Assessment – Mulberry Academy Woodside

At Mulberry Academy Woodside the progress of students is assessed through a mixture of summative tests and teacher assessment.

Students will sit exams in a designated exam window, when results will be collected and reported to parents and carers.

All year groups will also have one Parents/Carers’ Evening, where a conversation with each subject teacher will provide an update about a student’s academic performance, effort and behaviour, and set clear targets on how to improve. Numerical data is kept to a minimum at these events as we believe the conversation about a student’s performance is far richer when focused on the formative evidence, including: the work in exercise books, the contributions in class and the independent learning they have demonstrated.

In addition we encourage parents and carers to make contact with subject teachers directly should they have concerns or questions about a student’s progress throughout the year. Email addresses can be found on the school website.

Key Stage 4

While studying for their GCSEs in Year 10 and Year 11, students receive an exam grade and a teacher prediction for the end of the course. Both will be measured in GCSE grade 1-9.

The internal exam periods and school assessment windows at KS4 are:

Year 11
- November
- February
Year 10
- January (English/Maths only)
- June

Reports will be sent home to parents/carers following each assessment window.

Key Stage 3

Between Year 7 and Year 9, student performance will be assessed as progressing “above”, “on” or “below” expectations. This takes place at the end of the academic year.

This will be a teacher assessment based primarily on academic performance in end-of-year summative tests, but also taking into account achievement across the year. It is not a judgement of behaviour or effort, and concerns or praise about these will be communicated directly by a teacher – however both would have impacted on the academic performance being measured.

Whether a student is performing above, on or below expectations is a matter for professional judgement of the teacher based on the data we have available of that student’s prior performance, taking into account any additional needs they may have.

One key source for our data is FFT Aspire[1]. This advanced system gives a subject-by-subject look at future GCSE performance, based on all available prior attainment and current data for each individual student. Teachers will see what a student would be expected to achieve by Year 11, and judge their current academic performance as on a trajectory towards that grade.

EXAMPLES

If a student would be expected to achieve Grade 8 in GCSE Drama according to FFT Aspire, but by the end of Year 8 is clearly performing at a lower level than expected of a student who would go on to achieve Grade 8, they would be “below” expectations.
If a student would be expected to achieve Grade 5 in GCSE Maths according to FFT Aspire, but at the end of Year 7 is clearly performing at a higher level than expected of a student who would go on to achieve Grade 5, they would be “above” expectations.

Results for individual exams will continue to be shared with students directly by teachers, but we believe it is much more important at Key Stage 3 to measure a student’s performance according to their individual potential, therefore numerical results will not be collected on their reports.

The exam period for Year 7, 8 and 9 is between June and July, with reports sent home in July.

Moderation and Quality Assurance

Following each assessment period, departments enter a period of moderation, where teachers compare marking and ensure reliability in marking across a particular test.

Heads of Department and post-holders lead on a process of quality assurance, to ensure the data then entered into the school system is accurate before being sent to parents and carers. The school will then also use this data as the basis of future intervention and curriculum planning.

[1] https://fft.org.uk/about-fft

White Hart Lane,
Wood Green
London, N22 5QJ

020 8889 6761
020 8365 8164
mail@mulberrywoodside.org

Part of the

Mulberry Academy Woodside is part of the Mulberry Schools Trust which is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (Company No. 10035860).

Company’s registered office: Mulberry Schools Trust, Richard Street, Commercial Road, London E1 2JP.