Assessment at Waverley Junior Academy lies at the heart of the process of promoting pupils’ learning.  All forms of assessment should be used to improve teaching and learning.  We believe that the best form of assessment results from ongoing dialogue and interactions with pupils. These daily interactions provide the soundest judgments of pupil progress and are used to inform planning and teaching.  Assessment is incorporated systematically into teaching strategies in order to tackle misconceptions and provide ongoing feedback to pupils.

Daily formative assessments are communicated with pupils via verbal feedback or marking.  Weekly test scores (times tables and spellings) are recorded in pupil planners.  Families are informed via parents’ evening, workshop events, communication in planners, or by setting and reviewing targets.

We recognise that progress in learning is not linear and therefore pupils should not be judged solely on the basis of a test. Where data is gathered, this is used as a further tool to inform teacher assessment.

Assessment provides a powerful impact on learning, when its core principles are at the heart of teachers’ practice.  Assessment will:

● be used to improve teaching and learning

● be rigorous and reliable

● be underpinned by knowledge of the curriculum

● inform future planning and delivery of the curriculum

● help pupils embed knowledge and use it fluently

● find out what a pupil already knows so that they can build on this

● unpick pupils’ misconceptions

● check learning within (as well as at the end of) lesson

● provide effective feedback to move learning forwards

● enable the monitoring of progress

● recognise achievements of pupils

● ensure there is no unnecessary paperwork that does not contribute to teaching and learning

● provide reliable information to parents about how their child is doing

● comply with statutory requirements

 

Assessment in Foundations@Waverley

Assessment is based primarily on practitioners’ knowledge of the children. This knowledge is gained predominantly from observation and interaction in a range of daily activities and events.  Embedded learning is identified by assessing what a child can do consistently and independently in a range of everyday situations We understand effective assessment presents a holistic view of a child’s learning and development and therefore staff take account of contributions from a range of perspectives including the child, their parents and other relevant adults when completing these.  

At the end of each term staff use their knowledge to judge if the children have achieved the curriculum goals for that term. Outcomes are analysed to ensure all groups of learners are making good or better progress. 

Any children who are not working at the expected level are supported through the use of ACET Early Intervention Plans.  

When a child is aged between 2 and 3, practitioners review their progress and provide parents and/or carers with a written summary of the child’s development. This ‘progress check’ highlights the areas in which a child is progressing well and the areas in which additional support is needed. 

At the end of the EYFS, staff complete the EYFS profile for each child. Pupils are assessed against the 17 Early Learning Goals, indicating whether they are: 

• Meeting expected levels of development, or 
• Not yet reaching expected levels (‘emerging’) 

Your child’s development will be shared during parents' evenings / key worker phone calls and within the end of year school reports (FS1 & FS2). During these reviews, please feel free to ask any questions or share any concerns.

 

Statutory National Tests

During pupils’ time in the academy, they will take part in these external national tests:

Foundation Stage 2 – EYFS baseline – within first 6 weeks

Year 1 – Phonics screening test – June – internally marked and score out of 40 provided

Year 2 - KS1 SATS in Reading, Writing, SPaG and Mathematics – May – internally marked and teacher assessment provided (2023, not statutory from academic year 2023/24)

Year 4 – MTC (Multiplication Table Check) – June -  marked externally and score out of 25 provided

Year 6 – KS2 SATS in Reading, SPaG and Mathematics – May – externally marked and teacher assessment provided

 

Pupils with SEND

For some pupils with SEND, assessment may take different forms and consideration is given to any reasonable adjustments or access arrangements required to inform judgements.   

Staff have high expectations to ensure all pupils make at least good progress.  It is acknowledged, for some pupils, aspects of assessment may need to be personalised.  As part of the Assess Plan Do Review cycle, targets will be set and reviewed with parents at least three times a year and may also include different forms, for example, Boxall and AET progression framework.  As part of this process, class teachers will review targets and, under the guidance of the SENDCO, discuss the progress of children with SEN.  The inclusion team support to identify further actions for individuals, for example, involvement of external agencies and classroom strategies. 

 

Reporting attainment and progress 

Parents/carers are encouraged to be active participants in their child’s learning. We provide an open door policy whereby parents can seek advice or support from any member of staff. We communicate through newsletters, curriculum overviews on the website, homework grids, planners (KS1+2), reports, showcase assemblies, parent workshops and the academy website. Parents have regular opportunities to discuss pupil progress and view their child’s learning journey.  Parents’ evening, where curriculum books are available to view, are held in the Autumn and Spring and Summer terms. 

A Record of Achievement, detailing all areas of the National Curriculum, is completed in July.   This report outlines the achievements of each pupil in terms of their personal development; how they uphold the academy values; progress in the core and foundation subjects of the National Curriculum; grades for attainment in Reading, Writing, Maths and Science (age related expectations); effort judgement; and targets for Reading, Writing and Maths.  In year groups where statutory testing has taken place, this report will communicate test/teacher assessment outcomes:

Y1 phonics score (out of 40)

Y2 teacher assessment in Reading, Writing, Maths and Science

Y4 MTC score (out of 25)

Y6 results of Statutory Assessment Tests

WJA's Assessment Policy