Assessment of children’s learning in REAch2

 

From September 2014, with the introduction of the new Primary National Curriculum, the government assessment reforms came into force. These included National Curriculum levels being removed and not replaced. This has allowed schools to design and implement their own assessment frameworks.

 

Below is REAch2’s response to these changes:

 

Changes in the 2014 National Curriculum require that children are able to independently access the skills taught in year groups across a wide range of contexts. There is much more emphasis in revisiting and deepening their understanding of what they have learnt, improving their ability to apply learning in as many different ways as possible.

 

In order for this new assessment criteria to work, it requires a change of mind-set at all levels regarding assessment. Schools have the freedom to make professional judgements on how children learn the knowledge, skills and concepts within the National Curriculum. With this comes a big responsibility to ensure that at all levels it is being taught in a way that develops the whole child.

 

As children are not expected to push through a set of levels, they are free to master the full breadth of the curriculum for their year group. Really strong, sustainable progress will come through the freedom for children to learn in a range of contexts and ways. The progress will be evident and measurable in books and through the children themselves.

 

The REAch2 Non-Negotiable Milestones for each year group are not a replacement for levels nor are they a basis for planning or measuring steps in progress. They are a summative expectation of what skills, knowledge and concepts the child should have by the end of the year. It is by no means the range, breadth or depth of what a child should be learning.

 

This is not to say that challenge and high expectations have slipped. Once a child has independently achieved and met aspects of their year group’s curriculum and this is clearly evidenced, they will be pushed on to their next stage of learning. This will not be scored through a data package but will be the responsibility of the school to ensure that children are meeting their full potential, through clear and thorough checking systems.

 

For more information regarding how pupil achievement is measure please click below: