Assessment and reporting

Key Stage 3 (Years 7 - 9)

Current Indicator of Attainment:

During Key Stage 3, the Current Indicator of Attainment is a teacher assessment of age appropriate skills, knowledge, and application. The National Expectation is for students to be on track to achieve the equivalent of at least a GCSE Grade 5 by the end of Key Stage 4.

Here at The Orme Academy the language used when assessing and reporting is consistent, this language is embedded across the Academy and is commonplace when discussing students and/or data. The five indicators of attainment are clear, they are as follows:

The comments in relation to National Expectations are where our efforts should be aimed, we will talk about students exceeding, securing, demonstrating, approaching or working towards. Consistency in the use of our language will also ensure the students are able to develop a better understanding of the system and their relative position within it.

Progress Criteria:

Based on each individual student’s prior attainment the Academy Expectation may differ from National Expectations. The Progress grading indicates how a student is progressing in line with their individual Academy Expectation.

The progress comments will always lie alongside this measure providing a personal analysis of the student’s progress in relation to their established Academy Expectation Grade.

Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11)

Key Language:

As with KS3 reporting we ensure the language used by both staff and students is consistent. Years 10 and 11 will be provided with four statistics at any given time, they are as follows

Academy Expectation (KS4 Target) 

Academy Expectation Range (Range of expected KS4 results starting from base Academy Expectation)

Latest Assessment Grade (where they are now)

Predicted Grade (when we think they will end up)

The Academy Expectation and its accompanying Range will be determined by a host of historically accurate data and provide a minimum expectation for all students with an aspirational range beyond that ‘base’ target.

For example, a student with an Academy Expectation of a 5 will have an Academy Expectation Range of 5-7, ensuring student progress is not restricted and allowing for aspirational targeting. This data will be managed centrally within the Academy and will not require any staff input. Importantly these Academy Expectations may be altered based on new and accurate evidence during a student’s Academy life.

Both the Latest Assessment Grade and the Predicted Grade must stand up to a high level of scrutiny and staff must be competent in justifying their data. Effective assessment measures will go a long way to securing with this level of accuracy.

Fine Grading: 

All grades at KS4 will be accompanied by a fine grading measure, these measures are as modelled below

 +  Student is secure at this grade, with intervention they may move to the next grade

 =  Student is secure at this grade

 -   Student is at this grade but it is not secure and without intervention may slip to the grade below.

Reporting to Parents

Following each formal data input, known as Assessment Updates, a copy of these assessments will be sent home electronically.  This will happen 3 times a year for each year group.  In addition, there will be one formal opportunity for parents/carers to meet with subject teachers per year.  However, we actively encourage parental engagement and therefore welcome parents/carers to contact the Academy at any time to receive an update on their child's progress.

Preparing students for key assessments

The Academy makes available, to all stakeholders, key information that will enable all students to make good progress.  The information focusses on how best to prepare for key assessments and terminal exams.  For further information please visit the ‘Subjects’ tab located in the Curriculum section of our website.

Long term plans – Identify the topics taught over the course of the academic year. Each subject’s long term plan contains information on:

  • The topic.  
  • The knowledge covered. 
  • The key skills needed. 
  • How each topic will be assessed. 

Learning Journeys – provide students with a pictorial view of what will be taught during the academic year. 

Knowledge Organisers – Departments will ensure that every student is fully prepared for each assessment by providing them with Knowledge Organisers. This document will provide a summary of all key facts and essential knowledge that students need to know about a unit of work. 

Topic Level Analysis – All summative assessment data is collected at topic level so that teachers can more easily identify strengths and areas for development.  This information feeds into individual PLCs that students receive both in lesson and electronically. 

Personal Learning Checklists - All students will receive Personal Learning Checklists (PLC) following all summative assessments.  This document provides a summary of how well students have performed identifying strengths and areas for improvement.  Teachers may: 

  • Use this information to re-teach certain topics. 
  • Factor in ‘fix it’ lessons into curriculum time so that students can work on individual areas for development. 
  • Set homework using online platforms such as Seneca, Kerboodle, Boost, etc  
  • Redesign areas of the curriculum for future use