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Assessment - What's New & Updates

Monitoring visits Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests 2013 New

The local authority has a statutory duty to carry out monitoring visits to ensure that the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests (SATs) are administered consistently and in accordance with the published guidance. Headteachers have a statutory duty to cooperate with monitoring visits, as they help to build public confidence in the security of the National Curriculum tests and provide headteachers with a formal opportunity to demonstrate how the tests are administered in their schools.

This letter is to inform you of the purpose of monitoring visits and does not indicate that your school will receive a visitVisits will take place in the period immediately before, during and after the tests (from 7th May to 23rd May).

Letter to Headteachers

• Word 2003, 47kb/2 pages, 26/04/2013, ks2_monitoring_visit_letter_2013.doc

Primary Assessment Updates - Summer Term 2013 New

Letter to Headteachers - to bring to your attention information regarding statutory assessment across the primary phase and to update you on other developments in assessment and school performance data.

• Moderation of Teacher Assessment – EYFS, KS1 and KS2 (writing)

• Postal Moderation of Exceptionally High Attaining Pupils

• Submission of Key Stage Data and Checking Procedures

• Monitoring Visits – Key Stage 2 Tests and Y1 Phonics Screening Checks

• Data Updates

Download letter:

• Word 2003, 65kb/2 pages, 23/04/2013, assessment_updates_primary_sum2013.doc

Secondary Schools and Academies: Updates to Key Stage 4 RAISEonline New

2012 Key Stage 4 validated data was due for release on the following dates:

• Interactive reports - late evening of Thursday 18 April 2013
• Summary reports – late evening of Monday 22 April 2013 at the latest

Substantial changes have been made to the Key Stage 4 data management functionality in RAISEonline. The use of Qualification Accreditation Number (QAN) codes has been implemented so that new qualifications can be added to pupil outcomes where necessary.

It is now possible for the RAISEonline secondary school administrator to amend any qualification for pupils and then view the impact of these changes in the school’s own data set. The school’s own data set may be selected within most reports using the appropriate drop-down menu.

Almost all the attainment and progress reports in RAISEonline have the option of switching to the school’s own data set with the exceptions listed below.

• KS4 Summary of full GCSE results by subject (KS4.21)
• KS4 Summary of vocational GCSE results by subject (KS4.21v)
• KS4 Relative performance indicators in full GCSE subjects by subject (KS4.20)
• KS4 Relative performance indicators in vocational GCSE subjects by subject (KS4.20v)

In addition users should be aware that if they wish to see the changes made to qualifications at a pupil level they must first select the school’s own data version of any pupil list report before clicking on a pupil’s unique pupil number (UPN) to drill down to the individual pupil report.

Two short guidance documents illustrating how to amend a Key Stage 4 pupil’s qualifications data and then view the impact this may have in a report have been added to the data management folder in the ‘Library’ section of RAISEonline. The first deals with changing the grade for an existing qualification and the second deals with adding a new qualification to a pupil’s results.

KS2 Pupil Registration and other KS Updates

Key Stage 2 level 6 Accountability

Please note that, as in 2012, the Department for Education will use level 6 results and level 6 English writing teacher assessment in its calculation of progress measures, value added, percentage achieving level 5+ and average point scores. This year the percentage of the number of children at the end of Key Stage 2 achieving level 6 in a school will also be shown in performance tables. The Department will not publish any information at school level about the numbers of children entered for the level 6 tests, or the percentage achieving level 6 of those entered for level 6.

If schools wish to register children for the level 6 tests, or amend their level 6 pupil registration data, they must do so by Friday 22 March.

Any children not registered for the level 6 tests by Friday 22 March will not be allowed to participate in them.

Accessing Pupil Registration with Internet Explorer

We are aware that a very small number of schools using Microsoft Internet Explorer are experiencing problems in accessing secure websites, and therefore the Pupil registration section of the NCA tools website. This is a known Microsoft Support issue, beyond the control of STA, although the following steps do resolve the problem for the majority of affected users:

1. On the Internet Explorer 'Tools' menu, click 'Internet Options'.
2. On the 'Advanced' tab, under 'Security', make sure that the following check boxes are selected:
• Use SSL 2.0
• Use SSL 3.0
• Use TLS 1.0
3. Click 'Apply', and then click 'OK'.

The Microsoft Support website contains further information on this issue and an alternative workaround solution. Alternatively, please contact the National Curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 and choose option 4 for further support.

Go to: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/842607

Publication of the Key Stage 2 Test administrators' guides

The Test administrators' guide (TAG) is now available to download from the Department for Education's website. Schools will be sent printed copies during the week commencing 15 April.

