Assessment

The aim of assessment and recording is to monitor students' progress towards their target grades and to facilitate effective Assessment for Learning and Differentiation in both planning and delivery of lessons so that students remain on track to achieve their full potential. Assessment data should be used to highlight areas of underperformance so that appropriate strategies can be put into place and also to revise target grades (in both directions) so that they always remain realistic but challenging. Staff at Aureus use key information from Key Stage 2 (KS2) and from internal assessment to ensure that all students, regardless of prior attainment, make excellent progress. Assessment forms an ongoing student profile. Progress towards students' academic and social targets are reviewed during with teachers at Aureus.

At Aureus School, your child is entitled to

• Regular testing of reading and spelling
• Close scrutiny of class work
• Moderation of student work against national standards
• Tests at regular intervals throughout a subject course
• Formal examinations prior to the writing of interim reports

In-lesson Assessment

The assessment cycle is simple and one that all teachers at Aureus adhere to. We use assessment data at to improve what is happening in the classroom; to help teachers understand where their students are and where they need to be; to motivate students and allows them to make progress and to inform parents and assist them in supporting their child's education.

Internal assessments run on a regular cycle at Aureus. These assessments are key points in each half-term. They give teachers a clear picture of the progress their students have made, informing their forward planning. They motivate students, helping them to understand what they have learnt and what they still need to cover. They are the end-point for the different units students are studying in their subjects, providing status and importance to the work that leads up to them and drawing ideas and concepts studied through the half-term together. They provide the content for the reports the academy sends to parents.

Targets:

In Key Stage 3 students are assessed on whether they are on track to  fulfil their potential when they sit their final GCSEs in Year 11. We do not give students their target grades as our focus in KS3 is on students developing good learning habits. If however, students are not on track to fulfil their potential then we may put interventions in place to help support the student, usually in class and occasionally. outside of class. 

In Key Stage 4 student targets are based on Fischer Family Trust, a national education charity who set targets for schools across the country using assessment data from KS2. They are aspirational and communicated to parents at the start of the year and throughout the year through the reporting process. Teachers will also add predicted grades to reports so that parents are kept informed of their child’s progress towards their targets. 

End of Year Examinations:

Students are expected to sit end of year examinations. We believe that summative assessment provides a strong measure of progress and allows students to experience the process of examinations. The information gained from these examinations are reported back to parents and used to ensure that all students are on the correct trajectory for learning and progress. We also complete in class assessments in November which are less formal.

Written Reports:

Parents and carers can expect regular contact about their child's progress at Aureus from staff as we believe that the school-parent partnership is vital in developing effective learners. 

There are two Parent Evenings per year and there are two formal reporting points where parents can expect to be informed about attainment and progress. Parents will receive a hard copy of reports that will include the following information:

Key Stage 3

• An indicator of whether students are on target or not at this point in the year. 

Each student's attendance data and behaviour data 

• A score between 1-5 for Attitude to Learning
• A score between 1-5 for Attitude to Home Learning 

Key Stage 4

• An indicator of whether students are on target or not at this point in the year
  A current grade (except for the first report in Year 9)
  A teacher predicted grade (except for the first report in Year 9)
  Their FFT Target Grade
   
• A score between 1-5 for Attitude to Learning
• A score between 1-5 for Attitude to Home Learning
• Each student's attendance data and behaviour data