Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning and is a continuous process. It is central to helping children make progress as it allows teachers to identify pupils’ strengths and identify next steps for learning and plan how to meet their learning needs.

At St. Mary’s, we use formative assessment every day to identify what the children have learned. Formative assessment is carried out informally by teachers in the course of their daily teaching through live marking at the point of teaching, talking to pupils and on-going observations. Children also undertake many self-assessment activities and use peer assessment to provide feedback to one another.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment is an evaluation of students’ current understanding and achievement. It allows teachers to track learners’ progress over a period of time. It is done at the end of a teaching unit or several teaching units and can be benchmarked or standardised against other students’ work.

At St. Mary’s, children in Y1-6 are assessed in Reading, Writing and Maths at the following times:

  • Baseline – September
  • Midline – January
  • Endline – July

Children are given one of the following grades:

  • PKS: Pre-key stage children are not working at their chronological age, but are working on a curriculum that is below their Key Stage.
  • WB: Children are Working Below when they are not working at their chronological age, but are working on a curriculum that is within their key stage.
  • WTS: Children are Working Towards the standard when they are learning within their chronological age group on the curriculum for that year.
  • WTS +: Children may be described as Working Towards+ if in general they acquire new learning with only some support from additional adults.
  • EXS: Children may be described as working at Expected Standard if in general they acquire new learning rarely needing repetition of teaching and / or the need for additional adult support in day to day tasks.
  • GDS: Children may be described as Greater Depth Standard if progress significantly exceeds age related expectations.

In all other core and foundation subjects, children are assessed at the following times:

  • December
  • April
  • July

Children are given one of the following grades:

  • WB – Working Below
  • WTS – Working Towards the Standard
  • EXS – Expected Standard

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are assessed at the following times:

  • Baseline – September
  • Midline – January
  • Endline – July

Children will be given the grade ‘on-track’ for their year group’ or ‘not on-track’ for all of the above assessments except Reception Endline where they are given ‘Achieved Early Learning Goal’ or ‘Not Achieved Early Learning Goal’.

Progress is measured through teacher knowledge and assessment through observation and discussions with children. Class teachers use their knowledge of child development and carefully assess children against age-related expectations using exemplification materials and moderation meetings with a range of schools in our multi academy trust providing a holistic view of children considered to be ‘on-track’ for the time of year.

Statutory Assessment

EYFS: We baseline Reception children in the first few weeks as they start school and then assess them again at the end of their first year in the Early Years Foundation.

Year 1: Pupils undertake a national Phonics Screening check and in Year 2 there is an additional phonics screening test for pupils who did not successfully attain the required standard at the end of Year 1.

Year 2: Pupils undertake optional statutory assessments to inform teacher assessment.

Year 4: Pupils undertake a national Multiplication Tables Check to establish their understanding and knowledge of multiplication facts.

Year 6: Pupils sit Statutory Assessments (SATs) in Reading, Maths, Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation (GPS) in accordance with government guidelines. Teacher assessment is also made of pupils’ Writing and Science levels.

Reporting to Parents

  • Parents’ evenings/afternoons during the autumn and spring terms.
  • Mid-year progress reports in February.
  • End of year reports, which inform parents of statutory end of key stage assessment results and targets for the following year.

Please view our Assessment Policy on Our Policies page here.