Henry Maynard Primary School

Our approach to assessment in Key Stage One and Two

We assess pupil progress and attainment by following the National Curriculum 2014 in respect of age related expectations and end of year outcomes. Staff use baseline, formative and summative assessments to ensure they know where children are working and what their next steps in learning are. 

How will we achieve this?

• We will monitor and assess pupil progress through our own internal assessment and moderation processes as well as statutory assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2.
• Members of staff are trained as Local Authority moderators and lead our internal processes, in Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
• We also monitor and assess our pupil’s progress through school to school moderation with a number of primary and secondary schools from the locality.
• We use the outcomes of the assessments to summarise and analyse attainment and progress for our pupils and classes.
• Assessment data is used to plan the learning for every pupil in order to ensure they meet or exceed expectations.
• Teachers and leaders analyse the data across the school to ensure that pupils identified as vulnerable, more able or at particular risk are making appropriate progress and that all pupils are suitably challenged.
• The information from assessment is communicated to parents and pupils during parent’s evenings and via the pupil’s end of year report.
• Teachers base their teacher assessment judgements on a broad range of evidence from across the curriculum for each pupil.

The End of Year outcomes document contained on our website provides the coverage for each year group for Reading, Writing, Maths and Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation (SPAG). This document is used by teachers as an additional tool for planning and is shared with all parents and carers at the start of each academic year.

External assessments

EYFS:

The children will complete the Reception Baseline Assessment within the first 6 weeks after they start school. The RBA 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. It became statutory for all schools from September 2021. The RBA is not about judging or labelling your child or putting them under any pressure. Your child cannot ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ the assessment. Its main purpose is to create a starting point to measure the progress schools make with their pupils

The children will be assessed against the Early Years Foundation Stage and staff make judgments throughout the year. The children will be assessed in  key areas: Communication and Language; Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Physical Development; Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the World and Expressive Art and Design. 

These areas are broken down into Early Learning Goals. You will receive this information in your child's end of year report.

More information can be found here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1170108/EYFS_framework_from_September_2023.pdf

Year 1 Phonics:

At the end of Year 1 pupils will undertake a short phonics screening check which tests the child's phonics knowledge. The check is completed internally in June. 

If a pupil does not pass the check, they receive more support and re-take it in Year 2. 

More information can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-screening-check-information-for-parents/phonics-screening-check-2023-information-for-parents-text-only-version

Year 2 SATs:
This year, KS1 SATs are non-statutory. Henry Maynard will continue to complete them as they provide an ideal end of Key Stage assessment ready to move into Year 3. 

The children complete these in small groups with their class teachers. 

They complete 2 reading papers, 2 maths papers, a grammar paper and a spelling test. 

Staff then use these assessments to inform their Teacher Assessments and judgements. The tests will be completed in May.

Year 4 Multiplication check:

Children in Year 4 undertake a multiplication check. It 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. This is completed in June. 

Year 6 SATs:

The Year 6 children will take national curriculum assessments in English grammar, punctuation and spelling; English reading and mathematics.

The tests help measure the progress pupils have made, and identify if they need additional support in a certain area. The tests are also used to assess schools’ performance and to produce national performance data.

Year 6 Sats this year are timetabled Monday 13th May - Thursday 16th May. 

You will receive these results at the end of the year.