Key Assessment Principles
These principles underpin our school’s Assessment Policy on how we will assess all children throughout their time at Wellesley.
· It provides clear evidence of children’s progress across year groups;
· It provides accurate information on children’s progress and determines whether our assessment system is fit for purpose.
Staff training will be at the heart of this process to ensure that judgements are accurate and that there is consistency across the school.
We believe that:
1. Assessment is at the heart of teaching and learning: it provides evidence to guide teaching and learning as well as giving pupils the opportunity to demonstrate and review their progress.
2. Assessment is fair: inclusive of all abilities, purposeful and appropriate to the needs of the children, free from bias towards factors that are not relevant to what the assessment intends to address.
3. Assessment is honest and the outcomes are used in ways that minimise undesirable effects: outcomes are conveyed in an open, honest and transparent way to assist pupils with their learning. These judgements are moderated by experienced professionals across the local authority in a shared approach to teaching and learning to ensure their accuracy.
4. Assessment is ambitious: it places achievement in context against nationally standardised criteria and expected standards for which schools and school leaders are accountable. It embodies, through objective criteria, a pathway of progress and development, which supports transition, for every child. It sets high expectations for all learners.
5. Assessment is appropriate: the reason for any assessment process should be clearly stated; conclusions regarding pupil achievement are valid (to age, task and to the desired feedback information); it should draw on a wide range of evidence to provide a complete picture of student achievement.; it should demand no more procedures or records than are practically required to allow pupils, their parents and teachers to plan future learning.
6. Assessment is consistent: judgements are formed according to common principles; results are readily understandable by third parties; results are capable of comparison with other schools, both locally and nationally.
7. Assessment outcomes provide meaningful and understandable information for pupils in developing their learning: it helps parents in supporting children with their learning; supports teachers in planning teaching and learning; enables school leaders and governors in planning and allocating resources; tracks pupil progress for government and agents of government.
8. Assessment feedback should inspire greater effort and a belief that, through hard work and practice, more can be achieved.
Date: 1st September 2021
