At Holly Park we are continually assessing our pupils. We use a mixture of informal observations and assessment for learning opportunities in lessons. We also make more formal assessments with the use of tests to support our teacher assessments.
We keep a detailed track of our pupils’ progress and attainment using Online Pupil Tracker and based on book scrutiny of every pupil’s English and Maths book approximately every 10 weeks.
All of our pupils from Y2-6 have termly assessment weeks and the results of these assessments are shared with parents at termly parent evenings. Parents can take home any completed practice test papers to help support their children at home. The test papers are also used by teachers to identify gaps in knowledge and inform future planning. The test papers are also used by support staff to help identify weak areas for some children and to help focus interventions so that the children can keep up with their peers.
You can compare Holly Park with the performance of other schools here.
There are also National assessments that have to be made at key times during the primary school phase.
Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
During the Reception year, children are continually assessed and at the end of Reception a judgement is made as to whether they have achieved a good level of development.
Across the areas of Communication & Language, Physical Development, Personal Social and Emotional Development, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design, children are awarded levels as to whether or not they have met, exceeded or are emerging at this point.
Please see the attachment below for our EYFS results for 2016
The Year One Phonics Check
The Phonics Screening Check happens towards the end of Y1. It is administered individually to each child by the class teacher. It is meant to show how well a child can use the phonics skills they’ve learned up to the end of Year 1, and to identify students who need extra phonics help.
The checks consist of 40 words and non-words that a child will be asked to read one-on-one with a teacher. Non-words (or nonsense words, or pseudo words) are a collection of letters that will follow phonics rules your child has been taught, but don’t mean anything – a child will need to read these with the correct sounds to show that they understand the phonics rules behind them.
The 40 words and non-words are divided into two sections – one with simple word structures of three or four letters, and one with more complex word structures of five or six letters. Each of the non-words is presented with a picture of a monster / alien, as if the word were their name.
Key Stage 1 National Assessment
Year 2 children (Key Stage One) have to be assessed in English, maths and science and teachers have to make an assessment of their national curriculum levels. These assessments are moderated by the local authority.
Please see attachment for our KS1 results for 2016
Children in Year 2 are assessed during May with National Assessments in English and Maths to establish what they have learnt during Year 1 and 2. The results of these assessments are reported annually to parents. Children are assessed in Reading, Maths, Writing, Spelling and Grammar tests. Children will be deemed to be:
- Not working towards the expected standard,
- Working towards the expected standard
- Working at the expected standard
- Working at greater depth within the expected standard
The tests are marked using a scaled score with 100 being expected.
KS2 National Assessment
Year 6 children (Key Stage two) have to take national tests in English and mathematics. The tests are sent to external markers and the school receives a scaled score for each child.
Children in Year 6 are assessed during May with National Assessments in English and Maths to establish what they have learnt during Years 3, 4,5 and 6. The results of these assessments are reported annually to parents. Children are assessed in Reading, Maths, Writing, Spelling and Grammar tests. Science is teacher assessed.
For Reading, Maths and Science children will be deemed to be:
- Working at the expected standard
- Not meeting National Standards
For Writing children will be deemed to be:
- Not working towards the expected standard,
- Working towards the expected standard
- Working at the expected standard
- Working at greater depth within the expected standard
The tests are marked using a scaled score with 100 being expected.
Please find KS2 Results here: Key Stage 2 Results 2016
*SPG= Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar
Internal data
At the end of each half term we constantly update our assessments for each pupil and look at how individuals, year groups and specific groups of pupils are achieving in terms of progress and achievement. We report attainment levels to parents at each parent consultation and also in the annual school report.
At Holly Park we are constantly looking at our data to inform our plans and future priorities for the school as a whole, for classes, year groups, certain groups and individuals.
We are determined to raise standards of achievement, while remaining a wholly inclusive school where all children are highly valued.
Our aim is to help all of our children to fly high and reach their potential, not just academically but also in the arts, in music, in sport and in any other field they choose.
At Holly Park we aim to produce lifelong learners, good citizens and children who are independent, reflective, creative and team workers. Our Holly Park children cope extremely well with the transition to secondary school and go on to local secondary schools where they are often awarded major prizes, are school ambassadors and are selected as prefects because of the skills that we have given them here.
We are always keen to learn of the future successes and stories of our pupils which include many pupils who have gone on to study at university including Oxford and Cambridge.
One boy, having been spotted for his dance ability while at our school, left Holly Park to go to the Royal Ballet School and is now dancing with The English National Ballet!
Holly Park Primary School 