Our Approach and Intent

At Sir William Stanier School, we believe that great teaching is driven by great assessment.

Assessment is embedded in daily classroom practice. Teachers use it continuously to check understanding, identify misconceptions and adapt lessons so that pupils are appropriately supported and challenged.

Our assessment model is designed to:

  • Support responsive teaching

  • Strengthen knowledge retention over time

  • Help pupils understand how to improve

  • Maintain high expectations and standards

Assessment is not separate from learning — it is at the heart of it.

Assessment for Learning

Formative assessment takes place in every lesson.

Teachers use strategies such as questioning, cold calling, mini whiteboards, hinge questions and retrieval practice to make learning visible and respond in real time.

This helps teachers:

  • Identify gaps early

  • Adjust teaching promptly

  • Support pupils to improve during the lesson

Assessment of Learning

Summative assessments take place at key points during the year, including end-of-unit tests and mock examinations.

These assessments provide information about how securely pupils have retained curriculum knowledge over time.

Assessment information is used to:

  • Identify strengths and gaps

  • Inform future teaching

  • Monitor progress across classes and cohorts

  • Provide clear information to pupils and parents

Formal data collection is limited to three key points per year to ensure it remains purposeful and meaningful.

Feedback

Effective feedback is central to our teaching.

Feedback is:

  • Timely

  • Specific

  • Actionable

  • Sustainable

Teachers use verbal feedback, live marking, whole-class feedback and structured peer/self-assessment.

All feedback follows a clear cycle:

Feedback → Action → Response

Pupils are expected to engage with feedback and act on it to strengthen their learning.

Ambitious and Evidence-Informed Targets

At Sir William Stanier School, target setting is designed to support strong progress and high achievement at Key Stage 4.

We use nationally recognised FFT50 benchmarks, alongside Key Stage 4 transition matrices, to inform our targets. These tools draw on prior attainment and national data to provide an indication of likely GCSE outcomes.

This approach is intended to ensure that targets are appropriately ambitious, grounded in evidence and aligned to national expectations.

Identifying Potential Barriers Early

We use information from Key Stage 2 SATs and NGRT reading age assessments to help identify potential barriers to learning.

This information is used to:

  • Highlight gaps in knowledge and literacy

  • Inform classroom planning

  • Guide early intervention where appropriate

  • Support pupils who may need additional challenge or support

While no system is perfect, this approach is designed to help us respond to pupil need as early as possible.

What Targets Mean

Targets are not limits or glass ceilings.

They are starting points — reference indicators that help guide progress and inform teaching.

We encourage pupils to aim high and to exceed their targets wherever possible.

Using Targets to Inform Improvement

Target information is reviewed alongside assessment data to:

  • Monitor progress towards GCSE outcomes

  • Identify areas where support or stretch may be required

  • Inform curriculum planning and intervention

  • Maintain high expectations across subjects

Our target-setting model reflects our intent to promote ambition, informed decision-making and continuous improvement.

Our Intent

At Sir William Stanier School, our reporting system is designed to provide clear, accurate and meaningful information about pupils’ attainment, progress and effort.

We aim to:

  • Promote ambition and high expectations

  • Provide transparency about current performance

  • Support constructive conversations between home and school

  • Identify where support or stretch may be needed

Reporting is intended to give a balanced view of a pupil’s learning journey and future potential.

Attendance

Attendance is included within reporting because regular attendance plays an important role in academic progress.

Consistent engagement in lessons supports knowledge retention, skill development and overall achievement. Monitoring attendance alongside attainment helps provide a fuller picture of a pupil’s educational experience.

Key Stage 3 Reporting

At Key Stage 3, reports include:

  • A percentage score (%)

  • The percentage score of pupils in a similar prior attainment band

  • A progress statement

  • An effort grade

The percentage score reflects attainment against the intended curriculum — how securely pupils have understood and retained the knowledge taught.

Comparing outcomes with pupils of similar prior attainment provides helpful context. Progress statements summarise development within the subject, while effort grades reflect engagement and attitude to learning.

Key Stage 4 Reporting

At Key Stage 4, reports include:

  • A Current Grade

  • A Predicted Grade

  • A Minimum Expected Grade (MEG)

  • An Effort Grade

The Current Grade reflects recent assessment performance.

The Predicted Grade indicates the grade a pupil is currently working towards, based on available evidence.

The Minimum Expected Grade (MEG), informed by FFT50 data, provides an evidence-based benchmark grounded in prior attainment and national trends.

Effort grades reflect engagement, application and commitment to improvement.

How Assessment Data Is Used in School

Assessment information is not only used for reporting — it informs teaching and supports improvement.

Teachers and leaders use assessment data to:

  • Diagnose gaps in knowledge

  • Identify misconceptions

  • Adapt lesson planning

  • Reteach key content where necessary

  • Plan targeted intervention

  • Monitor progress across classes and cohorts

At subject and whole-school level, analysis of assessment information helps identify patterns and trends, informing curriculum adjustments and strategic support.

Grades and percentages act as reference points to guide improvement — they are not fixed limits. We encourage all pupils to aim high and, where possible, exceed expectations.