At Oak Farm Primary School, assessment is an important part of teaching and learning. Teachers continually check what pupils know, understand and can do so that teaching can be adapted to meet their needs and help every child make strong progress.

We use a combination of formative and summative assessment. Day-to-day assessment takes place through questioning, observation, discussion, reviewing pupils' work, retrieval activities and feedback. Teachers use this information to identify misconceptions, check that important knowledge has been secured and decide what pupils need to learn next.

At key points during the year, teachers also use more formal assessments alongside their professional judgement to evaluate pupils' attainment and progress. Leaders use this information to identify strengths, gaps and trends, including the progress of different groups of pupils, and to ensure that appropriate support is put in place where needed.

Our aim is for all pupils to make strong progress from their individual starting points and to develop secure and increasingly deep knowledge and understanding across the curriculum.

Supporting and Challenging Pupils

Where pupils have understood learning securely, teachers provide appropriate challenge through carefully chosen tasks, questioning and opportunities to apply their knowledge in increasingly complex contexts. The emphasis is on developing greater depth of understanding rather than simply moving pupils on to content from a higher year group.

Where assessment identifies gaps in knowledge or understanding, teachers respond promptly. This may include adapting teaching, providing additional modelling or scaffolding, revisiting important knowledge, using targeted questioning or providing additional individual or small-group support.

For pupils with SEND and others who may require additional support, teachers use adaptive teaching to ensure that pupils can access and participate successfully in the curriculum while maintaining appropriately ambitious expectations.

How do we report to parents and carers?

We believe that working closely with parents and carers is an important part of supporting children's learning. Parents and carers receive information about their child's attainment, progress and next steps through:

• Parents' Consultation Meetings during the academic year;

• Written reports providing information about pupils' learning, attainment and progress;

• Additional meetings or conversations where teachers or parents have concerns about a child's progress or wellbeing.

Parents and carers are encouraged to speak to their child's class teacher if they have any questions about their child's learning or progress.

Formal Assessments

The Department for Education requires the school to take part in formal assessments at key stages of learning. More information about each assessment can be found here