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Assessment and Reporting

Goodwin Academy aims to maintain a continuous dialogue, with parents and students, in order to develop excellent relationships that we believe ensure successful progress through the academy. A significant aspect of this dialogue is the regular reporting to parents of the academic progress of their child in each curriculum area and this occurs termly.

Things to look for in the reports

Attendance

We expect all of our students to have attendance rates between 96% - 100%. If your child’s attendance is below 96%, please consider what you can do to improve this. There is a direct link between attendance and achievement.

Target grades

This is what your child could achieve in each subject based on prior data. Target grades are only a benchmark; we expect all of our students to meet and most to exceed their target grades.

Attainment grades

This is the grade your child has performed at over the last half term. This is based on GCSE grades. They key here is to compare the attainment grade to the target grade and look for progress from one report to another.

Attitude to learning, behaviour and completion of home learning

This summarises your child’s effort in each subject. The attitude to learning also encompasses their behaviour and how they work in and outside of class. We have very high expectations with regards to learning and behaviour, we assume that all our students have good behaviour in lessons and always complete their home learning to a good standard.

Attitude to learning

Behaviour for learning

Completion of home learning

Excellent approach to work at all times.

Excellent behaviour at all times.

Excellent standard of home learning which is always handed in on time.

Good approach to work most of the time.

Generally good behaviour.

Generally good standard of home learning, or which is usually handed in on time.

Fair approach to work though more effort could be shown.

Fair behaviour though more focus is required to improve learning.

Fair standard of work which is mostly acceptable and usually handed in on time.

Inconsistent approach to work and requires improvement.

Inconsistent behaviour which affects learning and requires improvement.

Inconsistent standard of home learning which is not regularly handed in on time.

Poor attitude and consistent non-completion of work.

Poor behaviour in lessons which affects the learning of other students.

Poor standard of home learning produced and consistently not handed in on time.

 

Excellent and good mean that your child is working hard and has a very positive attitude to learning. On the other hand, inconsistent and poor are serious concerns, an overview of this concern will be provided, examples of these could be:

  • Lateness
  • Attendance
  • Behaviour
  • Focus
  • Concentration
  • Effort

 

Reporting to Parents

Three times a year we will communicate to parent their child’s progress in school. One of these will be the Parents’ Evening with an opportunity for parents to discuss attainment and progress with subject staff. There will also be two additional written reports, one a progress report and the other a full report. These will consist of:

  • A pathway grade for each subject.
  • An end of year forecast grade
  • A judgement as to whether current effort levels are acceptable.
  • Where effort is judged to be below expectations, further details will be provided as to why this is the case e.g. home learning, behaviour in class.
  • The yearly full report will also include a comment from the form tutor.

How do we assess your child’s progress in KS3?

What is the aim of assessment in KS3?

At Goodwin Academy our aim is that our students learn their curriculum well so that they know more and can do more.  This knowledge and capability will prepare students well for success in Key Stage 4 and beyond.  It is also important that any gaps are identified in key stage 3 so that these can be effectively addressed.

To do this we use both:

Formative assessment– as an ongoing element of our teaching to check for student understanding

Summative assessment– to assess how well students are learning and remembering the curriculum
 

What do we assess in Key Stage 3?

In Key Stage 3 we assess students’ knowledge in two ways.  The depth of their:

Declarative knowledge – how well a student knows the core facts and ideas he or she has been taught in each subject

Procedural knowledge – how well a student is able to apply these facts and ideas. This may be through practical skills, solving problems or composing an argument

The blend of these two aspects of knowledge allows a student to know both ‘what’ and ‘how to’.
 

What does formative assessment look like?

Checking for student understanding might take the form of:

  • Questioning in lessons
  • Live marking of students’ work
  • Quizzes and tests in lessons or set as home learning
  • Other forms of retrieval practice for students
  • Practice examination style questions or essays in class or set as home learning

Teachers will use this formative assessment to help them plan lessons and provide feedback to students about what they need to do next. Such feedback will concentrate on students’ learning gaps and how to close these.
 

What does summative assessment look like?

 Assessing how well students are learning and remembering the curriculum might take the form of:

  • A test, exam or assessment
  • An exam style question taken in timed or ‘closed’ conditions
  • An extended piece of work
     

When do we report on student progress in KS3?

In Key Stage 3 we report student performance twice a year:

  • Mid year: How effectively students are learning the curriculum at this point (informed by ongoing formative and summative classroom assessment.)
  • End of year: How well students remember what they have learned this year and in their previous learning

We also provide an additional report for Year 7 at the end of half term 1 to support their transition to secondary study.

How do we use assessment on entry to Year 7 to know our students’ learning better?

At Goodwin Academy we are keen to know our students’ learning well. For this reason, as well as working closely with our primary schools through the transition process, we undertake our own baseline assessments in the September of Year 7.  These low stakes assessments allow us to gain a richer picture of our students’ performance, potential, areas of strength and areas where learning gaps may need to be closed.  We also use them to identify where students may require additional support within the Formal Curriculum.
 

What baseline assessments do students take?

  • Cognitive Ability Tests (CATs)
  • Progress Tests in English, mathematics and science.

How do we assess your child’s progress in KS4 and 5?

What is the aim of assessment in KS4 and 5?

At Goodwin Academy our aim is that our students learn their curriculum well so that they know more and can do more.  This knowledge and capability will prepare students well for success in their examinations and beyond.  It is also important that any gaps are identified through the assessment process so that these can be effectively addressed.

To do this we use both:

Formative assessment– as an ongoing element of our teaching to check for student understanding

Summative assessment– to assess how well students are learning and remembering the curriculum
 

What do we assess in Key Stage 4 and 5?

In Key Stage 4 and 5 we assess against guidelines laid down:

  • by Ofqual for all qualifications
  • by Examination Boards for individual qualifications
     

What does formative assessment look like?

Checking for student understanding might take the form of:

  • questioning in lessons
  • live marking of students’ work
  • quizzes and tests in lessons or set as home learning
  • other forms of retrieval practice for students
  • practice examination style questions or essays in class or set as home learning
  • pre-testing to see what prior knowledge students already have
  • a gap analysis assessment to identify any gaps in knowledge that a student/ class or year group might have

Teachers will use this formative assessment to help them plan lessons and provide feedback to students about what they need to do next. Such feedback will concentrate on students’ learning gaps and how to close these.
 

What does summative assessment look like?

Assessing how well students are learning and remembering the curriculum might take the form of:

  • a test, exam or assessment
  • an exam style question taken in timed or ‘closed’ conditions
  • an extended piece of work
     

When do we report on student progress in KS4 and 5?

In Key Stage 4 and 5 we assign performance grades two or three times a year.
 

How do we report on student progress in KS4 and 5?

In Key Stage 4 and 5 we assign performance grades.  These represent a teacher/ curriculum team’s judgement on the grade that best represents how the student is likely to perform based on a range of performance factors including:

  • current performance informed by assessments
  • the effectiveness of the student’s learning routines
  • the relative weighting of examined and non-examined content
  • how much of the content has been assessed at this point