The progress of learners as a result of robust assessment strategies and monitoring of pupils’ achievements and next steps in learning.
Effective Practice
Troedyrhiw Primary School
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Information about the school
Troedyrhiw Community Primary is situated in the village of Troedyrhiw and Pentrebach with a few pupils attending from further afield. The school is based on two adjoining sites and has 215 pupils aged 3-11 years. Around 20% of pupils are eligible for free school meals and 17% are identified as having an additional learning need. The schools motto, ‘Believe, Achieve and Shine Bright’ embodies everyday practice at the school, where the whole school community work together to raise aspirations, encouraging all to believe in themselves, achieve their goals and shine bright.
This strong practice ensures that nearly all pupils with additional needs make excellent progress during their time in school. Leaders involve all staff, governors, parents and pupils in a range of effective monitoring activities that focus clearly on pupil progress and well-being. The school makes good use of a wide range of evidence to identify improvement priorities.
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
School leaders consider assessment as an integral part of curriculum design. Following a review of the school’s existing practices and redesign of the curriculum as a result of Curriculum for Wales, whole school assessment procedures, including tracking and monitoring were reviewed, leading to a change in whole school practices.
Stage 1: Which assessments are most effective and impact positively on learning?
- All staff reviewed existing assessments procedures. This included a review of the day-to-day assessments, how they were used and what the impact was. Consideration was given to the different stages of pupils’ learning and to the value and use of written and verbal feedback to pupils. Staff considered “How well do pupils use feedback to move learning forward? How well do staff use this to inform next steps planning?”.
- Staff subject knowledge – Quality time is spent ensuring all staff have a clear and accurate understanding of progression in each area of learning. There is a clear focus on how well teachers plan and build on pupils’ learning, and use prior achievements as a platform to work on. There is an ongoing commitment to ensure that staff at all levels have a shared understanding of progression and expectations for all pupils.
- Tracking systems – The school reviewed existing tracking systems to consider what information it shared on pupils, how useful this information was and how well it was being used. As a result, the school’s tracking system was refined to include the essential information that is required to track pupils’ achievements as well as plan future learning to ensure the planned progression of skills.
Stage 2: A Revised Whole School Assessment Policy
- Staff and governing body training took place. This shared information on research on effective strategies and how to make the most effective use of ongoing formative assessments.
- Reflection on existing effective practice in school and ensuring consistency across stages of pupils learning. An enquiry-based approach took place which led to staff focusing on various assessment for learning strategies and identified which ones were most effective for different types of learners, at different stages in their learning.
- A revised assessment policy was agreed and implemented. Governor training took place to ensure that they understood the school procedures and the rationale for changes.
- Agreed piloting of reviewed strategies included the use and value of ‘Pupil Meets’. These allow learners to become an integral part of the assessment procedures, involving learners in discussions around how well they use and apply their literacy, numeracy and digital skills as well as development of their thinking, problem solving, creative and reflective skills.
Stage 3: Embedding Revised Practices
Marking and Feedback
- Staff complete detailed assessments of pupils’ written work. They use analysis template sheets of pupils’ ‘cold writes’ to identify pupils’ strengths and areas to develop.
- Cold write analysis sheets are used to inform teachers’ planning. This ensures planning is specific to meet the needs of learners in each cohort and maximises opportunities for pupils to build on prior learning and effective progress.
- The literacy lead uses the cohort analysis sheets to identify any professional development needs or coaching requirements.
- Senior leaders triangulate information when monitoring the progress pupils make by aligning analysis sheets, short term planning and pupils’ work. This informs improvement planning.
- Similar practices are carried out in other areas of learning. For example in number, analysis of pupils’ needs is carried out and the information is used to plan pupils’ next steps.
Using data
- Using tests and summative data –assessment information including reading ages and national test information is used alongside teacher assessments and observations to gather an accurate picture of pupils’ standards / achievement.
- Cohort Progress Review (CPR) templates are completed by all staff. These are completed at the beginning of the academic year. Teachers use assessment information to identify the needs of pupils, support groupings where relevant, and to set learning targets.
- Leaders meet with teachers to discuss the CPRs and identify where additional support may be needed. This can include interventions for pupils, in-class support, professional development and coaching.
- The Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ALNCo) meets with all teachers at the beginning of the academic year to discuss pupils with additional learning needs. During these meetings teachers identify the bespoke interventions and support required to maximise pupil progress. These are reviewed regularly.
- CPR review meetings take place mid-year to track and monitor the progress pupils make. During these meetings, information is shared that includes scrutiny of pupils’ work and the impact of feedback. There is a professional dialogue around the impact of high quality teaching and bespoke planning to meet the need of learners within each cohort. The conversation focuses on the main areas that will help to raise standards and ensure pupil progress.
- CPR review meetings take place mid-year and formal evaluation meetings at the end of the year. However, throughout the year, collective triangulation of analysis, planning and book scrutiny takes place. This ensures tracking is ongoing and enables staff to review regularly, evaluate impact of interventions and planning, and make changes as required.
Involving pupils
- Older pupils (Year 3 to 6) meet with teachers each term. Teachers use assessment information and digital pupil questionnaires to guide ‘Pupil Meets’. During these meetings, quality time is spent with each pupil to discuss what they are doing well, what their next steps in learning are and how they will be supported. There is also a focus on pupil well-being, pupils interests and motivators. During these meetings, older pupils are involved in the discussions of what they can expect learning to look like for them that term.
- Mentoring – relevant information for Pupil Meets is shared with leaders to identify pupils who may benefit from ongoing mentoring support. Where there are pupils who are identified as ‘at risk of not achieving potential’ or ‘vulnerable’, mentoring is implemented to support those learners and maximise their involvement in the tracking of progress.
Involving governors
- Governors are fully aware of the changes made to whole school assessment procedures. They understand the assessments that have the greatest impact on learners.
- Pupil presentations of work and open afternoons provide governors with the opportunity to view pupils’ work and discuss this with the pupils. This enables governors to view ‘real learning’ and not solely rely on a set of data or graphs.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
Effective use of assessments
- Feedback to pupils is effective. There is a clear understanding of what the pupil is achieving in lessons and what they need to do to improve.
- Planning reflects marking and feedback. There are timely opportunities for pupils to build on prior learning.
- Teachers and additional practitioners have good subject knowledge and know how to plan for next steps in learning.
- Leaders track and monitor, collectively with staff and pupils, the progress pupils make.
Tracking and monitoring
- Agreed templates are adopted to ensure rigorous and accurate use of assessment information.
- Older pupils are engaged in the tracking process through Pupil Meets and mentoring.
- Planning, training, assessment and work scrutiny are aligned to ensure they all support one another.
- Professional dialogue is open, honest and reflective.
Pupil progress
- Teachers use highly effective assessments to develop a good understanding of individual pupils’ progress in lessons and over time. Teachers discuss the outcomes of these assessments and plan accordingly to ensure that nearly all pupils make better than expected progress across all areas of learning.
- Teachers assess writing diligently at the beginning of a new genre, which enables older pupils to understand how well they have achieved the writing style and their next steps in learning.
- Teachers reflect thoughtfully on what pupils can do and use this information to plan future lessons and identify pupils in need of support quickly.
- Staff work collaboratively to identify pupils who need additional support through rigorous assessment and monitoring of pupil progress. Staff are highly effective in identifying gaps in pupils’ learning and any gaps are addressed through the delivery of purposeful and targeted interventions. Senior leaders regularly evaluate the impact of interventions to ensure that they remain purposeful and meet the needs of learners.
How have you shared your good practice?
Assessment procedures at Troedyrhiw have been shared with the cluster governor improvement group.