Assessment for Learning
Purpose/Rationale
“When used effectively, assessment helps pupils to embed knowledge and use it fluently, and assists teachers in producing clear next steps for pupils.”
(School Inspection Handbook, paragraph 183)
Through our assessment procedures, teachers:
- Find out what learners already know so that they can build on this
- Unpick learner’s misconceptions
- Check learning within (as well as at the end of) lessons
- Provide effective feedback to move learning forwards
1. Odyssey Assessment System
All assessment data will be recorded onto Odyssey, our bespoke assessment system.
Assessment using Odyssey is ongoing and should be present in every lesson.
Termly Data Drops allow for in depth data analysis to support teachers to close gaps in learning.
Odyssey enables Quest to capture learner progress in all four areas of our holistic curriculum:
We use age related expected I can statements for all of these areas of learning.
On the system, there is the facility to upload photographic evidence and write a comment to support a judgement. We measure I can statements against our levels of mastery:
Levels of Mastery
Encountered- Introduction to a skill but needs a high level of support
Developing – Needs a high level of support to grasp concepts but understands some concepts independently
Securing- Needs less structure and support, understands the concept but cannot apply to another context
Mastered- Consolidated learning, requires no support, can apply in a range of contexts, can use learning to critically analyse
2. Data Analysis
Intent:
To ensure every learner at Quest Academy reaches their maximum potential, equipping them with employability skills and the ability to contribute to wider society, through adopting our core values and embracing our holistic curriculum by creating in depth assessment reports.
Implementation:
To ensure consistency throughout the school through the use of:
- Odyssey Assessment System- systematically present through planning, resources and daily classroom practice.
- Use of Standardised testing
- Termly Moderation Meetings- quality assuring judgements
- Termly Data Team Meetings- providing analysis of data and identifying interventions
Impact:
To ensure ambitious and realistic targets for progress:
Phase 1
- During the Transition process and upon arrival at Quest, learners will be assessed within a 12-week period against all areas of Curriculum to provide a Baseline Assessment. Many learners will be significantly behind the expected level for their age when a baseline is completed.
- Expected progress will be at least maintaining this level of progress for the start of their Quest journey.
Phase 2
- To ensure targets are ambitious, after two terms of attendance at Quest (e.g. Aut 18- Sum 19), learners will have their targets reviewed and a new Quest Challenge Rate measure will be set to enable the learners to work towards achieving age related expected norms.
- Learners will be given targets for attainment, and progress will be measured against these targets. Measures of ‘Working Towards’ progress or ‘Meeting Challenge Rate’ for each learner will be drawn from the progress learners make towards their age related expectation e.g. what is the average 11-year-old able to do and is the gap between the child or young person and the average closing?
- National measures of progress (end of Key Stage 2 testing and end of Key Stage 4 testing) will also continue to be reported. At Key Stage 2, due to national changes to assessment, this will be a numerical score (a score of 100 will represent the average at age 11). At Key Stage 4, this will be dependent on the qualification pupils are working towards.
3. GL Assessments
Standardised on 100,000 children, these easy-to-use assessments help to accurately measure how the school and learners are performing in English, maths and science against the national average – pupil by pupil, class by class and year by year.
The Progress Test Series (PT Series) assesses learners’ true comprehension of the core curriculum subjects, helping to identify which learners need extra support and which will rise to more challenging targets. Using the insights from PT Series reports, we can be confident that the targets and interventions set are matched to each child’s attainment, as well as making comparisons with national expectations.
Learners take GL assessments at the start and end of each school year and the results are used in Data Team meetings to set and monitor the impact of individual interventions.
4. Learner Progress Meetings (Data Teams)
Termly Data Team Meetings:
