Assessment for Learning

Assessment

Secondary

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

Using AfL in enterprise education at a special school

A special school shows how it has developed an enterprise education scheme to give students opportunities for self-assessment and independent learning, tying into the Assessment for Learning (AfL) model. Headteacher Maxine Pittaway and her team have developed practical enterprise education schemes that work alongside the mainstream curriculum, and encourage self-assessment, peer mentoring and independent learning. The students and teachers at St Christopher's, Wrexham, are successfully running sustainable social enterprises from within the school premises, including a hairdressing salon cafe and a car valeting service. This helps students to gain confidence and practical social skills and feed their experiences back into the classroom and their every day learning. Maxine and her team have found that these opportunities for independent learning fit well into the AfL model that they've embedded throughout the school, one of the largest special schools in Wales.

AfL in Special Schools - A Case Study

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

Teachers show how they are using APP at Key Stage 3

Teachers at the Thomas Keble School in Gloucestershire demonstrate how they're using APP in maths and English at key stage 3. Head of Year 7 maths, Kate Apperley, uses the APP guidelines to plan a lesson where she can assess her students' understanding of area and perimeter. Later in a Year 8 English class, head of English Katherine Burridge, guides the students in identifying the level they are working at, and what they need to do to progress beyond it. Finally we see how the teachers use nationally available APP materials in addition to a locally created spreadsheet, to record the levels at which each pupil in the class is working.

Assessment for Learning - Secondary Maths and English - APP in Action

A passionate physics teacher shows us his AfL techniques

Former Teacher of the Year Andy Smith welcomes us into his classroom to demonstrate how creative teaching methods are helping his students with their Assessment for Learning. Physics teacher Andy, who was named Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2005, has devoted much time and energy to making lessons more exciting and original. He believes that everything to do with physics, and indeed teaching in general, should revolve around fun and excitement. Most recently, Andy has been using AfL techniques to help his pupils focus on their own learning. He has developed a range of games to help the children understand not only what they have learned about a topic, but what level of attainment they have reached.

Assessment For Learning in KS3/4 Science - Andy and Physics

Find out how a unique AfL strategy inspires students in biology

Biology teacher Anita Kapila, a former bio-medical researcher, demonstrates her Assessment for Learning strategy, The Level Ladder. With 15 years of bio-medical research behind her, Anita loves to regale her class with tales of her former career. Stories about harvesting cells from pieces of human umbilical cord and placenta fascinate them all. But at Burnham Upper School, where Anita teaches, they have an additional way of engaging students. Their AfL strategy ensures that students are always inspired to raise their attainment. The school's tailored assessment model - The Level Ladder - allows children to not only know what level they're at but gives them a guide as to how they can improve their grades and make progress. The result is an enthusiastic class continually striving to further their knowledge of biology.

Assessment For Learning in KS3/4 Science - Anita and Biology

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

A Year 9 maths teacher works to improve her AfL strategies

This series follows a group of maths teachers who are each working to improve their Assessment for Learning (AfL) strategies. The teachers, from Bromley in south east London, hope that by enhancing their teaching skills, they can make maths a more positive experience for themselves and their pupils. In this programme, a Year 9 class from Bromley's Ravensbourne School work on graphs, equations and coordinates as their teacher, Caroline Price, tests out new AfL techniques for the first time. Will Caroline be able to change her traditional approach? And how will the pupils react to this new style of teaching and learning?

KS3/4 Maths - Assessment for Learning in Maths: Exploring Graphs with Year 9

A Year 11 maths teacher works to improve her AfL strategies

This series follows a group of maths teachers from London who are each working to improve their Assessment for Learning strategies. In this programme, a Year 11 class from Langley Park School for Girls in Bromley revise polygons in the build up to their GCSE exams. Will teacher Jenny Brown, deputy head of maths at the school, manage to change her traditional approach? And what will the students make of this new style of teaching and learning?

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

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