Primary schools are required to carry out Statutory assessments of children’s abilities at 4 different points. Parents/carers are informed of the results at the end of the academic year in which the assessments are carried out:
At the end of Reception, children are assessed against 'Early learning goals'. If a pupil has attained well they are described as having a “Good level of development” (GLD).
Children in Year 1 are tested on their ability to link sounds and letters when reading. This is known as phonics screening. An information pack for parents can be accessed via the following link:
Year 1 phonics screening guide for parents
SATS (standard assessment tests) are a series of assessments in reading, GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling) and maths carried out in two stages during your child’s primary education - at the end of year 2 (Key Stage 1) and again at the end of year 6 (Key Stage 2). Writing and science are also assessed but this is done through teacher assessment rather than tests.
KS1 (Y2) SATS information booklet for parents
School Assessments
Assessment is an important part of the teaching and learning process as it provides both children and teachers with information which informs the next steps in learning.
Assessment takes so many different forms – through what is being said, observed, written, created, performed etc and is carried out by teachers, teaching assistants and the children themselves through self and peer assessment. This information, supported by more formal tests at an age appropriate level, helps to form an overall picture of a child’s achievements and progression throughout the year.
Within EYFS, we record Reception baselines and assess all 7 areas of learning, tracking progress across the year and giving us a whole year overview.
In KS1 and KS2 we track 3 main assessment points per year, with baselines for all year groups.
Parents are given reports on progress and attainment 3 times per year and our parent consultations tie in with these.