Tracking and reports
Each pupil’s progress will be tracked in every subject during their time at Llanidloes High School. Parents will receive one full report and two interim reports over the course of an academic year in addition to a parents’ evening. Also, parents can contact the relevant Year Leader if they have concerns. All reports include a professional predicted level (key stage 3) or grade (key stages 4 and 5) for each subject and effort grades of either A*, A, B, C or N (A* = ‘excellent’ to N = ‘needs improvement’). Full reports also have grades for classwork, homework, organisation and behaviour.
Assessment
Formative assessment
This takes the form of Assessment for Learning (AFL) through things such as:
- questioning techniques;
- feedback to pupils both written and orally – which may be immediately or when work is collected – in order for pupils to fully understand what they need to do to improve their work and make progress;
- self-assessment and peer assessment which involves pupils assessing their own work against success criteria or a mark scheme and recognising good quality work.
Summative Assessment (Assessment of Learning)
- In Years 7 – 9 pupils are assessed using National Curriculum levels usually through regular tests and annual exams;
- At key stage 4, grades should be awarded according to assessment criteria based on the GCSE grading system A* to G;
- Examinations and Assessments – pupils will sit a formal internal assessment every year.
Teachers will usually mark work once every three weeks (less often when for subjects with fewer lessons each week) giving an effort grade, initialling, dating and giving feedback; this will include positive comments and also constructive feedback on how the pupil can improve their work with targets being made clear using a T in a circle. Pupils are then expected to respond to those comments.
Work is marked giving a grade for effort as follows: A* – Outstanding, A – Excellent , B – Good, C – Satisfactory, N – Needs improvement.
Target grades and levels
The school uses CATs test results to help set target levels for key stage 3 pupils and FFT (Fischer Family Trust) data to help set target grades for key stage 4. A combination of previous attainment at GCSE and predictions from large data sets help teachers to decide targets grades for the Sixth Form. All pupils should be aware of their target grades and levels. They may be adjusted when we monitor pupils’ progress especially if a pupil makes better progress than anticipated.