Assessment and Reporting

Assessment and Reporting

Reporting and Grades

Effective, timely and regular assessment plays a crucial role in pupil progress. It allows teachers to have a clear understanding of their pupils’ abilities, strengths and weaknesses. This in turn helps teachers guide their pupils to make good progress and develop a more independent approach to their own studies, taking responsibility for their own learning. It allows for pupils to be both stretched and supported appropriately.

As important as the actual assessment is the feedback that pupils receive – do they know where they are (relative to their own abilities)? Do they know what areas of learning need to develop? Do they know how to get there?

‘Feedback is what is received, not what is given.’

We believe that assessment should be based on a continuum. This means that the type of feedback given will depend on where a pupil is in a particular unit of study at a particular time. For example, at the start of a unit of work a teacher might give detailed feedback to encode success. Once a pupil is aware of what “correct” might look like, the teacher is more likely to employ strategies such as delayed feedback (using a marking code, partial feedback etc.). This also means that teachers are not expected to mark everything in the same detail, nor do they have to mark every set of notes.

A key element of feedback is sharing with pupils and parents specific guidance on progress to date and developmental points for the future. At Caterham School we ensure there is a regular flow of information for parents. Some of this is done formally through our reporting processes but we also encourage colleagues to engage informally at an early stage with parents if there are concerns about pupil progress and development.

Reporting Policy

All pupils will receive one full set of subject reports, one full set of subject comments, two tutor reports and two parents evenings per year.  For the First to Third year, one of these parents evenings is with the tutor.  Additionally, Grades Reports are issued at half terms, with grades awarded for attainment and effort (homework and classwork graded separately) and an optional short comment box available to the subject teachers. First Years are not awarded attainment grades in their October half term and Fifth and Upper Sixth years do not receive a Grades Report in the Summer Term.