Assessment for Learning
In every lesson at International School Pune, teachers make myriad assessments of how well each child is progressing in their learning. These come through questioning, self-assessment, peer-assessment and observing how confidently and successfully students’ complete tasks. These assessments are formative: they shape the direction of the next sequence of activities or lessons to ensure that each student learns to the best of his or her ability. The techniques used in formative assessment are known collectively as Assessment for Learning (AfL).
Students’ classwork and homework are marked by teachers in accordance with the Senior School and Sixth Form marking guidelines. Students should receive formative feedback on their work at least once a fortnight. Feedback will usually take the form of written comments or in the form of numerical marks; however, this could also take other forms, such as peer or self-assessment, during each learning phase.
Students also complete regular summative assessments which give a finite judgement of each child’s attainment in a given area. Students’ summative attainment grades are reported to parents at termly intervals, as outlined in this policy.
Our aim is for learners of all ages to be making clear progress, to be engaged in their own learning process, being able to articulate what progress they are making and what they should be doing to improve further.
Formal Assessment of Progress: Senior School
Termly Assessments
Every term students undertake formal tasks that are awarded a current attainment grade. These assessments are to be designed to consolidate and test the knowledge and skills taught that term. Teacher feedback on this work should be more extensive and students should always be able to understand their grade, why they were successful, and how they could improve further.
Years 7, 8 & 9
The current attainment grade students receive will indicate academic potential by the end of Year 11. We expect students at International School Pune to make good progress throughout each year and this should be reflected by an improving summative attainment grade each term. We recognise that academically, students in Year 7 are learning at a substantially different level to those in Year 11, therefore their target grade should be used as a guide to inform staff, students and parents about the academic progress individual students are making. These are reviewed regularly by teachers and, as such, students should expect to see continued improvement of their summative attainment grade in each subject.
Current Attainment Grade:
This is representative of the level the student is currently working at, which if continued, puts them on track to achieve said grade at GCSE.
Years 10 & 11 (GCSEs)
In Years 10 and 11, students will receive a target grade based on a combination of Yellis baseline assessment and teacher judgement. Students work towards achieving their target grades throughout Years 10 & 11. Much like the summative attainment grade students received in Years 7 -9, their GCSE target grades are an indication of the trajectory of their progress over the two years. These targets are shared with students themselves and staff, who will use them to make sure students are making good progress; they are also used to stretch and challenge students appropriately in order for them to meet and then aim to exceed their targets by the end of Year 11.
External Assessments
Students sit their GCSEs at the end of Year 11 as outlined in the Curriculum Policy. Some students may sit external assessments at other times to meet their own needs. For example, students learning English as a Foreign Language may sit IELTS qualifications, or students may enter for an early GCSE in a foreign language spoken at home.
Formal Assessment of Progress: Sixth Form
Baseline Assessments
All students complete formal, nationally standardised tests known as ALIS on entry to Year 12, to help us generate appropriate individualised targets for each student in each subject. These targets are shared with students themselves and staff, who will use them to make sure they are stretching students appropriately to meet and then aim to exceed their targets by the end of Year 13.
Termly Assessments
In the Sixth Form, all subject areas are required to produce curriculum outlines that explicitly show what is being studied and how each unit of work will be assessed. These curriculum outlines are available on request, together with the Senior School curriculum outlines.
Students complete a formal assessment in each subject each term. These formal tasks are given summative attainment grades, and teacher feedback on these tasks is more extensive: it should enable students to understand their grade, how they were successful, and how they could further improve. These grades are used to inform the students’ overall current grade on their reports.
The summative attainment grades which students are given will be in the form of an A Level grade. The rationale behind the target grades given to A Level students follows the same ethos as the Senior School. It should be an aspirational grade, based on a combination of ALIS grades and teacher judgements; there will identify how well students are demonstrating the skills, knowledge and effort needed to achieve their target grade in their A Levels by the end of year 13. Students should be making good progress towards their target grade throughout their A Levels; therefore, students’ grades should represent an upward trend and gradually become closely aligned with their target grade.
External Assessments
Students sit A Level examinations at the end of Year 13 as outlined in the Curriculum Policy. Our students do not normally sit external AS qualifications, which are now de-coupled from A Levels. Non-examination assessment (i.e. ‘coursework’) is completed and marked at an appropriate point for each subject during Year 12 or 13.
