Assessment and Reporting

Assessment is integral to teaching and learning and is carried out in each department in accordance with an agreed and understood policy for assessment, which is based on the whole-school policy. Through our assessment procedures, pupils are encouraged to reach their full potential. Pupils’ learning is assessed continuously through their day-to-day work and responses in the classroom and through a range of specific assessment activities such as written, practical, oral/aural, IT-based and extended tasks. Pupils receive regular feedback from their teachers concerning their progress and achievement. As they move up the school, pupils are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own learning by evaluating their performance and setting appropriate improvement targets.

Homework is an essential feature of school life since it extends and consolidates classroom learning and encourages pupils to develop independent research, study and examination skills. A reasonable amount of time should be spent on homework and this time is expected to increase as pupils proceed up the school. Each pupil is provided with a personal planner, which should be used as an aid to the organisation of homework, coursework, private study and revision. Parents are encouraged to take an active interest in their child’s homework by ensuring the provision of a suitable study environment and by checking that it is done regularly and is completed to a satisfactory standard on time.

In subjects where pupils are required to submit coursework teachers will provide close guidance on how to process coursework and continue to monitor the work until it is completed to a satisfactory standard. In some subjects much of the coursework will be completed in class while in others the bulk of the work will be completed at home.

Pupils are expected to adhere to deadline dates and for GCSE courses where coursework is an essential element in most subjects, a coursework schedule providing vital information, will be provided.

Coursework Schedule (guidelines)

Class tests are set regularly throughout the year in all subjects. Internal examinations are set in January for all year groups and in June for Years 8-11. In Years 12 – 14, pupils take public examinations in May and June. A2 examinations may also be taken in some subjects in January. In May, all Year 10 pupils take external KS3 examinations in English, mathematics and science. Details of external examinations, including dates, may be found at the web addresses shown below.

CCEA – www.ccea.org.uk

Edexcel – www.edexcel.org.uk

AQA – www.aqa.org.uk

OCR - www.ocr.org.uk

Welsh Board - www.accac.org.uk

For details of the Examination Results Publication Dates refer to the Calendar

Written reports for all pupils are issued to parents in February and for Years 8-11 pupils, in June. On occasions interim reports may also be produced for certain pupils at anytime during the school year.