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Exceptional Education at the Heart of the Community

Exceptional Education at the Heart of the Community

Assessments

EYFS and KS1

During the children’s first half-term in Reception class, the teacher must conduct the DfE Reception Baseline. This is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, communication, language and mathematics skills when they begin school, using materials that most children of your child’s age will be familiar with. For more information, please click below.

All parents are invited to two Parents' evenings which occur in each term. This is an opportunity to share children’s progress across all seven areas of learning in the Early Years curriculum and to discuss how to move their learning forward. Parents will also receive an annual report at the end of each year that offers brief comments on each child’s progress in each area of learning, highlighting the child’s strengths and areas for development.

Some observations that are considered “Wow Moments” – new learning, a new skill, something the child is really proud of – are shared via the child’s online learning journey on Class Dojo, which parents can engage and interact with. When your child starts at our school, you will be asked to sign up to Class Dojo to enable you to see and share Wow Moments.

Reception Baseline Information

Teachers will then use this assessment, alongside a staggered start allowing a transition period of getting to know the children and conducting observations, to inform their learning priorities and know how best to support the every individual child.

Parents receive an annual report that offers brief comments on each child’s progress in each area of learning. It highlights the child’s strengths and development needs and gives details of the child’s general progress. We complete these in June and send them to parents in early July each year.

Phonics Screening

In Year 1 children take the phonics screening check in England, typically in the summer term. It is designed to give teachers and parents information on how your child is progressing in phonics. It will help to identify whether your child needs additional support at this stage so that they do not fall behind in this vital early reading skill.

Understanding Primary Assessment 

If you have a child in Year 2 or Year 6 they will be taking they national curriculum tests; the SATs. They are designed to provide information about how your child is progressing when compared to national averages.

It is important to note that they are not qualifications and do not affect your child's future options in school, but that the results are used to help teachers pitch their lessons at the appropriate level for their classes, with a view to helping children reach their full potential.

In Year 2, two new tests were introduced in 2016: An arithmetic test to check mathematic ability, and an optional test of grammar punctuation and spelling which schools may choose to administer.

In Year 6, the main changes to tests in 206 were: The inclusion of questions to assess new areas of core national curriculum subjects and a new arithmetic test to check your child is progressing with basic mathematic fundamentals.

  • A scaled score of 100 is the expected standard for KS2 SATs
  • In 2019 the average scaled score was 105 in reading, 104 in maths and 106 in grammar, punctuation and spelling