assessment. Within this routine,

A range of evidence is brought together, including tests and independent work, to reach a view of attainment.
Evidence is externally validated and externally communicated as mentioned above.
Attainment levels are set within the framework of national standards.