Assessment

Assessment and Target Setting

The attainment of pupils is assessed termly by teachers. Recent developments by the government have moved us into a “world without levels” and the staff are currently working on new systems that will enable us to record progress in relation to emerging, expected or exceeding year group expectations.  We will still use individual targets that are set every term in reading, writing and maths to help pupils make good progress.  Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs) are taken by Y2 and Y6 pupils in the summer term.  Children in Years 1, 3, 4 and 5 also undertake formal assessment tests in English (reading and writing) and Mathematics during the summer term in order to help teachers “track” their progress and set targets.  Test results and teacher assessments together provide the overall assessment of individual pupil attainment and achievement.

Assertive Mentoring:    
Holly Meadows School’s way of helping your child to learn better.

We have introduced this assessment system in September 2012. The brief outline below will highlight the main features of Assertive Mentoring, in our school.

• New systems are in use at Holly Meadows to help your children learn better and achieve more.
• We help them to understand what stage they are atand, more importantly, how to get to the next stage.
• We help themto achieve their targets that have been set.
• We make sure children learn and practise basic Maths skills including Times tables. This helps them to problem solve real maths problems.
• We test often to find gaps, then teach and retest to find out what they have learnt.
• We are also improving attendance, attitude to work, homework, reading at home, spelling practice and effort as we know these affect how well the children learn. 

Children learn better when they:
understand what they are trying to learn
get feedback about their work 
are shown how  to make it better
are fully involved in the process

Assertive Mentoring aims to:

• Raise standards of attainment for all children
  · To motivate and involve all children
  · To inform and involve all parents

We take time to discuss with children on a termly basis their answers to a number of questions about their successes, strengths and next steps.

We will be making sure we use:

• Assessment: Where are the children?
  · Tracking: How are they progressing?
  · Support:  What help is needed?

Parents have a job:

• Know your child’s targets
  · Support them in achieving them
  · Support the school
  · Attend the mentoring meetings in your Parent’s Evening appointment