Assessment

At Cambridge Road we have decided that assessment (both formative and summative) is at the heart of quality teaching and learning. At Cambridge Road we believe that formative assessment is sometimes a minute by minute activity and at the very least a lesson by lesson requirement. At Cambridge Road we have agreed on 8 key formative assessment strategies and 7 key marking and feedback strategies. They are the minimum we expect. At Cambridge Road we believe the best assessment is that which combines teacher judgements and formal tests. With the removal of levels we have put in place four expectations for each year group from Y1 through to Y6. They are:

 BE = Below Expectations (Pre Key Stage Standards), WTS = Towards Expectations, EXS = working Within the Expectation Standard, GD = Greater Depth

Please use the links provided in the boxes below to read more about assessment at Cambridge Road C P & N School.

 

Assessment in Early Years

At Cambridge Road, we use the Development Matters statements around the seven areas of learning and development to make judgements of the children’s progress and achievement.

Assessment in the Early Years is a continuous process. Assessment is made using teacher knowledge, practical activities, observations and photographs. Each child has their own individual ‘Learning Journey’ book. The observations made are used to help inform the staff of children’s next steps and we use this information to ensure that future planning reflects identified needs.

At Cambridge Road, the children have a baseline assessment on entry to the school and then are assessed termly using the Development Matters statements as a guide across the 7 areas of learning. Teachers use their professional judgement on the “best fit” for each child’s development by looking at the broad age and stage, that best matches their achievements.

Children are assessed against the broad age bands:

· Birth – Three

· 3–4-year-olds

· Reception

Staff then look which stage within the age band the child is working:

· Emerging - When this is the best fit stage for a child but there are elements where the child is still working in the stage below.

· Within - When this is the best fit stage for a child, they are becoming very confident at this level but have not yet begun to move into the next stage.

· Secure - When this is the best fit stage for a child, they are confident at this level and you are starting look to the next stage to plan their next steps.

For those children, that maybe falling behind, staff use the ‘Observational checkpoints’ to help further support their development.

 

Statutory Assessments EYFS

The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) is a short, one-on-one assessment taken by children in Reception (the first year of primary school in England, age 4–5), within the first six weeks of starting school.

Purpose:

  • It establishes a starting point to measure each child’s progress through primary school, all the way to the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6).

  • It is not a test for the child to pass or fail. Instead, it helps the government measure school progress fairly.

Key features:

  • Focuses on early maths, language, and communication skills.

  • Takes around 20 minutes per child.

  • Done individually with a teacher or teaching assistant.

  • Children often see it as a game or activity – it's designed to be play-based and stress-free.

Important:

  • No scores are shared with parents.

  • It doesn’t affect how a child is taught or placed in school.

  • Schools use it for national progress measures, not for ranking children.

 

The Early Years Profile Assessment assesses children across 7 areas of learning, made up of 17 specific goals and is mainly undertaken at the end of the year

1. Prime Areas:

  • Communication and Language

    • Listening, Attention and Understanding

    • Speaking

  • Physical Development

    • Gross Motor Skills

    • Fine Motor Skills

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development

    • Self-Regulation

    • Managing Self

    • Building Relationships

2. Specific Areas:

  • Literacy

    • Comprehension

    • Word Reading

    • Writing

  • Mathematics

    • Number

    • Numerical Patterns

  • Understanding the World

    • Past and Present

    • People, Culture and Communities

    • The Natural World

  • Expressive Arts and Design

    • Creating with Materials

    • Being Imaginative and Expressive

 

A child is considered to have a Good Level of Development (GLD) if they meet the expected level in the prime areas and in literacy and mathematics.

Key notes:

  • Helps Year 1 teachers understand where children are in their learning.

  • Provides a national picture of how children are developing by the end of the EYFS.

  • Informs parents about their child’s progress and readiness for Key Stage 1.

 

Statutory Assessment KS1

The Phonics Screening Check is a short assessment used in England to evaluate how well children Year 1, are learning to read using phonics. It helps teachers identify which pupils may need additional support with reading.

Key points:

  • Administered in June each year.

  • Takes about 5–10 minutes per child.

  • Conducted one-on-one with a teacher.

  • The child reads a list of 40 words aloud:

    • A mix of real words and pseudo-words (nonsense words, e.g., "zog" or "splim").

  • Pseudo-words are used to test pure decoding skills (not memorization).

Purpose:

  • Checks whether the child can decode words using phonics rules.

  • Helps schools and parents understand how well children are progressing in early reading.

 

Statutory Assessment KS2

The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a short, online test for children in Year 4 in England, designed to assess their times tables knowledge.

Key points:

  • Mandatory in all English state schools.

  • Usually taken in June.

  • Consists of 25 multiplication questions.

  • Focuses on the times tables from 2 to 12.

  • Pupils have 6 seconds per question and 3 seconds between questions.

  • Done on a computer or tablet.

Purpose:

  • Checks that pupils have quick and accurate recall of multiplication facts.

  • Helps identify any gaps in learning before moving to more advanced maths in later years.

 

Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) are formal assessments taken by pupils in Year 6 in England. They are designed to measure children's attainment in core subjects at the end of primary school.

Key subjects tested:

  1. English Reading – One paper, usually a reading booklet with comprehension questions.

  2. English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS or SPaG)

    • One paper on grammar and punctuation

    • One spelling test

  3. Maths

    • Paper 1: Arithmetic

    • Paper 2: Reasoning

    • Paper 3: Reasoning

Key points:

  • The tests are usually taken in May.

  • Marked externally (except for teacher assessments in writing and science).

  • Results are used to measure school performance and inform secondary schools.

  • Pupils receive scaled scores (100 is the expected standard).

 

 

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Cambridge Road Community Primary and Nursery School

Cambridge Road. Ellesmere Port,
Cheshire CH65 4AQ

Main Contact: Mrs D Fletcher/Mrs A Sass
Headteacher: Mrs Donna Wellings
SEND: Mrs Stevenson
Chair of Governors: Mr Ken Salter

0151 355 1735

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