Reporting
Students in Years 7-13 receive two full reports and one progress report throughout each academic year. The programme is staggered as follows:
| Michaelmas 1 | Michaelmas 2 | Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Full Reports | No reports given | 7, 10, 12 | 9, 11, 13 | 8 | | 7 – 10 + 12 |
Progress Reports | 13 | 9, 11, 12 | 10 | 7 | 8 | |
Full reports
Full reports will give a detailed picture of how the student is performing, with comments from their subject teacher, form tutor and the Principle.
These will include the following:
- A Target Grade:This is the grade teachers think the student could achieve as their final GCSE result, for example a grade from U – 9. The Target Grades are based on a combination of MidYIS results and teachers professional judgement.
- A Current Attainment Grade:This is representative of the level the student is currently working at, which if continued, puts them on track to achieve said grade at GCSE.
- A Attitude to Learning Grade:This represents the level of effort and the approach to learning in each subject. A description of the Attitude to Learning Grades are shown below
- Homework:This is based on how the student engages in all aspects of homework, such as meeting deadlines, quality of work, extending learning outside the classroom and independent learning. These will be awarded as Outstanding, Good, Inconsistent and Unsatisfactory.
Attitude to Learning Grades |
Excellent Effort | Excellent effort means being committed to getting the most out of all learning opportunities available. It is what all students should aim for. A student making excellent effort demonstrates: · Excellent participation in the lesson at all times, and is fully engaged · Actively seeks and responds to feedback on how to improve the quality of their work · Shows great determination and views setbacks and mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow · Manages their time and work efficiently and is an excellent role model who is highly disciplined · Uses their initiative in a range of situations without always having to be told what to do · Shows dedication and enthusiasm for learning at all times |
Good Effort | Good effort means being a responsible and hardworking student who tries their best all of the time. A student making good effort: · Shows a good interest in their learning and is attentive and focused · Responds well to feedback and targets and completes work to the expected standard · Shows determination and is willing to persevere when things are difficult · Takes responsibility for their work and is well organised · Willingly does all that is asked of them and sometimes more |
Insufficient Effort | Insufficient effort means that a student is probably doing most of what they are supposed to do but is failing to push themselves or make the most of the opportunities available. A student making insufficient effort: · Often participates in lessons and is generally focused and well behaved · May not try hard enough to improve their work after feedback · Is usually well organised but does the minimum that is asked of them and not much more · Might make a good level of effort some of the time but this is not consistent |
Poor Effort | Poor effort means that a student needs support or intervention to become a more responsible learner. A student making poor effort: · Makes little effort to be involved in the lesson and may disrupt the learning of others instead · Fails to act on feedback provided and as a result may not make much progress · Is not interested in being challenged and will give up without really trying · Spends an inadequate amount of time on tasks and may produce poor work as a result · Takes little or no responsibility for their own learning or behaviour · Effort is frequently a cause for concern |
Progress reports
Progress reports include the same measures of progress and attainment as the full reports, with the addition of a Progress Grade and without a comment from their teachers, form tutors and the Principle.
The progress grades students will receive are as follows:
Progress grade | Definition | How we use it to inform the students next steps |
P + | Making more than expected progress | Students who consistently receive a P+ will have their target grade reviewed by subject teachers. |
P | Making expected progress | Students who are making good progress will be supported by staff to ensure this continues. |
P – | Making less than expected progress | Students who receive two or more P- across their subjects will prompt a review with their personal tutor as to what extra support could be beneficial for that pupil. |
Parents’ evenings
All parents have the opportunity to attend a formal parents’ evening to discuss their child’s progress with their subject teachers. In addition, parents are encouraged to make contact with their child’s Form Tutor at any time during the school year if they would like to discuss their progress.
Monitoring arrangements
Assessment and reporting are monitored by the Academic Leadership Team for each stage of the school.
All subject areas are required to produce curriculum outlines that explicitly show how each unit of work will be assessed.
Assessments will be monitored by SLT as part of the school’s Performance Management procedures for teaching staff, and to ensure that they are of an equitable standard across subject areas.
