Reporting and school assessment schedule

Updates about arrangements for public examination, as well as guidance from Ofqual and the Department for Education (DfE) can be found in the website section called Blackfen School for Girls - Guidance for students, parents and carers about public exams in November and the Summer term

Schedule of school assessment and Progress Update reports to parents and carers

Date	Assessment	Progress Update issued
Monday 28th September – Friday 9th October	Year 10 summative assessment	As from Friday 13th November
Monday 12th October – Friday 6th November	Year 11 summative Pre-Public Exams	As from Friday 27th November
Monday 9th November – Friday 20th November	Year 13 summative Pre-Public Exams	As from Friday 11th December
Monday 23rd November – Friday 4th December	Year 12 summative assessment	As from Friday 8th January
Monday 30th November – Friday 11th December	Year 9 summative assessment	As from Friday 15th January
Tuesday 5th January – Tuesday 19th January	Year 7 & Year 8 summative assessment	As from Tuesday 9th January
Monday 1st February – Friday 12th February	Year 13 summative Pre-Public Exams	As from Friday 12th March
Monday 8th February – Friday 26th February	Year 11 summative Pre-Public Exams	As from Friday 19th March
Monday 22nd February – Friday 26th February	Year 12 BTEC summative Pre-Public Exams	As from Friday 19th March
Monday 15th March – Wednesday 25th March	Year 12 A level summative Pre-Public Exams	As from Friday 30th April
Monday 12th April – Friday 23rd April	Year 10 summative Pre-Public Exams	As from Friday 14th May
Monday 7th June – Friday 18th June	Year 7 & Year 8 summative assessment	As from Friday 11th July
Monday 21st June – Friday 25th June	Year 9 English, Maths and Science summative Pre-Public Exams	As from Friday 16th July

* Pre-Public Exams are summative assessments that are set up and organised in the style of public exams for students in Year 10 – Year 13.

Use of assessment at Blackfen School: Our rationale and aims

We believe that assessment is the diagnosis of learning. Its value lies not in the collection of data but in the quality of the actions it informs and the improvements it secures in students' learning and progress.

Assessment is central to our commitment to providing a high-quality education for all students at Blackfen School. We use assessment to check understanding and progress, and to adapt our teaching so that every student makes secure and timely progress.

Effective assessment enables teachers to identify what students know, understand and can do. It supports responsive lesson planning that meets individual learning needs and ensures student progress is monitored and celebrated. Assessment information helps parents and carers support their child's learning at home and informs strategic decisions about school improvement by leaders and governors.

We use assessment to fulfil our aims to:

• Support learning by providing accurate, timely feedback
• Recognise and celebrate achievement
• Identify gaps in knowledge and skills to inform future teaching
• Ensure consistency, fairness and high expectations across the school
• Promote student ownership of learning through self- and peer-assessment

Types of assessment

At Blackfen School we use three types of assessment to support our aims:

Formative Assessment

On-going checking of understanding embedded in day-to-day teaching. Formative assessment includes questioning, class discussions, quizzes and peer/self-assessment. It enables teachers to assess the quality of student progress and provide feedback that moves students forward in their current learning. The purpose of formative assessment is to enable teaching and learning to be adapted in the short-term.

Summative Assessment

Extended assessment scheduled at key points throughout the year. Summative assessment includes end-of-unit tests, Pre-Public Examinations (mock exams) and public examinations at the end of Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. Its purpose is to enable teachers and students to evaluate the quality of learning at a point in time and at the end of the learning process.

Two summative assessments per year group are scheduled in the school assessment calendar. Summative assessment 1 identifies gaps in the threshold concepts, vocabulary and skills that underpin future curriculum learning. Summative assessment 2 exposes students to the range of concepts / understanding / knowledge / skills of actual examination papers and enables teachers to accurately predict final outcomes in terminal examinations.

Diagnostic Assessment

Baseline tests and diagnostic activities used on a case-by-case basis to identify students' starting points, strengths and areas for development, especially when students join the school. Every student from Year 7 to Year 13 takes a reading assessment annually to establish their reading age. This information is shared with parents/carers and all teachers, and is used to identify students requiring literacy intervention and to monitor progress over time.

All assessments are:

• Planned in line with curriculum schemes of work to ensure full coverage of key knowledge and skills
• Designed to avoid cultural bias and disadvantage
• Adapted for students with additional needs, in line with our SEND Policy and JCQ access arrangements guidance, with differentiated assessments and additional support provided where appropriate

Feedback approach

Every subject has devised subject-specific feedback codes to provide students with precise information about 'What Works Well' and 'Even Better If' following assessment of their work. These feedback codes provide succinct guidance that students can act on promptly. Students are provided with opportunities to respond to feedback and make improvements in lessons and homework tasks.

Assessment feedback is matched to subject pedagogy and key stage, so that students in every year group and subject understand their areas of academic strength, development and aspiration. Subject teams decide a consistent approach to feedback using either:

• Feedback codes
• Brief written comments
• Guided verbal follow-up in the next lesson

In all cases, feedback makes clear to students what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. Agreed school notation for literacy correction is used in written marking. Used skilfully, feedback is a powerful tool to challenge positively, to initiate long-term change and to promote resilience.

Some coursework exceptions to feedback may apply in line with examination regulations.

Reporting and communication with parent and carers

Our reports are called ‘Progress Updates’. They are produced twice per year for each year group, following summative assessments and are published to parents and carers via Edulink. Progress Updates show:

• Students' current attainment in all subjects
• Prior attainment
• Annual attainment targets (based on GCSE target grades and internal targets)
• An attendance summary
• Teachers' evaluation of students' development of positive attitudes to learning

Parents/carers who have questions about their child's Progress Update should contact the relevant Subject Leader via the school’s email address.

Curriculum information

Details of the subject curriculum for each year group are available to parents on the school website in the section called Blackfen School for Girls - Curriculum, including the teaching schedule that delivers the subject curriculum.

Parents Evenings

Parents' Evenings are held annually for each year group, offering opportunities for discussion with subject teachers about curriculum content, student progress and assessment outcomes.