Student work is continually assessed during the 'you do' phase of our lessons. This section of the lesson is carefully planned to focus on the key piece of knowledge that the lesson was based on. This enables teachers to assess, and then to respond when intellectually preparing for their next lesson. Throughout lessons, questioning, turn and talk, and mini whiteboards are used by teachers to gather data on student progress.

Once a unit all year groups will sit an assessment.

KS3 Assessments

All of our teaching is built around knowledge that is set up in knowledge organisers. We are judicious in our choices about what knowledge goes into this as it forms the basis of our enacted curriculum. The understanding of this knowledge is assessed through our knowledge organiser assessments, sat in exam conditions, every unit. The only exception is mathematics where students will answer questions that assess the processes they have learnt rather than factual knowledge. We then rank out students according to attainment. This not only fosters healthy competition and aspiration, but it also enables setting to happen effectively. The assessment window is always within the last three weeks of the unit. After students complete their assessment they will use their remaining lessons to review the content they have learnt. Teachers will identify content that students need to be retaught through the assessment papers and the embedded assessment in lessons through the unit. This means all students will learn new content at the same time as the start of the next unit. At the end of each unit parents will receive a report that shows individual subject data, ranking position and any set changes that have occurred. You can find examples of some knowledge organiser assessments below.

Year 10 End of Unit Exams

In Year 10 students will sit an in-class end of unit exam. These exams consist of past exam questions which reflect what students have recently been learning. This provides valuable information for teachers on what preparation students need for the public examinations and how we can best support and challenge them to be successful. As students have moved into their option classes, we only set them within the core subjects. In some options, students will be given a current working grade rather than sitting an assessment as they are completing coursework rather than preparing for a summer exam. These option subjects are: Sport, Catering, Health & Social Care, Engineering and Media. You will be able to find the assessment manifest for the Year 10 end of Unit 1 exams below once it has been shared with students. At the start of each unit parents will receive a report that shows individual subject data, and you will be contacted about any set changes. You can find examples of some Year 10 end of unit exams below.

Year 11 Mock Exams

Year 11 students will sit two series of mock exams each year. This prepares them for public examinations, and ensures we have comprehensive data upon which we can act to ensure every child is able to climb their own personal mountain to the very best universities in the country or careers of their choosing. They are sat in exam conditions in exam locations, and we run mock exam season as we would a public examination series to give students the experience they need to be successful. You will find the assessment manifest and exam timetable below once it has been shared with students. Students will receive their results in school at the end of each unit, and you will be contacted about any set changes.

Assessment Manifests

Each subject will create their own subject manifest for each mock exam or end of unit exam. The assessment manifest will include details on what topics will appear on the exam and a strategy to revise - this could include a link to a website, pages in a revision guide or linked Sparx/Seneca tasks. The assessment manifest might also include details on how the exam is structured and key information on how to complete the exam.

Useful Links

Rank order Assessment - FAQs (here)

Example of KS3 Knowledge organiser assessment (English)

Example of KS3 Knowledge organiser assessment (Science)

Example of KS3 Knowledge organiser assessment (Art)

 

Example of Year 10 end of unit exam (Maths)

Example of Year 10 end of unit exam (Geography)

Example of Year 10 end of unit exam (History)