Assessing without Levels

Governmental changes in how we assess and measure progress:

The main change is that we are no longer assessing using the ‘levels’ system. This system put each subject into a progression of levels from 1 to 5 or 6 for primary aged children and children progressed through these as they moved across the school. This meant that while there were national averages for each year group eg. children would reach level 2 by the end of Y2 and level 4 by the end of Y6, they could be at any level at any year.

The new national curriculum was introduced into schools in September 2015 and now each year has its own set of expectations for that year and we are now required to report to you on the basis of how much of the knowledge, skills and understanding your child has acquired for each year.

This means that we will now be discussing with you and reporting on whether your child is Working Towards, Secure in, has Mastered or is Working Beyond the national expectations for their year group.

If your child has Special Needs they may be working in the year or more below their age group and while they would be reported as Working Well Below your child’s teacher will continue to discuss their progress using the national curriculum programmes of study for the year group they are working in. Children who are ‘working out of year group’ will still stay in and be taught in the class appropriate to their actual age and will have lessons differentiated as has always been the case.