Assessment

Formative Assessment

The most important assessment data comes from formative assessment to enable teachers to address knowledge and skills gaps and misconceptions in a timely way. We use specific formative assessment strategies such as questioning, whole class checks for understanding and other techniques to obtain the best possible evidence about what students have learned to help inform and adapt teaching to shape students’ learning. Regular formative assessment can significantly improve student achievement. 

Summative Assessment 

In addition to the above, students will also undertake more formal common summative assessments in most ‘written’ subjects as appropriate to the subject area.  

The scope of these assessments will be determined by how much of the curriculum has been covered e.g., 

• end of topic or unit (what has just been studied since the previous assessment) 
• cumulative (everything that has been covered up to that point) 
• end of year (e.g., full past papers at end of Year 10 and during Year 11) 

Cumulative assessments are designed to assess the full breadth of curriculum knowledge covered and to continually retrieve and rehearse knowledge, whilst also identifying areas of knowledge to inform teachers’ next steps with students.  

Summative assessments inform judgements about attainment and progress.  Assessments are also internally and externally standardised to ensure validity in the judgements which teachers make.