Assessment and outcomes at Woodhouse West Primary School

At Woodhouse West, we firmly believe that every child should be given the opportunity to be the best they can be. In order to support our vision and ethos, we have robust assessment systems in place which are clearly followed by staff and reported regularly to all stakeholders.

We use a range of formative and summative assessments in our school to support all of our learners to make progress towards age related expectations (ARE).

During their time in primary school, there are specific points at which children are required to be assessed against national statutory assessments. These times are as follows:

• In EYFS at the end of the year with the percentage of pupils achieving good levels of development (GLD) in the early learning goals.
• Phonics screening test for Year 1 children in June.
• Children in Years 2 and 6 take the Standard Attainment Tests (SATs) in May. The results of these are then reported to the DFE and published nationally.

Planning and assessment at Woodhouse West

Teachers are responsible for the planning and delivery of a curriculum that is purposeful and relevant to the children in our school. Marking is conducted on a daily basis and regular feedback is given to children to address gaps in their learning. Teachers also hold regular moderation meetings to share good practice and ensure quality of children’s work.

For maths, we follow the White Rose schemes of learning which allows the children to develop the skills of fluency, reasoning and problem solving. This scheme follows a natural progression and children enhance their skills year on year.

For literacy, we plan for units which last for approximately three weeks in KS2. These are shorter in KS1 and are more focused around transcription and basic sentence building. We link our writing curriculum with our book study which gives the children opportunities to take part in a number of reading and writing activities, both individually and adult led, which advance their skills.

Our wider curriculum is based around teaching the children important, subject specific skills from each of the foundation subject areas alongside the relevant curriculum knowledge. We use our Golden Threads to drive the curriculum and the H.O.T. (Higher Order Thinking) Document to differentiate appropriately.

During each term, the children in years 1, 3, 4 and 5 take a reading test from Hodder Education and a White Rose assessment in maths. Children in years 2 and 6 use past QCA materials for their assessments. As well as being shared with pupils, these results are discussed at termly pupil progress meetings and with governors and parents. These help teachers to plan for the following half term and identify target groups of children.

All of these devices help teachers to decide a Point in Time Assessment (PITA) score for the children which is detailed below:

These judgements are then inputted and tracked through Arbor which is the assessment program used across Sheffield South East Trust (SSET).

2022-2023 Performance Data

Assessment in Foundation Stage

The Foundation Stage Profile is completed at the end of the FS2 year.

This assessment is based on the observations that staff make of the children over the course of the year and does not include testing. A baseline assessment of the children is completed in the Autumn Term and their in year progress is measured against this.

At the end of the year, the percentage of pupils achieving Good Levels of Development (GLD) in the Early Learning Goals is measured.

Phonics Screening Test in Year 1

School follows the Little Wandle revised letters and sounds programme to teach phonics and the children then complete a phonics screening later in the year. The purpose of the phonics screening is to identify whether or not the children have learnt phonic decoding from their daily phonics sessions to an appropriate standard.

This test takes place in June with all Year 1 pupils and the pupils in Year 2 who did not pass whilst in Year 1. The test involves reading forty words to their teacher on a one-to-one basis and a mark is given at the end.

Phonics retest Year 2
The children who do not pass the phonics resit this at the end of Year 2. 80% of the children have now passed the phonics screening check.

Key Stage 1 National Curriculum Tests (SATs)

The Key Stage 1 SATs take place in May and June when the children are in Year 2. They provide end of Key Stage information for pupils in reading, writing and maths.

Children do take some tests but these are used to reinforce teacher assessment in these subject areas. These test results are submitted nationally and parents are then informed.

Parents are informed of the results by school and Year 3 teachers work closely with the Year 2 staff to ensure that this learning is developed going in to Key Stage 2.

EXS = Expected Standard                             GDS = Greater Depth

Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Test (SATs)

The Key Stage 2 SATs take place in May when the children are in Year 6. They provide end of Key Stage attainment and progress scores for the children.

The following tests are taken during the course of the week:

• English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling – One grammar and punctuation paper, one spelling test.
• Reading – One reading comprehension consisting of three different texts.
• Maths – three papers: one calculations paper, two reasoning papers.

These tests are marked externally and the standard achieved is reported nationally. Progress from Key Stage 1 is also measured. The standard of writing is based on teacher assessment as it is in Key Stage 1.

This data is also used to measure school against national standards and we work closely within our Trust and with local secondary schools to ensure that they are able to build on the children’s prior learning. As well as the attainment scores, we recognise the importance of the individual, and place just as much importance on the progress of each child in our school.

KS2 Attainment Results

KS2 Progress Scores

KS2 Average Scaled Scores

Assessment for children with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND)

Generally, these children are assessed against the same criteria as their peers although there may be times where this is not possible and school has things in place to address this.

The SENDCo works closely with the families of these children at Snapshot Meetings where the child’s more individual needs are discussed. Targets are taken from these meetings and are then added to the child’s snapshot booklet to be reviewed on a half termly basis. This information is then shared with the pupil and parents.

The SENDCo and class teachers also work alongside the parents of children with physical disabilities to allow them to access the curriculum. We also work with many outside agencies to support our SEND children.

In line with national guidance, children who are working significantly below national expectations do not take SATs tests in Year 2 or Year 6. 

Reporting to parents and carers

At Woodhouse West, we have open communication between staff and parents on a daily basis. Throughout the year there are also parents evenings in the Autumn and Spring term and end of year reports are sent out in July which detail the pupils’ academic achievement; progress; personal strengths and areas of development.