Assessment
Your child will be the subject of assessment throughout their entire education. The assessments will be done for many reasons and will take many different forms. For example some assessment will be to determine what standard has been achieved on the completion of a course of study such as in GCSE's or A level examinations; some, such as end of module tests, will be to determine what teaching should come next. Assessment may take forms such as a written test, multiple choice test, oral questioning, completion of an experiment or a practical task and may range in setting from the formal timed examination to the question asked in passing.
There are key points at which your child will be assessed and the results looked at alongside national benchmarks. These particular points are at the end of year 2, year 6 and year 9. In the mainland UK Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) are part of the National Curriculum. They consist of tests undertaken by pupils on completion of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 and are supported by teacher assessment. Particular arrangements, which take greater account of teacher assessment, have been adopted in Jersey.
Pupils are routinely given Cognitive Ability Tests at the beginning of year 5, year 7 and year 9. CATs are a measure of the developed cognitive ability of the pupil and are not a test of the curriculum that they have been following. The tests are age standardised so that younger pupils are not at a disadvantage when the tests are taken; the pupil’s marks and their age on the day of the test determine the test score. There are three sections within the test: verbal, quantitative and non verbal and each section assesses the pupils ability to reason in a different way. The average (or mean) score is then calculated from the individual scores in the three sections and it is this mean score that is considered further:
- the average CATs score for all pupils is 100;
- a score of 107 or above is regarded as being above average;
- a score of 93 or less is below average;
- approximately 70% of the population will return a score between 85 and 115;
- a pupil with an above average score or very high score will typically be very effective in tasks involving learning and problem solving whilst those with a score that is below average or very low will normally work slowly and need considerable help to achieve objectives.
Schools use the CAT scores to predict likely performance at the end of each key stage and at GCSE level thus assisting pupils to set realistic targets and ensure that each individual achieves their full potential.
Students are routinely prepared for and entered for GCSE and A Level examinations at the appropriate stages of their learning.
If you have any questions regarding the assessment of your child please contact the school.
Assessment for Learning
The Assessment for Learning (AFL) initiative aims to use all classroom assessment to improve pupils learning. AFL acknowledges the need for final summative assessments but shifts the emphasis away from grades for their own sake towards comment-marking which will help pupils to improve their work.
Assessment for Learning is a philosophy where any assessment is used to promote pupils’ learning. It is different from the traditional approach where assessment was designed primarily for the purposes of accountability or for certifying competence such as examinations. By concentrating on this area of assessment then learning and attainment will improve.
We realised the emphasis for assessment had swung towards assessment for accountability and certificates and away from learning. To redress the balance a high profile initiative called Assessment for Learning developed by Kings College London was launched in January 2004.
Jersey schools have been working with the Kings College Team to embed the ideas behind AFL into day to day classroom practice.
Assessment for Learning uses these four main strategies to help pupils move forward with their learning:
- Quality Questioning
- Quality of Feedback including Formative Assessment
- Sharing Criteria with the Learner
- Self and Peer Assessment
Further details of the principles underlying the Assessment for Learning philosophy is available through the Assessment Reform Group.
What does this mean for my child?
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You may see fewer marks out of ten or letter grades on your child’s work.
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Children will spend longer drafting and redrafting work as they seek to improve by responding to their teachers’ comments.
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Children will learn to mark their own work (self-assessment).
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Children will learn to mark each others work (peer assessment).
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By being much more involved in the assessment processes themselves pupils gain an understanding of what high quality work looks like.
Qualifications
Schools and colleges in Jersey offer students the opportunity to study courses and gain qualifications through the same examinations that are available in the UK. The linked websites provide a clear and concise description of these qualifications, mainly GCSE, A Level, GNVQ's and NVQ's. They also provide extensive subject specific detail and offer links to web sites regarding related issues.
