Assessment for Learning

Assessment

Primary

Hear opinions on APP and summative and formative assessment

Hear current opinion on summative and formative assessment, and discover what the future might hold for Assessment for Learning in primary and secondary schools, in this whole-school video. Professor Dylan William of the Institute of Education outlines why he believes a shift away from formal summative testing for schools, and towards using assessment for learning in the classroom, would be a more effective way to improve education. This video also addresses some of the debate around the introduction of the government's assessment for learning strategy, Assessing Pupil's Progress (APP), a hybrid of formative and summative forms of assessment. Among the various views from schools and experts, some argue for a lighter footprint for summative testing while others believe that schools can't be 'secret gardens' with nobody on the outside knowing what's happening.

AfL and APP: What's Going on with Assessment

Implementing formative assessment more effectively

Teachers who have switched the emphasis away from marking and grading to give comments and feedback are finding that their pupils try much harder. Public exams like GCSEs and A-levels give pupils a final grade, known as summative assessment. Recent research, however, has focused more on formative assessment which happens every day, not just in a single ritual. Formative assessment can range from a smile or a raised eyebrow to detailed feedback about how and what a child is learning. It's extremely effective in raising pupil's eventual achievement in tests and exams as well as capturing their interest and commitment.

Three pupils talk about their experience of one-to-one tuition

Teachers at Mayplace Primary School in Kent and Seaford Head Community College, East Sussex, demonstrate how they're using APP during one-to-one sessions. Three students have all benefitted from one-to-one tuition, but their individual experience has been very different. Louis struggles in literacy, Ryan lacks confidence in his maths, and Dan is not making the progress that his teachers feel he is capable of. We also hear from parents, tutors, school management as well as the pupils themselves about what they think of the one-to-one tuition process.

Assessment for Learning - One to One Tuition

A teacher encourages independent group work

An assessment for learning technique is highlighted which is suitable to benefit any key stage. A Year 9 maths class at the President Kennedy School in Coventry are placed in mixed ability groups and set a challenging problem that involves turning data into simultaneous equations The students are told they only have three chances to seek help from the teacher. The groups don't want to lose their "lifelines" so only call for assistance when they're absolutely stuck which provides a clear insight of where the real difficulties lie. The technique also helps to encourage independent learning by handing responsibility over to the pupils. Later, Philippa Cordingley, director of the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education, explains the use of this strategy supported by the research in this video.

Independent Group Work

Mike Baker talks to the DCSF's chief adviser on school standards

Mike Baker talks to the DCSF's chief adviser on school standards, Sue Hackman, about the Making Good Progress pilots, assessing models for single level testing and one-to-one tuition. Sue reveals that, although discontinued at KS3 level, the initial findings for single level testing at KS2 appear positive, and that they may be rolled out across the country within three years. The 10 hours of catch-up one-to-one tuition in maths and English for pupils who have fallen behind or have stopped making progress, also appear to have been successful, Sue says. We also hear from a deputy head at a school which has taken part in the pilot looking at standardised approaches to assessment for learning.The contents of this video may no longer reflect current Government policy.

Making Good Progress Pilots

Whitchurch First embed AfL using a child-centred curriculum

This programme features a primary school's personal learning journey to embed Assessment for Learning (AfL) across the whole school. It sees the head teacher and staff reflecting on a child-centred approach to learning; the value of pupil voice, one-to-one tuition, and the need for maintaining CPD for all staff. Central to their approach is a child-centred curriculum alongside a thorough knowledge and understanding of each individual child as they move through the early years. In a maths lesson on symmetry, Year 3 teacher Emlyn Lumley pilots effective questioning by purposely not displaying the learning objectives at the start of this lesson, monitoring this different approach carefully. Assessment coordinator Christine Maguire has devised a template which can be accessed by all teachers to track pupils' levels. One-to-one pupil conferencing, effective monitoring and tracking alongside AfL ensures that children are progressing with their learning. Through observing Whitchurch First School's views and experiences, this programme is designed to provoke discussion and wider debate on AfL implementation across a school; and to stimulate creative thinking and ideas for viewers' own local implementation.

Primary Assessment for Learning - A Whole School Approach

The use of different learning styles at Park Lane Primary

Park Lane Primary are looking at different learning styles to raise pupil self esteem, accelerate progress and foster pupil participation in their learning. Teacher Pippa McGeoch removed ability settings in her Year 6 class with very positive results. Students became more motivated when working together with learning partners and sitting at mixed ability tables. In a maths lesson about co-ordinates, differentiation is achieved through the choice of success criteria. They peer assess each others letter-writing, focusing on informal language. Students are also actively involved in the planning process, providing them with ownership of what they learn. Headteacher Martin Francis monitors the effectiveness of these collaborative learning strategies.

Primary Assessment for Learning - Collaborative Learning

How a Year 1 English class with EAL pupils are assessed

With a high proportion of children learning English as an additional language, Whitchurch First School places high value on speaking and listening. Year 1 children are given a chance to demonstrate what they can do in a variety of situations, in both structured and playful atmospheres. The children read their own stories aloud then the whole class is encouraged to express their opinions on the quality of presentation. A small group of boys building lego models are assessed on their skills of speaking, paying attention, event ordering, use of technical language and ability to express creative ideas. Working with small groups of children role-playing enables their teacher to provide very detailed assessments of their language development, technical vocabulary and skills in responding to questions.

Primary Assessment for Learning - Speaking and Listening: Year 1

Year 2 pupils build on their peer and self assessment skills

Year 2 pupils at Whitechurch First School are building on their peer and self assessment skills acquired in Year 1. A visit from The Queen, in the form of their class teacher hot seating in the classroom, provides them with inspiration for their own presentations and writing tasks throughout the course of the day. The aim of hot seating is to get the children asking high level questions to inform their own speaking and listening. The children present a piece of formal writing, reading from the front of the class, which the rest of the class then peer assess. Class teacher Anna Bruck assesses the pupils' use of technical language, whilst a teaching assistant facilitates a game to encourage both speaking and listening skills with a child learning English as an additional language.

Primary Assessment for Learning - Speaking and Listening: Year 2

A book is rated using the traffic light system

A demonstration of effective examples of assessment for learning, which are of relevance to learning at any key stage. RE pupils at the President Kennedy School in Coventry are asked to write down their impressions of a book and then rate their work using a traffic light system. The results are then used to inform the rest of the lesson so the teacher can target help for the pupils who indicated red or amber. In this lesson the help was provided by other pupils by using structured collaboration. Later, Philippa Cordingley, director of the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education explains the use of this strategy supported by the research in this video .

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