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Who We Are
Advisers
Ben Fuller
Lead Assessment Adviser
Email: ben.fuller@hertsforlearning.co.uk
Clare Hodgson
Adviser
Email: clare.hodgson@hertsforlearning.co.uk
Sophie MacNeill
Assessment Adviser
Email: sophie.macneill@hertsforlearning.co.uk
What We Offer
The Assessment Team works across all phases of education from the Foundation Stage to 14-19.
We provide:
- Training courses at Hertfordshire Development Centre and across the county
- School-based training, e.g. staff meetings, INSET days
- Consultancy for Assessment Coordinators, Headteachers etc.
on both Formative and Summative Assessment.
We also:
- Monitor standards of achievement in Hertfordshire schools, by running assessment moderation cluster meetings across the county
- Provide leadership and support for schools on assessment, recording and reporting
- Publish a range of quality materials on assessment and planning
- Take a lead on the development of assessment for learning as well as on the collection, analysis and use of data to support school improvement and target setting
- Manage statutory National Curriculum assessment at Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, and provide support for schools and analysis of results at all Key Stages.
Our Key Messages
Track progress by Teacher Assessment – informed by an appropriate test or task
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- “Confident Judges” rather than “measurers”
- Teachers understanding the Level criteria - particularly skills and application
- Tests and tasks should inform TA - not be the whole basis of the judgement
- Use tests formatively
- Choose tests/tasks appropriate to pupils’ levels (not necessarily age-related)
- Don’t over-test!
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Best Fit approach to levelling |
- Level criteria were not designed to be split into c/b/a – pupils acquire skills in different orders
- Assess with a view of the whole level – c/b/a indicating the extent to which a pupil has achieved the level
- ‘a’ implies pupil is beginning to show signs of next level
- the NOFAN principle (Never, Occasionally, Frequently, Always, Naturally) – award a level when it is evident frequently or always (across a range of work/genres etc)
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Assessment for Learning – How not What |
- Children need to understand Learning Intentions and Success Criteria so they are clear about what skills they are learning
- Use skills-based learning intentions where possible, rather than acquiring knowledge
- Success Criteria need to focus on the process towards a successful result, rather than the outcome
- Success Criteria are most effective when generated with the pupils, e.g. produced by analysing a ‘model’ piece of work
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Feedback against learning intention |
- Feedback should show children clearly where Learning Intentions have been met as well as identifying areas for improvement
- Discussion takes place about where success criteria have been met the best
- As the practice becomes fully embedded, pupils can start to self- and peer-assess in a similar way
- Time needs to be set aside for pupils to act upon the suggestions for improvement, in order to move their learning forwards
- ‘Next time remember to…’ comments are often forgotten
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Use summative assessment formatively |
- Where possible use non-statutory tests earlier in the year, so that analysis of the results can be fed back into planning and teaching
- Marking of pupils’ work should impact on planning of next lessons
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