Assessment

At Three Ways School, effective assessment provides information to improve teaching and learning. It is key in a generic special school that all practitioners know how pupils with Profound and Multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), Severe learning difficulties (SLD), Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Moderate Learning difficulties (MLD) learn best and can provide accurate assessment to ensure next steps maximise progress. The key questions that our team ask are - What can the pupil do now? What does the pupil need to learn next?

All pupils at Three Ways School have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Annual outcomes are set for all pupils and are broken down into Cognition, Communication, Social Mental and Emotional Health and Physical targets. The targets are reviewed by Teaching Teams for Terms 6/1, 2/3, 4/5 to ensure progress throughout the year and also to provide continuity during transition periods.

Pupils are given regular feedback on their learning, through marking, verbal feedback and praise so that they understand what to do in order to improve. This allows us to personalise our lesson plans using a detailed knowledge of each pupil. Parents and Carers attend two parent’s evenings a year, alongside an Annual Review of the pupils Education Health and Care Plan outcomes. We work closely with parents and carers to ensure the highest possible standards of achievement for all.

There are different types of assessment:

Formative assessment is the

ongoing assessment carried out by teachers both formally and informally during
lessons and units of lessons. The results of formative assessments have a
direct impact on the teaching materials and strategies employed immediately
following the assessment.

Summative assessment occurs at
pre-defined periods of the academic year such as SATs tests, progress tests or
end of unit tests. Summative tests help teachers to benchmark pupils and also
to make mid-year and end of year assessments. They are also of use in
determining a pupil’s attainment against a year group’s programme of study
objectives.

We use the pupil’s EHCP Outcomes to
develop individual Plans for Learning, which pupil’s progress towards
achieving, is assessed three times a year.

We also use the B Squared Package
of Engagement Steps, Progression Steps and Steps for Life to track progress.
This assessment package replaces what was formerly, nationally known as
P-Scales. We recognise that we need to make this information accessible to
parents/carers in order for the information to be useful and meaningful.

The aims and objectives of assessment at Three Ways School are:

• to enable our pupils to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do in their work;

• to help our pupils understand what they need to do next to improve their work;

• to allow teachers to plan work that accurately reflects the needs of each child

• to provide regular information for parents/carers that enables them to support their child’s learning;

• to provide the Headteacher, Senior and Middle leaders, Subject Leaders, Class teachers, Multi-Agency Teams and governors with information that allows them to make judgements about the effectiveness of the school and to bring about improvement.

Statutory Assessments

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

The Early Years teaching staff record their initial assessments of the pupils using the national Reception Baseline Data Assessment, alongside updating the B Squared EYFS Package. This assessment acts as a baseline for a pupil who starts their school journey with us.

These take into account all available information from parents/carers and previous settings which is collected during transition meetings and home visits/current setting visits. We continue to observe children and will record our observations, particularly when we see ‘wow’ moments, which are often recorded on stickers or post-it notes. We analyse and review what we see or know about each pupils’ development and learning, and then we will make informed decisions about the pupils’ progress. This enables us to plan appropriate next steps.

Each child has their own Learning Journey, which documents their learning. This includes: observations which may be photos and examples of their work in school. We assess each child in each area against the Early Years Framework. As well as the baseline data, we also gather data at two other points in the academic year. Profiles are moderated within school with colleagues from other year
groups and with other schools within our collaboration (BANES and Bristol Moderation and Cluster Events). We also take part in BANES External moderation to ensure best practice.

Phonics Screening

The phonics screening check is a short, simple assessment to ensure that all pupils have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard by the age of 6 years old. All Year 1 pupils in maintained schools, academies and free schools must complete the check. This is undertaken during the summer term. Pupils at Three Ways will be entered for this screening if appropriate to their level.

The phonics check is to support teachers in identifying the children who need extra help so they can receive the support they need to improve their reading skills. These pupils will then be able to retake the check in Year 2. If the pupil does not pass the phonics screening test for a second year they will not undertake the check in Year 3. The Year 3 class teachers however will be made aware of these children to provide additional phonics support.

The phonics screening check comprises a list of 40 words and non-words which the child will read in a one-to-one situation with a teacher/ta.

Standard Assessment Tests (SATs)

SATS tests are given at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. They are used to track progress and attainment of children in schools from Early Years to Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2. They comprise a mixture of teacher-led and test-based assessments.

Key Stage 1

In mainstream settings, children in Year 2 can undertake the end of Key Stage 1 SAT (although these are now delivered at the choice of the school). Children will be assessed in reading, writing, grammar, maths and science. At Three Ways we will assess pupils using our B-Squared frameworks in KS1.

Key Stage 2

In Key Stage 2 SATs are undertaken in Year 6 and are more formal. They take place in May in a dedicated week and all tests must be administered on days specified in the statutory test timetable set by the Department for Education and Standards and Testing Agency. Therefore, it is essential that your child is in school during this week to undertake their SATs. Not all pupils will be entered for KS2 SAT’s, given their cognitive support needs. However, where appropriate and meaningful, pupils will be entered as required. Below
is the timetable for May 2024:

Monday 13th May 2023

Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 1
Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 2

Tuesday 14th May 2024

English Reading

Wednesday 15th May 2024

Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)
Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)

Thursday 16th May 2024

Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)

Reading

This test consists of a reading booklet and a separate answer booklet. Pupils
will have a total of one hour to read the three texts in the reading booklet
and complete the questions.

English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling

The grammar and punctuation paper component consists of a single test
paper. Children will have 45 minutes to complete the test, answering the
questions in the test paper. The spelling test consists of an answer booklet
for children to complete and a test transcript to be read by their teacher or
another test administrator e.g. headteacher, deputy headteacher. Children
will have approximately 15 minutes to complete the test (not strictly timed) by
writing the 20 missing words in the answer booklet.

Maths

To assess the pupil’s maths three papers are undertaken, one assessing
fluency and two assessing reasoning. They have 30 minutes to complete the
fluency test and 40 minutes to complete each reasoning test paper. The
only maths resources they have available to use are a ruler in all test, and an
angle measure or protractor and mirror in the reasoning tests. There may be
questions where they have to write an explanation of their ‘working out’ but
they will not be judged on their spelling or handwriting. Pupils can ask the
teacher to read the questions to them.

Writing

Writing is not undertaken through a SATs test but assessed through writing in a range of genres over a period of time. Like Key Stage 1, to ensure writing judgments are accurate rigorous moderation is undertaken with all teaching staff, other primary schools and the local authority. External moderation by the local authority is undertaken periodically, similar to moderation in Key Stage 1.

Science

Throughout the year the class teacher will provide opportunities for children to access the science curriculum and assess their understanding. This knowledge will be used to produce a teacher assessment. All the Key Stage 2 tests are kept sealed and locked away until the time of the test. The test pack is opened in front of the pupil/s before the specific test starts. Unlike Key Stage 1 all Key Stage 2 papers are sent away to be marked.

The teachers are also required to submit teacher assessments for each child in writing and science. The results parents receive are test results for reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling and teacher assessments for writing and science. When a test is undertaken, maths, grammar and reading, a standardised score in calculated from the raw score. A standardised score below 100
identifies the child is working towards the expected standard, a score of 100 to 114 identifies they are working at the expected standard and a score of 115 or more means they are exceeding the expected standard. The class teacher then uses this information, alongside work undertaken throughout the year, to produce a teacher assessment.

The children’s results are shared with parents towards the end of the Summer term with results being available before your child leaves primary school in July.

Teacher assessment frameworks at the end of key stage 2

The Multiplication Tables Check

The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a Key Stage 2 assessment to be taken by pupils at the end of year 4 (in June). The purpose of the MTC is to make sure the pupils times tables knowledge is at the expected level.

The MTC is an online test were the pupils are asked 25 questions on times tables 2 to 12. For every question you have 6 seconds to answer and in between the questions there is a 3 second rest. Questions about the 6, 7, 8, 9,and 12 times table come up more often. The questions are generated randomly based on the rules of the MTC.

The children regularly undertake times table learning in class. Prior to undertaking the screener, the children will have the opportunity to undertake a practice so they are familiar with the organisation. The Department for Education provided additional informational, in the Autumn term, in regards to statutory assessment.

As a school we will undertake summative assessments three times a year. Given our pupil needs we will use our B Squared assessment programme which is accessible for all.