Assessment in Key Stage 3

Assessment at Bishop Stopford’s School will be used as a teaching tool to support and motivate students’ learning by involving them in their own progress. This will provide meaningful and challenging feedback whilst also allowing for clear and measurable targets to be set ensuring students know their own strengths and gaps in knowledge and can become self-regulated learners. Assessment will enhances the breadth and depth of the KS3 curriculum and allow accurate appraisal of the knowledge, understanding and skills of the students as well as providing useful information to parents/carers.

How Students are assessed

Every lesson

Assessment for learning will take place within all lessons in order to check and track the development of knowledge and understanding throughout our students' learning journey.

The format of Assessment for Learning may vary, though should always be planned, proactive, inclusive and used to gauge and adapt teaching and learning.

Every Half Term

Common Formative assessment will also take place within each subject twice per half term and as per the departmental assessment plans.  This data will be used to identify misconceptions and areas for development in readiness for summative assessment tasks.  All data from the assessments will be used to inform further teaching to ensure that knowledge and skills gaps are addressed, as per the DTT model.

Twice a Year

Summative assessment will take place twice per year in all year groups, the outcomes of this assessment will be recorded on the appropriate data management system and all stakeholders will be informed of the outcomes of these assessments in a timely fashion.

KS3 Targets

KS3 Targets for students will be set in line with KS2 or CATs data so that:

During the academic year, students who meet the disciplinary knowledge of a subject will have the opportunity to further improve their target grade. This prevents students being on a pre-planned flight path and instead allows students the opportunity to flourish and progress further ensuring students are always allowed to be aspirational.

What progress are students expected to make?

We would expect all students to make at least one level of progress per academic year.

This means a securing student in year 7 will be progressing well if they continue to follow the securing pathway through years 7-9.

You can click the following links to see the assessment criteria for each subject:

Art	Computer Science	Drama	English Language English Literature	English Speaking and Listening
Engineering	Food Technology	French	Geography	History
Mathematics	Music	Physical Education	Religious Education	Science