At Senacre Wood Primary School, we use assessment to inform teachers’ planning. This is because it is only by continually assessing what children have learnt and understood, that we can know what “next steps” should be planned.
In order to be ‘secondary ready’ children need to meet the required end of Key Stage 2 expectations; this is broken down into key outcomes for each curriculum year. We use the National Curriculum objectives to assess outcomes for children at the end of each curriculum year.
We use the following code to assess pupils knowledge of the curriculum, against age-related expectations, in reading, writing and maths.
We use the following code to assess pupils knowledge of the curriculum, against age-related expectations, in reading, writing and maths:
| Entering (E) | Developing (D) | Developing + (D+) | Secure (S) | Mastery (M) |
Letters are preceded by a number to show which Year group pupils are working at. For example, pupils working at a 5e would be entering the Year 5 curriculum.
At the end of the academic year, if a pupil reaches S or M, they are working at the expected standard for their year group. Pupils who are working at M are also demonstrating a deeper level of understanding.
There is an expectation that pupils will make a minimum of 4 jumps progress during an academic year; this means, that if pupils achieve a 4s at the end of Year 4, they will achieve at least a 5s at the end of Year 5.
Our aim is for all pupils to move through the Curriculum, and related programmes of study, at broadly the same pace however, at times, this may not be the case. Staff keep a close eye on progress throughout their year group and may use interventions to help cement a child's understanding of a particular concept. Our SENCo, Mrs. Baksh can support parents who are worried about their child's progress, please telephone the school office for an appointment.
Key Stage Two Assessment
In England, End of Key Stage Two SATs are compulsory for all 11 year olds at the end of Year 6.
SATs help teachers- and you- learn more about your child's strengths and weaknesses. Teachers can compare how well each child is doing with their peers, both in their school and across the country. They can also measure how much each child improves from one Key Stage to another, and across year groups. The results are also often used to predict the likelihood of children achieving specific results in secondary schools.
In addition to this, local authorities and the Department for Education use the results to help identify good practice in schools and, if a school is doing really well, it can share what it's doing right with other schools. Your child will take a selection of tests which cover reading, grammar, and maths. There is currently no test for writing- this will be assessed within the school.
Teachers will use past papers as practice papers so children can practise the kind of questions they may need to answer in a test environment. This will help your child feel more comfortable with exams. They will also do lots of practice of the skills they need to do well in the test, such as spelling and times tables as well as revising skills from other Year groups.
In Term 4 and 5 we also hold after-school 'SATs Club' where children can revise in a relaxed, supportive environment.
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Phonics Screening
The phonics screening check is taken individually by all children in Year 1 in England, and is usually taken in June. 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.
There are two sections in this 40-word check and it assesses phonics skills and knowledge learned through Reception and Year 1. Your child will read up to four words per page for their teacher and they will probably do the check in one sitting of about 5-10 minutes.
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Year 4 Multiplication Check
The Multiplication Check is an on-screen check consisting of 25 times table questions. Your child will be able to answer 3 practice questions before taking the actual check. They will then have 6 seconds to answer each question. On average, the check should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.
The purpose of the check is to determine whether your child can fluently recall their times tables up to 12, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will also help your child’s school to identify if your child may need additional support.