Assessment and Reporting at Broxbourne CE Primary School

Why this matters

Effective assessment and feedback on a regular and ongoing basis is essential in high-quality teaching to extend and challenge all learners. This page illustrates the amount of detail and feedback you receive as parents each year at Broxbourne CE Primary School in order to support and extend your child. 

The Home and School partnership is vital in order to best support your children. We are committed to providing regular ongoing high-quality feedback regarding your child’s learning throughout the academic year.

Assessment of children’s understanding

At Broxbourne CE Primary, we understand the importance of various forms of assessment. Our priority is Assessment for Learning (AfL) - staff using assessment to ensure, support and extend children’s learning and understanding. For this, we use a variety of methods:

Diagnostic assessment takes place predominantly through questioning- both whole class and individually targeted- and through whiteboard or other informal work. This allows staff to recognise a ‘baseline’ from which to work and can help them understand how much prior learning has been retained.

Formative assessment takes place during lessons through discussion, questioning, observation and working individually with children. With this assessment, staff can immediately address misconceptions; stretch children’s understanding further with a ‘next step’ or clarify key information. 

Summative assessment (Assessment of Learning) takes place at the end of a unit or at a set time scale- through assessment of a body of work against set criteria or through use of a formal written test. This provides data for the school to use in tracking in order to address notable patterns; set school foci and arrange interventions if necessary. 

As a result of this assessment, feedback is given to children, both verbally and in written forms, on a daily basis. 

In order to support the ‘Assessment and Reporting Cycle’, assessment weeks occur at three points in the year towards the end of each term. The reports and feedback at Parents’ Evenings are based upon a combination of ongoing teacher assessment and summative assessment to ensure an accurate representation of your child’s attainment.

Curricular Detail

Our ‘Curriculum’ section of our website contains the detail and subject matter your child will be taught across the year. This is available on class and curriculum pages for EY1 to Year 6 on the school website and can be visited on a regular basis so you know what your child is learning and so you can support them accordingly.

In Early Years, communication of additional learning is shared through an online ‘Learning Journal’ called Tapestry. Regular observations, photographs and assessment of your child’s learning and experiences within our school setting are captured here. We invite you to contribute to this record of your child’s learning and development across the year and greatly value this partnership.

In Years 1 to 6, Google Classroom is used. On this we add homework and instruction on a weekly basis to consolidate and extend the learning taking place in school. Additional specific support materials for key subjects eg phonics and maths are posted here for reference and use across the year to ensure this learning is secure and is regularly revisited. 

Parental Engagement

Four opportunities are provided each year to formally visit the school to speak with your child’s class teacher and see your child’s learning first hand, Additionally we provide two written records of your child’s attainment:

September

‘Meet the Teacher’ – the opportunity to find out curricular and year group specific detail in person with the presentation shared following the meeting for future reference. These are also added to the year group page of the school website. Please note that EY1 and 2 hold these equivalent meetings prior to the school year beginning for all parents whose children are joining our school.

October

Parents’ Evening 1 – the opportunity to discuss the start your child has made to the year; review their learning so far and share ways in which school and home can support their learning moving forward. 

February

School Report – a detailed report which shares assessment of attainment and effort across all curriculum areas and a general comment regarding your child’s contribution to the life of the school. The report denotes the effort and level of attainment in relation to National Curriculum descriptors. This report also contains a ‘Dispositions and Attitudes’ section as these are important key determiners of being an effective learner. 

The report is sent at this half-way point in the year so that the current teacher and parents can work in partnership to best support the child across the remainder of the year to achieve their full potential.

March

Parents’ Evening 2 – a second opportunity to visit to discuss the progress, attitudes and attainment of your child. This is likely to reference aspects of the February report. This is a further opportunity to view your child’s learning to date. 

July

‘Open Evening’ – a third opportunity to see your child’s learning across the year and the progress they have made. Your child’s teacher will be present to share and celebrate their successes. The opportunity will also be there to visit your child’s next class and to meet their teacher for the following year. 

July

End of Year Attainment Summary - An end of year outcome summary will be provided detailing your child’s attainment and effort in Reading, Writing and Maths. You will be notified of any National Test results:

Early Years 2 - Early Years Foundation Stage profile. 
Year 1 - Phonics Test result.
Year 2 - Key Stage 1 SATs results 
Year 4 - Multiplication Test Check result 
Year 6 - Key Stage 2 SATs results.

If at any point a staff member considers it important to contact you about your child’s well-being, progress or attainment, they will be in contact with you so that appropriate intervention can occur.

In addition to the above, parents and carers of children who are identified as having additional needs and are on the SEND register, receive additional meeting times across the year to review their Individual Support Plans (ISPs) or Educational Health Care Plans (EHCPs). Meetings may also be arranged to work with and receive feedback from externals professionals if required.

At Broxbourne CE Primary School, we understand the importance of providing parental feedback and timely communication with families. We greatly value the relationship we build with the school community in order to ensure our children reach their full potential. We believe feedback and partnership are essential aspects of our school in order for our children to flourish.