Reporting and Assessment

Introduction

Assessment is not merely a grade on a spreadsheet but rather formative assessment is what goes on everyday in every class at Dover Grammar School for Girls. Teachers use assessment for learning/responsive teaching techniques for the following reasons: to establish whether their students are clear about what they need to know and what excellence looks like; to question students using a variety of techniques such as ‘cold calling’, ‘no opt out’ and ‘think-pair-share’ in order to check their understanding; to feedback in order that students can improve their work and to know when they can move forward with the learning.

Assessment at Dover Grammar School for Girls aims to:

• Offer all students an opportunity to show what they know, understand and can do
• Help students understand what they need to develop
• Advance the learning process
• Enable teachers to plan more effectively
• Help parents to be involved in their child’s learning
• Provide the school with information to evaluate progress and set suitable targets
• Help raise standards of achievement and attainment for all students

Assessment Methodology

Throughout Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 ‘Assessment for Learning’ is supported and developed using the following strategies:

• Sharing learning objectives and learning outcomes with students
• Helping students to know and recognise the standards they are aiming for
• Involving students in peer and self-assessment
• Providing feedback that leads students to recognising their next steps and how to take them
• Involving both the teacher and student in reviewing and reflecting on assessment information
• Promoting confidence that every student can improve

Tracking Student Progress

In Key Stage 3 to ensure your child is making the required progress we will track them at three given points throughout the year. The tracking will give you information about whether your child has gained mastery of the curriculum at each point. To ascertain their progress in each subject, teachers may, for example, use class tests, assignments, homework and practical assessments.

The tracking also assists the teacher’s decision with regards to whether any intervention can be offered to help your child progress further. Teachers will give regular, sufficient feedback during lessons advising students what is required to improve and overcome gaps in their understanding, but there may be occasions when additional support is required and will be offered.

The tracking in Key Stage 3 will use the following data to give you information about how your child is progressing throughout the curriculum.

C4 Student has mastered the knowledge and skills within the curriculum for this tracking period

C3 Student has a secure understanding of the knowledge and skills within the curriculum for this tracking period with minor gaps in some areas.

C2 Student has a generally secure understanding of the knowledge and skills within the curriculum for this tracking period with moderate gaps in some areas

C1 Student has significant gaps in their understanding of the knowledge and skills within the curriculum for this tracking period

In Key Stage 4 and 5 teachers are required to record a projected grade for each student. The projected grade is an indication of the final GCSE or A Level grade your child is on track to achieve given their current levels of effort and academic progress. Projected grades are fluid, flexible and open to change: students will always have the opportunity to increase projected grades due to improvements in effort or refinements to study practices or examination technique

We have tracking meetings after each tracking point where we discuss student concerns (and we also send home praise postcards for those students who have made excellent progress or who have an excellent attitude to learning).

Our strong and supportive pastoral teams are on hand to motivate the students and also to assist with any anxiety issues that may occur or, they are simply there for a friendly chat.

The tracking also assists the teacher’s decision with regards to whether any intervention can be offered to help our students progress further. Teachers will give regular, sufficient feedback during lessons advising students what is required to improve and overcome gaps in their understanding, but there may be occasions when additional support is required and will be offered.

We also give attitude to learning (ATL) scores. These are scores from 4-1 – with 4 being the highest and 1 the lowest. There will be an attitude to learning score for Engagement, Behaviour and Homework.