Whole School Assessment

Curriculum and Assessment is currently under reform nationally, along with the way exams and learning are assessed and reported. At Workington Academy we have focused on ensuring assessment supports the learning of every individual as well as giving parents a clear understanding of their child’s progress.

There will be three points in the year where parents receive a progress report. One of the reports will have detailed comments about current progress, the other two will simply communicate the progress data. Attitude to learning is also reported during every reporting cycle.

The way in which progress is reported and measured will be different in Key Stage 3 than it is in Key Stages 4 and 5. To answer questions which you may have about our reporting and assessment please refer to the frequently asked questions below:

Key Stage 3 - Frequently Asked Questions

Are National Curriculum Levels still being used?

No. The Government have advised that schools no longer need to use National Curriculum Levels. One of the reasons for this is that the levels were becoming less meaningful, for example a 5C in French did not mean the same as a 5C in maths.

What is being used to replace them?

Students have been set a GCSE target for the end of KS4 in each subject. They are then tracked against that target throughout the school.

Will my child be sitting new style GCSEs?

All students in the current Y7 and Y8 will sit their GCSEs using the new 1-9 grading system.

Students who are currently in Y9 will sit most of their GCSEs using the new 1-9 grading system.

The exceptions to this are Technology and Computing where the old A*-G system will still be used.

An approximate equivalence between old and new GCSE grades is shown in this table:

KS31

How are student targets set?

 The targets which students are set are challenging targets which if achieved would mean students were making better progress than would be expected, given their Attainment on Entry.

 How they are they being tracked?

 At each data capture students will be judged as being:

‘Making better than expected progress towards their target’
‘Making expected progress towards their target’
‘Making close to expected progress towards their target’
‘Making less than expected progress towards their target’

This will be based on an expected standard that students should be working at during their current year, if they are to achieve their target grade or better in their final Year 11 exams.

Students are also given a Responsibility for Learning grade which measures effort, homework, responsibility and resilience. Students are judged as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Cause for Serious Concern.

 How will the new system be reviewed?

This is a new way of measuring achievement as Key Stage 3 and there is also uncertainty regarding the new GCSE grades and how they will be awarded. We will constantly review the way we track and monitor students, and the targets we set them. Any feedback you can give us would be most welcome.

What else is in the reports which are sent home?

 Every subject is using an Assessment for Learning (AfL) grid which informs students as to what they need to know, understand and be able to do in order to make the desired progress and be successful in their learning. The green shading on the grids shows where students have demonstrated knowledge and skills to meet the criteria. The unshaded boxes show the next steps to be undertaken by students in order to make further progress.

What do the reports at Key Stage 3 look like?

 This is an example of a Year 9 Full report Y9 DC2 Report 

Key Stage 4 - Frequently Asked Questions

How are student targets set?

The targets which students are set are challenging targets which if achieved would mean students were making better progress than would be expected, given their Attainment on Entry.

Will my child be sitting new style GCSEs?

Students in the current Y11 will be sitting old GCSEs using the old A*-G grades.

Students in the current Y10 will be sitting new GCSEs (grades 1-9) in English and Maths and old GCSEs (grades A*-G) in all other subjects.

An approximate equivalence between old and new GCSE grades is shown in this table:

KS31What the new GCSEs mean – A guide for parents and carers

How they are they being tracked?

 At each data capture students are given a ‘Trajectory grade’.  This is defined as follows:

“The grade which, in the professional judgement of the teacher, the student is most likely to achieve at the end of Y11. The evidence base for your grade should include trial exams, homework, mid-unit tests, Responsibility for Learning, interventions and any other assessments”

Students are also given a Responsibility for Learning grade which measures effort, homework, responsibility and resilience. Students are judged as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Cause for Serious Concern.

What do the reports at Key Stage 4 look like?

This is an example of a Year 11 Full report Y11 DC2 Full Report 

Key Stage 5 - Frequently Asked Questions

How are student targets set?

The targets which students are set are challenging targets which if achieved would mean students were making better progress than would be expected, given their Attainment on Entry.

How they are they being tracked?

At each data capture students are given a ‘Trajectory grade’.  This is defined as follows:

“The grade which, in the professional judgement of the teacher, the student is most likely to achieve at the end of Y13. The evidence base for this grade should include trial exams, homework, mid-unit tests, Responsibility for Learning, interventions and any other assessments”

Students are also given a grade for both class work and homework. Students can be judged as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Cause for Serious Concern.

 

What do the reports at Key Stage 5 look like?

This is an example of a Year 13 Full report Y13 DC2 Full Report