Reporting and Assessment

Introduction

Assessment at Dover Grammar School for Girls aims to:

• Offer all students an opportunity to show what they know, understand and can do
• Help students understand what they need to develop
• Advance the learning process
• Enable teachers to plan more effectively
• Help parents to be involved in their child’s learning
• Provide the school with information to evaluate progress and set suitable targets
• Help raise standards of achievement and attainment for all students

Assessment Methodology

Throughout Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 ‘Assessment for Learning’ is supported and developed using the following strategies:

• Sharing learning objectives and learning outcomes with students
• Helping students to know and recognise the standards they are aiming for
• Involving students in peer and self-assessment
• Providing feedback that leads students to recognising their next steps and how to take them
• Involving both the teacher and student in reviewing and reflecting on assessment information
• Promoting confidence that every student can improve

Throughout Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 ‘Assessment of Learning’ is supported and developed using the following strategies:

• Using student prior attainment data
• Internal school tests and examinations and public examinations
• Giving students carefully defined tasks
• Providing judgements against level/grade descriptions
• Ensuring that statutory assessments are understood and followed
• Using benchmark information to assess student achievement and attainment
• Providing progress and summative reports to students and parents

Tracking Student Progress

The Tracking process is designed for teachers across the curriculum to record and share accurate judgements about each student’s progress at set times throughout the academic year.  The process should enable teachers and school leaders to identify patterns of progress and areas of underachievement in order to better inform teaching and learning, particularly in terms of planning targeted intervention.  The process should also allow students the opportunity to reflect on their work and to set personal targets for development.

The Tracking process at Dover Grammar School for Girls should never be seen as just a system in place for recording and analysing data.  Nor should the data ever be seen as simply providing answers.  Whatever judgements and assessments are made, the process is fundamentally about asking questions and encouraging effective dialogue and feedback at all levels.  For this reason, ‘Progress Reports’ are sent home to parents/carers in order to involve them more directly with their child’s learning.

Moreover, Tracking should lead to the celebration of students’ successes and the sharing of good practice between teachers.

Please note that in view of the on-going national changes to the curricular and assessment methodologies within both the primary and secondary sectors, all assessment and reporting procedures are under review and subject to change.  We will endeavour to keep all parents informed of any changes made at DGGS.