Assessment

 

Assessment at The John Wesley CEM Primary School (JWS) is purposeful, rigorous, ongoing and is based around checking against sequenced and progressive knowledge and skills that prepare our children for future learning and employment. 

 

Life experience and emotional issues also play a big role in a child’s academic progress. It can sometimes be difficult for some children to develop the necessary resilience at points in their life to make good progress. We always re-iterate, if you have any concerns about your child and their progress, please discuss it with the class teacher.

 

How do we assess children's learning?

Assessment is knowing where children are at, where they need to go and how they will get there.

These are the underlying principles of our assessment approach to teaching and learning at JWS. They are important components within our assessment structure, which children are very much a part of.

Teachers assess children's learning and how they progress through a clearly planned sequence of learning to acquire skills and the knowledge needed to apply them in a variety of ways for all curriculum subjects. 

The principles that underpin our assessment system are:

• Every child can achieve: teachers at JWS have the mindset, ‘What do I need to do next to enable a child in my class to achieve?’
• Objectives from the  National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage Profile are used as the expectations for all children.
• Children will make age appropriate progress from their different starting points and more for those who need to 'close the gap' to reach age related expectations.
• Assessment is effectively used to ensure the correct scaffolding is built into lessons to ensure all children achieve.

Pupils are assessed against objective and agreed criteria on their own merit rather than ranked against each other. Pupil progress and achievement is communicated in terms of descriptive profiles and if the child is working at the expected level for their age and stage.

Our assessment and reporting system includes:

• Ongoing formative assessment by the class teacher throughout each lesson, through questioning, observation and dialogue to inform next steps in teaching. This is based on what children need to know at each end point of each learning journey and by the end of each year group and phase.
• Children knowing what they are being asked to learn and more importantly, why.
• Children are partners in the learning process, using pre/post assessment tasks to know where they are at in the learning journey, where they need to go next and what they need to do to get there.
• Success Criterias are discussed and agreed with or formulated by the children during each lesson, work is then assessed against the success criteria.
• Three way feedback, pupil, peer, teacher with clearly identified next steps – this can be written or verbal feedback.
• Regular pupils’ work scrutiny.

 

We also use summative assessment three times a year. This provides a summary of what has been learned at a specific point in time. Children are assessed as Working Towards, Expected or Exceeding for their year group expectations. These are followed by  Pupil Progress Reviews to look closely at individuals, groups and classes with the Senior Leadership Team. These meetings highlight children causing concern for attainment or progress and also those attaining higher than expected or making accelerated progress; support actions or intervention groups are then set up to either diminish the difference between certain groups or boost higher achievers. The SENCO attends these meetings and specifically supports children on the register at SEN School Support or Educational Healthcare Plans (EHCPs) as well as identifying children who may require further monitoring or support from our SEN team. 

 

For the summer summative assessments, we will use NFER tests for reading and mathematics for KS2 classes,  as these will provide us with a standardised score and detailed gap analysis to tell us how much progress your child is making and if they are on  track to meet National Curriculum expectations for their age range.  

 

Children's  reading ability 'STAR tested' termly to ensure a good match of reading book to ability. Termly STAR reading assessment track progress in vocabulary understanding and development using the Accelerated Reader Programme, adapting ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) range accordingly.

 

How we share assessment information with parents

• Books Looks - We host at least once each term a 'Pop-In Wednesday' for parents to come and look at the children's books. Parents and children can talk to together and staff are around to talk to the parents about children's learning too.
• Parent - Teacher Consultation meetings in the Autumn and Spring terms are opportunities for teachers to share children's assessments and achievements.
• Parents also receive an annual report and outcomes of statutory assessments at the end of the Summer Term. There is an opportunity to discuss this report and next steps at an Open Afternoon/ Parent- Teacher consultation meeting at the end of term. Annual reports report whether a child is working at the expected standards for their age.

  

 

Early Years 

Class teacher's will use a combination of the EYFS profile and the baseline assessment to measure children's  progress. 

Baseline:

• The baseline assessment will result in a score that forms part of each child’s baseline profile. By having a good understanding of the child’s abilities when they start school, class teacher's are able to measure each child's progress and plan for next steps in learning.
• The baseline assessment is face-to-face with a mixture of tasks and observational checklists.

EYFS Profile:

• The EYFS profile assessment is carried out in the final term of Reception
• The main purpose of the EYFS profile is to provide a reliable, valid and accurate assessment of individual children at the end of the EYFS.

EYFS profile data is used to:

• Inform parents about their child’s development against the early learning goals (ELGs) and the characteristics of their learning.
• Help Year 1 teachers plan an effective, responsive and appropriate curriculum that will meet the needs of each child.

Children in Reception are assessed against the Prime and Specific areas of Learning in the EYFS profile/  Assessments are  based on observation of daily activities and events. At the end of Reception for each Early Learning Goal, teachers will judge whether a child is meeting the level of development expected at the end of the Reception year:

• Emerging, not yet reached the expected level of development (Below)
• Expected (inline)

 

2024 DfE Reception Baseline Assessment Information for Parents 

 

Phonics Screening Check Year 1

• The Phonics Screening Check demonstrates how well pupils can use the phonics skills they have learned up to the end of Year 1, and to identify those who need extra phonics help.
• The checks consist of 40 words and non-words that your child will be asked to read one-on-one with a teacher. Non-words (or nonsense words, or pseudo words) are a collection of letters that will follow phonics rules your child has been taught, but don’t mean anything.
• The 40 words and non-words are divided into two sections – one with simple word structures of three or four letters, and one with more complex word structures of five or six letters.
• Children will be scored against a national standard, and the main result will be whether or not they fall below, within or above this standard
• Children who do not meet the required standard in Year 1 will be re-checked in Year 2

 

2025 DfE Phonics Screening Check Information for Parents

 

Multiplication Tables Check  (MTC)

The purpose of the check is to determine whether your child can fluently recall their times tables up to 12, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will also help your child’s school to identify if your child may need additional support. It is an on-screen check consisting of 25 times table questions. Your child will be able to answer 3 practice questions before taking the actual check. They will then have 6 seconds to answer each question.

 

2025 DfE Multiplication Tables Check Information for Parents

 

Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests 

 Children in year 6, at the end of key stage 2 (KS2), take national curriculum assessments in:

Some people refer to these tests as SATs.

These tests help measure the attainment of children in relation to the standards set out in the National Curriculum. The test results are also used to report publicly on schools’ performance via the Department for Education’s (DfE) Compare School and College Performance1 service and to produce national and regional performance statistics.

 

2025 DfE KS2 National Curriculum Tests Information for Parents