Assessing Learning at Hill Mead

Our assessment approach is based on teachers’ professional judgments of the pupils’ curriculum learning and supported by a range of tools for summative assessment, all developed by the school.  Of equal importance is the teachers’ professional judgement of the pupils’ learning dispositions and critical thinking skills. The school completed an action research project, this has shaped our understanding of how to observe the pupils’ learning disposition. This focuses on: confidence, enjoyment, collaboration, communication, taking risks, applying knowledge, using technical language and reflection.  For further information, please see the conference report below. 

Ongoing assessment of pupils’ learning through questioning, observation of learning, pupils discussion, marking and feedback inform weekly planning. Teachers are encouraged to make adjustments to their plans based on pupils’ responses. 

At three points in the year teachers use a range of summative assessment tools to inform their professional judgments; particularly focussing on maths, reading, phonics and spelling.