Assessment Overview

Effective assessment provides information to improve learning and teaching. Children receive regular feedback on their learning so they understand what it is they need to do better in order to achieve potential. We give parents regular reports on their child’s progress so that teachers, children and parents are all working together to raise standards.

The aims and objectives of assessment in our school are:

• to ensure that children at Newhall Park become inquisitive, self-motivated, aspirational learners;
• to enable children to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do in their work and help children understand what they need to do next to improve their work;
• to allow teachers to plan work that accurately reflects the need of each pupil;
• to inform the Leadership Team and SEND Team in order to strategically plan provision across phase group, e.g. allocation of staff, intervention, use of support.
• to provide regular information for parents that enables them to support their child’s learning;
• to provide the Senior Leadership Team and governors with information that allows them to make judgements about the effectiveness of the school.

How are children awarded a grade in the no-levels system?

Newhall Park have followed national guidelines and devised our own system to assess and measure pupils' progress. These statements provide parents and teachers with information on how they achieve for their age. These include the following criteria:

What about children who are below the expected level?
Where children are working below the expected standard for their age group, they may be assessed additionally using a measure appropriate to their individual level of attainment in order to measure progress.  This may include the expected standards of an earlier age group to theirs, Pre Key Stage standards, P scales or the Early Years Developmental Journal. 

Statutory Assessment

Which statutory assessments will my child take?

Year 1 - Phonics Screening Test

This test is designed to indicate whether a child is able to phonetically decode and read words. Children are shown a number of words (both real and pseud-words) which they have to be able to read using their phonic knowledge.

Year 2 - National Curriculum Tests

Your child’s teacher is responsible for judging the standards your child is working at in English reading, English writing, mathematics and science, by the end of Key Stage 1. To help inform those judgements, pupils sit national curriculum tests in English and mathematics, commonly called SATs. They may also sit an optional test in English grammar, punctuation and spelling. The tests are a tool for teachers to help them measure your child’s performance and identify their needs as they move into Key Stage 2. They also allow teachers to see how your child is performing against national expected standards. The tests can be taken any time during May and they are not strictly timed. Pupils may not even know they are taking them as many teachers will incorporate them into everyday classroom activities.

Further information can be found here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-1-and-2-national-curriculum-tests-information-for-parents

Year 4 - Multiplication Table Check

The purpose of the check is to determine whether pupils can fluently recall their times tables up to 12, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will also help your child’s school to identify pupils who may need additional support. The MTC is an on-screen check consisting of 25 times tables questions. Your child will answer 3 practice questions before moving on to the official check and will then have 6 seconds to answer each question. On average, the check should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.

Further information can be found here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/multiplication-tables-check-information-for-parents

Year 6 - National Curriculum Tests

If you have a child in Year 6, at the end of Key Stage 2, they will take national curriculum tests in English grammar, punctuation and spelling, English reading and mathematics. The tests help measure the progress pupils have made and identify if they need additional support in a certain area. The tests are also used to assess schools’ performance and to produce national performance data.

Further information can be found here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-1-and-2-national-curriculum-tests-information-for-parents

How are the assessments marked and what will they tell me about my child?

Both the Phonic Screening test and the Year 2 assessments are marked in school.  The Year 6 assessments are marked externally.  

The outcome of the phonics screening test is a score corresponding to the number of words the child read correctly.  To have achieved the required standard children must reach or exceed a nationally set pass mark.

For the Year 2 and Year 6 assessments, the total number of marks will be converted into a 'scaled score'.  The scaled score will be a number either at, just above or below 100.  Achieving a scaled score of 100 will mean that the pupil is working at the expected standard for the end of their key stage.  A number less than 100 will mean that the child has not achieved the expected standard and a number greater than 100 will mean that the child has exceeded the national standard. 

How can I help my child?

• First and foremost, support and reassure your child that there is nothing to worry about with school assessments and they should always just try their best.  Praise and encourage!
• Ensure your child has the best possible attendance at school.
• Support your child with any homework tasks.
• Reading, spelling and arithmetic are always good to practise.  Reading together for a short time each night can help a lot, and can also help improve a child's writing as well.
• Talk to your child about what they have learnt at school and what book(s) they are reading, the character, the plot and their opinion.
• Make sure your child has a good sleep and healthy breakfast every morning.  

Pupil Outcomes 2018 - 2019

We are extremely proud of the achievements of our children and the hard work from everyone involved.  

Please see the data below for details of our 2018/19 outcomes.

Key Data

KS1 to KS2 Value Added Progress

Reading: 1.0

Writing: 0.7

Maths: 2.1

Average Scaled Scores

Reading: 105

Maths: 107

GPS: 109

Pupil Outcomes 2019 - 2020

Due to Covid-19, there are no outcomes to report for 2019-20.

Performance measures for future years will be posted on our website when available.

Performance Tables

In order to view the GOV.UK Compare School Performance Service for Newhall Park, please visit 

https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/132185/newhall-park-primary-school