How does assessment work at our school?

1. What types of assessments are used?

We use two main types of assessment:

Formative assessments

• Happen every lesson
• Include quick quizzes, questioning, practice work and short tasks
• Help teachers check understanding and spot gaps in learning
• These are not graded and are used to support learning, not to judge progress

Summative assessments

• Take place twice a year (mid-year and end-of-year)
• Cover a wide range of what students have learned
• Completed in exam-style conditions
• Produce a score that helps track progress and attainment
• Only some year groups receive formal grades (such as Year 11 and 13)

2. How is feedback given to students?

Feedback is mainly given through whole-class feedback lessons, rather than lots of written comments.

This means teachers:

• Go over common strengths and mistakes
• Reteach topics students found difficult
• Clear up misunderstandings
• Celebrate strong examples of work
• Give students time to improve their work

Students also receive verbal feedback in lessons and extra support where needed.

3. How are summative scores used?

Summative scores are:

• Recorded on the school system
• Compared with a student’s earlier results (such as primary school data)
• Used to understand how well students are doing over time

Teachers use this information to:

• Check progress
• Identify where extra support is needed
• Improve teaching and the curriculum

4. How are progress categories decided?

• Each student is placed into a progress category based on their results and starting point:

• Below Expected
• On Track
• Above Expected

• This shows whether a student is making the progress we would expect for them, rather than just looking at a single score.

5. Will parents receive more information?

Yes. Parents will receive:

• Regular reports showing attainment and progress
• Assessment timetables and topic lists sent home before assessments
• Information on how to support revision at home
• Celebration messages for strong achievement where appropriate

Our aim is to keep parents informed and involved in their child’s learning.