Assessment Principles
Each subject has identified the key knowledge, understanding and skills that students will need to develop in order to be successful.
Students are assessed throughout their time at Verulam School to enable students, parents and teachers to understand what a student knows and to provide support for future learning in order to improve. These assessments take the form of:
- Formative assessment – this takes place in all lessons; students are continually assessed informally by teachers through observation and questioning for example.
- Summative assessment – this takes place at key points in the curriculum to assess the extent to which students have mastered the key knowledge, understanding and skills in each subject and to inform feedback for students to improve.
KS3 (Years 7-9) Assessment Procedure
Our summative assessment grading system has been developed to indicate how well a student has attained in assessments at key points in the curriculum when compared to assessment criteria. Students are measured by how well they have performed, regardless of their prior attainment. These performance indicators are:
- Mastery
- Greater Depth
- Secure
- Developing
- Emerging
- Working towards emerging
We will report students’ progress compared to their expected attainment pathway three times a year for each subject. The expected attainment pathway for each student for each subject is initially derived by the Fisher Family Trust (“FFT”) by comparing our students’ KS2 SATS/CATS test results to the top 5% of students nationally. We regularly review these pathways to ensure our students remain highly motivated to reach their potential. These pathways form the basis of our targets that we use for KS4 (Year 10 and Year 11).
The following details the progress categories that we will report in KS3:
- exceptional progress – two categories or more above a students’ expected attainment
- above expected progress – one category above a students’ expected attainment
- expected progress – expected attainment
- below expected progress – one category or more below a students’ expected attainment
A basic overview of assessment at Verulam School
Assessment at Verulam-1-2-1For example, if a student enters Verulam School as a Middle Prior Attainer in Mathematics, we expect them to be developing in their key knowledge, understanding and skills throughout KS3. However, if during assessments they display secure key knowledge, understanding and skills, we will report that they are making above expected progress. However, if the same student as a Middle Prior Attainer is only emerging in assessments, we will report that they are below expected progress.
At the end of each year in KS3 formal assessments will take place. Percentages achieved in each assessment will be reported alongside progress.
KS3 Assessment Structure and Reporting
Each subject will assess throughout the curriculum and school term. Student performance in assessments will be reported three times a year: Winter (December), Spring (March) and Summer (June/July). The Winter and Spring reports will report the progress made in assessments in each subject in the first two terms, alongside an ‘Attitude to Learning’ grade (in Year 7, the Winter report will contain Attitude to Learning only). The Summer final report will report the percentage result of each subject’s end of year examination, as well as the progress made in each subject against their expected attainment pathway.
Please refer to detailed curriculum plans on our website for further information as to the content of individual subject assessments.
KS4 and KS5 Assessment Procedure and Structure
As students enter KS4, they are provided with target grades that correspond to their KS3 expected attainment pathways. In Year 10 and Year 11, we continue to assess throughout the curriculum and will report using the GCSE/BTEC grading structure (GCSE Grades 9-1 and BTEC Fail, Pass, Merit, Distinction, Distinction*). Students will also sit trial examinations in the Spring term of Year 10 and the Winter term of Year 11 to prepare them for their external examinations.
KS5 students are provided with target grades corresponding to their GCSE/BTEC results in Year 11. In Year 12 and Year 13, we continue to assess throughout the curriculum and will report using the A-Level/BTEC grading structure (A-Level A*, B, C, D, E, U and BTEC Fail, Pass, Merit, Distinction, Distinction*). These assessments will be explicitly linked to the issuing of UCAS Predictions. Students will also sit trial examinations in the Summer term of Year 12 (called ‘Threshold examinations’) and the Winter and Spring terms of Year 13 to prepare them for their external examinations.
Attitude to Learning
In all three key stages we will report a students’ attitude to learning for each subject on each report. These are decided upon by teachers as follows:
Outstanding
An outstanding student demonstrates an outstanding work ethic and a passion to learn independently whilst being consistently well-organised and actively following instructions. Behaviour is exceptional and all homework and classwork are completed on time and to a high standard.
Good
A good student makes positive contributions and is determined to be successful. They are consistently ready to learn and follow instructions, including behaving consistently well. Homework is completed on time and to a reasonable standard.
Inconsistent
An inconsistent student needs to focus more in lessons and produces inconsistent work in terms of quality and quantity. They do not always follow instructions and/or can be easily distracted. Homework deadlines are inconsistently met and/or the quality is variable.
Unsatisfactory
An unsatisfactory student lacks focus and produces work that is of poor quality. Their homework is rarely completed and is often disruptive in lessons. They need frequent monitoring to focus and lack desire to improve.
