About our school

Assessment and Moderation

As Waverley School provides for a wide range of pupils with varying needs and of different ages, abilities and learning styles, the curriculum, assessment process and measures of progress used must reflect this diversity.

Assessment is used to enable a better understanding of pupils and therefore enables staff to focus on and monitor the teaching and learning more effectively.

Assessment is used to monitor and measure pupil progress, to inform planning and for target setting.

Assessment Techniques

Assessment takes place in a variety of ways. It is not just based on formal testing, and observations and opinions are backed up by evidence and are used to inform planning and teaching. The following techniques are used:

Observations
Scrutiny of work
Formal assessments
Discussion with parents and other professionals (including our multi-disciplinary team)
Evaluations on planning sheets
Pupils assessment of their own work
Reports from other professionals
Photographs and Video evidence.

P levels

Due to the complexity of needs of our pupils, the National Curriculum levels previously used in mainstream settings and the current descriptors remain at too high a level for our pupils. Therefore at Waverley we use the P scales: they sit below Level 1 of the NC. The P scales do not constitute a curriculum; they are level descriptiors that can be used to assess progress in the curriculum. They provide a ladder into the NC level descriptions for children who have not yet reached level 1 in their learning.

There are eight levels within the P scales; levels 4 to 8 lead into the relevant subject descriptors in Level 1 of the NC. Levels 1 to 3 are more developmental and are not subject specific.

P levels 1 to 3 are each divided into two sub-levels – for example, P1(i) and P1(ii). This subdivision is intended to provide smaller steps in learning at earlier stages of development.

At Waverley P levels are used for pupils in years 1 to 11 (Key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4). Our younger pupils (nursery and reception age) are assessed using the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile. Students in Key stage 5 (years 12 to 14) are assessed using the Equals curriculum Set Levels.

The use of P scales is statutory for reporting teacher assessments in English, mathematics and science to the Department for Education at the end of key stages 1 and 2. P scales are also used for reporting teacher assessment to parents in all national curriculum subjects at all key stages.

It can be difficult to demonstrate progress using the P Scales for most of the pupils at Waverley. Most pupils will not progress a level each year or even over several years. Therefore a system has been adopted which breaks down the P levels into 3 steps. This does not change the descriptors or what has to be achieved within each level but it does provide additional markers to demonstrate progress.

The system being used to measure progress is as follows:

C – up to 39% of the level achieved

B – 40 – 79% of the level achieved

A – over 80% of the level achieved

Curriculum area assessments

Teachers assess pupils in English, Maths, science, Computing and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education). They conduct assessments against the P levels termly and record these on ‘tracking sheets’ stored electronically.

P level evidence sheets are also completed once a year for all pupils working at the P levels. These are completed in English, maths, science, computing and PSHE.

Routes for Learning

Routes for learning support our school in assessing the early communication and cognitive skills of learners with PMLD. They meet the very individual needs of the pupils by showing a range of possible learning pathways.

The use of the materials is intended to not only support teachers in assessing learners’ current performance but also help them to discover what has shaped that performance. The assessment materials support a wider view of progress for these learners.

These materials are designed to be used across the curriculum with learners of all ages. They support the development of ‘child considered’ approaches and the focus on emotional well-being.

Moderation

Pupil Progress is monitored and moderated throughout the year in the following ways:

Moderation of EYFS stages in Autumn (by SLT and teacher colleagues) and in April/ May (with SLT)
Moderation against the P Scales – from year 1 to year 11, termly
Moderation of teacher assessment against EQUALS sets for Upper students (in modules taught linked to English, maths, science, ICT, PSHE) in April/ May internally.
Curriculum planning files and pupil targets – half termly by assistant heads/ Heads of Departments.
Progress against p-levels / EYFS levels– tracked on an ongoing basis by the deputy head responsible for assessment, and moderated externally with other special schools from Enfield.
CASPA (Comparison and Analysis of Special Pupils Attainment) is also used to identify trends within progress. For instance, whether a specified group is doing particularly well or under-achieving.