The TAG includes instructions for administering levels 3-5 and level 6 Key Stage 2 tests and returning test scripts (answer booklets or test papers containing children's answers) for marking. The Guide to handling test papers and scripts will not be published this year. Information previously published in this guide will be provided in the TAG.

We recommend schools use the time before the tests to become familiar with the content of the TAG, especially the test timetable, arrangements for the new English grammar, punctuation and spelling test, and specific instructions for collating and packing test scripts for collection.

Test administrators' guides for administering the modified versions of the tests to children with visual or hearing impairment will be available to download by the end of the month. Printed copies will not be available.

Headteachers are responsible for ensuring all test administrators (anyone responsible for, or involved with, test administration) are familiar with the content of the Test administrators' guides and comply with their instructions. Schools that do not comply could be subject to investigation of maladministration.

Go to: Key dates and resources for 2013

Key Stage 2 additional time and early opening applications

We are reminding any schools that have applied for additional time or early opening access arrangements to check their applications on the NCA tools website regularly as they may be asked to provide further information.

Go to: NCA tools

Key Stage 2 teacher assessment writing exemplification

Key Stage 2 writing exemplification will be available to download from the Department's website this week. It will cover levels 2 to 6 and include annotated examples of a range of work across a level.

Go to: Key Stage 2 English writing exemplification, levels 2-6

KS2 Cluster Groups

Once again we have organised Year 4/5 moderation cluster meetings to take place across the county.  

This year we have chosen to focus on the assessment of writing, particularly cross- curricular writing, and on maths, particularly using and applying maths and data-handling.

• KS2 Clusters: 4-15 March 2013

Primary Assessment Updates for 2013

In January a letter will be sent to all schools with primary age children detailing the arrangements for statutory assessment across the primary phase (EYFS, KS1 & KS2) this year, as well as providing information about some non-statutory aspects of assessment. The letter includes the following topics:

• Assessment and reporting arrangements
• Access arrangements
• Moderation of teacher assessments
• Phonics screening
• Attainment on Entry (Nursery and Reception)

Primary Assessment Updates Letter - January 2013

• Word 2003, 167kb/6 pages, 07/01/2013, assessment_updates_primary_jan2013.doc
  
  
  
  

RAISEonline Primary Summary Reports 2012

Summary Reports, based on 2012 results (KS1, KS2 and Y1 Phonics) are now available in RAISEonline. Please note, at this stage the data are still unvalidated. This means that where results have been changed (e.g. following an appeal of KS2 test marking), the changes may not yet be reflected in this dataset.  

In a small number of cases, schools have found that there is no Key Stage 2 English data or Value Added in their report. This is most likely due to a late submission of teacher assessment data . (The deadline was July 13th.) In these cases, the writing teacher assessments have not been processed, which therefore means that overall English results cannot be calculated. However, the Hertfordshire Assessment Profile does contain all the correct data, so schools can use this as the basis for their self-evaluation.  Download the latest version of the Hertfordshire Assessment Profile Primary (version 3) from:

• www.thegrid.org.uk/info/edcs

National results have risen considerably this year at KS2, which has had a knock-on effect on both average attainment and average progress figures. For a detailed exploration of this issue, please see the following document:

• Word 2003, 31kb/2 pages, 09/11/2012, data_update_nov12.doc

For a handy guide to the key pages of the RAISEonline report, please see:

• www.thegrid.org.uk/learning/assessment/data/raiseonline.shtml#guide

Assessment and Reporting Arrangements 2013 - KS1 & KS2  

The new 'Assessment & Reporting Arrangements' booklets are available to download from the DfE website, along with other resources such as a wallchart of key dates.
 
The KS1 booklet and resources can be downloaded from:

• www.education.gov.uk/ks1 then click on the link 'Key Stage 1 Assessment in 2013'

The KS2 booklet and resources can be downloaded from:

• www.education.gov.uk/ks2 then click on the link 'Key dates and resources for 2013'

Also, the Test Orders section of NCATools has now opened. This is where you can place your order for KS1 tests, optional tests (Years 3/4/5) and KS2 tests, including modified papers. Headteachers should also at this point indicate if they intend to register pupils for Level 6 tests. (NB the actual Pupil Registration section does not open until February 25th.) 

The Test Orders deadline is November 30th 2012.
 

New to RAISEonline - Password Reset Facility

RAISEonline now has a new facility, allowing you to have a new password automatically sent to you if you have forgotten it.

The first time you log on to RAISEonline after 19th July, you will be required to enter some additional personal details. For further information, please read this document:

• Adobe pdf, 237kb/2 pages, 19/07/2012, automated_password_release _jul2012.pdf

Subsequently, if you ever forget your password and need it to be reset, the following document explains the process:

• Adobe pdf, 315kb/1 page, 19/07/2012, raiseonline_forgotten_password_jul2012.pdf

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