Formative assessment takes place daily in lessons. It is integrated and ongoing, and is used to intervene, adapt teaching and tailor planning for subsequent lessons to best support students in their learning.
Summative assessments assess only what has been intended and taught in the curriculum area over a period of time.
Key Stage 3
At KS3, students’ curriculum related expectations will be reported to parents/carers through a quantitative score of % of the curriculum retained and applied by the student, alongside the average year % for each subject. Attitude to learning will also be reported.
Please find an overview of our Key Stage three assessment calendar and reporting cycle to parents:-
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | |
| Autumn term | GL Assessment and CATs in English, Maths and Science and reading tests | Reading tests | |
| Progress report sent via Parentmail | |||
| Initial assessments | Initial assessments | Initial assessments. | |
| Spring term | Progress report sent via Parentmail | Progress report sent via Parentmail | Progress report sent via email. |
| Continual progress assessments shared via Parentmail. | Continual progress assessments shared via Parentmail. | Continual progress assessments shared via Parentmail. | |
| Virtual parents’ evening on School Cloud. | Virtual parents’ evening on School Cloud | Virtual parents’ evening on School Cloud | |
| Summer term | GL Progress Tests in English, Maths and Science (externally standardised). Summative assessments | Summative assessments | End of Key Stage GL Progress Tests in English, Maths and Science (externally standardised) Summative assessments |
| Progress report sent via Parentmail | Progress report sent via Parentmail | Progress reports sent via Parentmail |
Key Stage 4
Year 10 reports to parents communicate the % of curriculum learned and retained only in the autumn/winter term, with predicted grades being reported to parents/carers after Year 10 exams once more of the curriculum has been learned and applied. Attitude to learning will also be reported.
Once students begin to sit global assessments (mid-way through year 10 and throughout year 11), we use age-independent grades (9-1) which provide a more accurate indication of a student’s likely performance in their final GCSE exams.
Year 11 report exam grades, end of key stage prediction and Attitude to learning from autumn and winter onwards.
Mock examinations
Mock examinations take place in the summer term of Year 10 and the Autumn and Spring Term of Year 11. Results are shared via the mock results day in January and via written progress reports in July of Year 10 and April of Year 11.
Parents’ evenings for years 10 and year 11 will take place during the autumn term prior to mock examinations.
All summative assessments are based on past exam papers, using GCSE exam board grades and grade boundaries specific to the examination paper used (with a 10% increase in boundary to anticipate any exam board increases).
Attitude to learning grades
Attitudes to learning are important if each student is to achieve their very best. We include a grade for each subject within every progress report. More information on these can be found in the document here: