How are children in years 1- 6 assessed at Hillary Primary School?

The National curriculum is progressive so each year the curriculum becomes more challenging and builds on the skills the children have learned in the previous year. Your child has to secure all the skills in a year group before they can start to work on the next skills.

The National Curriculum provide statements on what your child, is expected to achieve by the end of the year group. The teachers use these statements to plan an exciting curriculum ensuring the key objectives are taught and your child can evidence that they have secured the skill in a variety of ways.

Whilst pupils are working, teachers are observing them closely, listening to what they are saying and watching what they do. They also provide feedback on the work the child produces. Through discussions with the child, the teacher can provide instant feedback on how well a child has achieved and what they can do next, to improve.

To support the Teacher’s judgments and to prepare your child for formal assessments at the end of Key Stages we also use a variety of standardised tests. NTS (Reading & Maths) and GAPS (Spelling, punctuation and grammar). These are completed over three assessment points across the year. The teachers use the information from these tests to plan the skills that need to be further taught.

Your child’s teacher will record termly how your child has performed using the following language;

• Below (Your child has not secured the skills from a previous year group so they are working in a year group below their current one.)
• Working towards (WTS) (Your child has some gaps in their skills from the year group directly below so they are working on these skills before they move on.)
• Expected (EXS) (Your child has secured the skills for their year group and are exactly where they are meant to be.)
• Exceeding (GDS) (Your child has secured the skills for their year group and are demonstrating a deep understanding of these skills in a variety of ways.)

As the National Curriculum is progressive in skills, it may appear that your child has not made progress because they are staying at the same standard. A child in Year 3 who completes the year group at the expected standard and the same again when they are in Year 4, the child has made progress because the Year 4 standards are more difficult.

When a child is exceeding, they are not working at a standard above their year group they are working at a greater depth within their year group. They have mastered their curriculum and now they are able to apply the skills in lots of different ways very independently.

Each term your child’s teacher will also take part in a meeting to discuss your child’s progress if your child is not meeting the expected standard then actions are put in to place to give your child the best opportunity to make the progress so that they can achieve the expected standard by the end of the academic year.