Education
Assessment
Our students’ progress through the curriculum and personal development is extremely important to us.
At New Road Academy, we believe that to facilitate effective and highly effective teaching and learning, a comprehensive and robust assessment cycle is essential. The process of assessment is central to supporting students to progress and fulfil their potential. Furthermore, effective assessment provides a framework that learning objectives and success criteria can be measured, while informing individualised lesson planning, resources, and in-class interventions.
We are committed to:
- Ensuring early and accurate identification of individual needs.
- Involving all staff, pupils and parents/carers in the process.
- Ensuring students have individual formative targets.
- Regularly monitoring progress.
- Acknowledging achievement across a range of contexts.
- Working with other agencies as needed.
Using the principles and processes of assessment, our aim is to:
- Monitor progress and support learning.
- Identify gaps in knowledge, including misconceptions and provide next steps in learning.
- Inform pupils of their progress and provide on-going guidance on how to improve.
- Ensure core expectations of planning, teaching, additional support, curriculum development and the creation of learning resources, are at the forefront of day-to-day practice.
- Communicate with parents and the wider community about our students’ achievement.
- Provide timely step-up information to ensure continuity and challenge when student’s move up to the next year group, key stage or pathways leading to post 16 study.
- Comply with statutory requirement
types of assessment
Internal assessment will take place in a range of different ways, for different subjects. Types of assessment carried out include (but are not restricted to):
Day to Day assessment
Assessment carried out within the classroom. This may include:
- Oral feedback
- Written feedback
- Self-assessment
- Peer assessment
- Group assessment
- Targeted questioning
- Step up/Gap tasks
Progress Assessment Tasks (PATs)
Two tasks each half term are identified as Progress Assessment Tasks (PATs) and these are delivered across the whole academy. This ensures consistency when analysing data and contributes to the triangulation of information for current and predicted grades. These tasks are conducted as set out by the Subject Leader and have published marks schemes. PATs do not have to be formal summative tests (although they may be), are integrated into delivery of the curriculum, and will lead to formative targets.
End of Year Assessments
End of Year summative assessments take place across all year groups. Assessments are timetabled and sat in formal examination conditions.
Controlled Assessment / Coursework
Where Controlled Assessment or coursework forms part of the course, all JCQ and examination board guidelines are adhered to, in both delivery of the taught element of the course and the completion of the task
Feedback
- Feedback is presented in appropriate language so that students of all abilities can access it & respond appropriately
- Feedback is against current target and projected grade data
- Feedback challenges learners to think for themselves & take responsibility for their own work
- Students receive feedback from a variety of sources including
- the teacher
- other students
- self
- Feedback is both constructive and specific and gives clear advice to the student for progression and development.
- Feedback is acted on by students.
Students
Students are expected to engage fully in the assessment process by demonstrating scholarly and
resilient approaches in both formative and summative assessments. This extends to following external exam regulations in line with examination boards.
Parents / Carers
At New Road Academy, Parents/carers are encouraged to engage with the academy in the assessment process by attending parents’ evenings and progress meetings as appropriate. Encouraging their children to prepare fully, attend all relevant revision/preparation sessions, while providing encouragement in all summative assessments is essential for all students to fulfil their potential.
