Ladywood School:Bolton
Headteacher: Mrs Sally McFarlane
Context
Ladywood School is a primary special school for pupils with complex learning difficulties. It has 74 pupils on roll. Almost half the pupils have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder and many pupils have moderate or severe learning difficulties.All pupils have a statement of special educational need. 85% of pupils are working between P4 - P8. The rest are working between Level 1 and 2.
The school has developed a cycle for assessment which includes moderation. Pupils are assessed using PIVATS.
LA - Bolton
After the last Ofsted inspection in January 2008 Ladywood was graded as outstanding.
What exemplification materials are you using to develop effective and accurate P-scale assessments? (Maths,English,Science,PSD)
QCA P- Scales
PIVATS
BSquared
APP
What exemplification materials are you using to develop effective and accurate
assessments at lower levels of NC (Level 1 and 2)? (Maths, English, Science, PSD)
PIVATS
B Squared
APP
How does the lead teacher ensure teachers’ judgements are standardised?
The lead teacher has attended maths APP training while other staff have attended EYFS/KS1/2 moderation meetings with mainstream and special schools. The lead teacher also holds in school ‘P’ scale training to ensure new teachers are given the opportunity to work with colleagues. Staff have also met from other special schools to moderate work.
How is the lead teacher/subject co-ordinator involved with preparing teachers for moderation?
Cross phase moderation meetings are held in school twice per year for maths, English and science. One is held in the autumn term to baseline the pupils and the other at the end of the summer term to moderate end of year assessments for all pupils. The subject co-ordinators decide on the focus of the meeting for their subject and give guidance as to the evidence to be brought. Staff are organised into teams which change for each meeting to ensure consistency across the school.
Assessments which are to be moderated are written up using the standard proforma to include the learning objective taken from the PIVATS document, context (including support provided), the child’s learning, the PIVATS level ascribed and the next steps for learning.
Any evidence, such as a piece of work ,a photograph or a witness statement on a post-it note, can be attached to each of the assessments that will support the level given.
Staff are given time at 3 staff meetings to collect and collate the evidence and to fill in the proformas.
A portfolio of evidence, which staff can refer to, to help them with their assessments has been collated which contains examples of moderated work, photographs and witness statements for each level in the core subjects.
How is the lead teacher/subject co-ordinator involved in ensuring accurate assessments are taking place?
The lead teacher attends the moderation meetings and ensures an agreement on a level is reached. She also provides feedback about the moderation in each of the core subjects which highlights strengths within the subject, comments on the quality of annotation and identifies areas for development.
The subject co-ordinators look at pupil assessments at the end of the year to check their accuracy.
What evidence does the school collect and how does the school ensure that the evidence shows the pupil’s performance over a range of contexts over the year?
In addition to the evidence brought to the moderation meetings, each pupil has a continuity book which contains a range of evidence which best reflects each pupil’s achievement in the core subjects.
How does the school make sure the evidence is predominantly based on assessments made whilst the child was working independently and consistently?
All assessments must include the amount of support the child was given. The evidence can only be used if it matches the amount of support specified in the level descriptor. This always forms part of the standardisation meetings, moderation meetings and the moderation discussions.
How does the lead teacher ensure assessment information is used effectively for target setting and identifying next steps in learning?
The school has two assessment weeks per year when pupils are assessed using PIVATS. The first week is in the autumn term to baseline Early Years and YR 1 pupils and all the new pupils. This information is also used to set IEP targets for these pupils. A further one is held in the summer term to complete end of year summative assessments of all pupils. These assessments are moderated at the moderation meetings (see above).
Pupils’ IEP targets are identified and planned for in teachers’ short term planning. Assessment has to be built into each lesson and next steps identified .These inform the new IEPs which are set each term for maths and English.
All KS1/2 pupils have a yearly target for the core subjects set by the class teacher based on assessment information gathered in assessment week. To ensure pupils are making appropriate progress towards their expected level of attainment, each class teacher tracks the target throughout the year.This target is reviewed at the end of the autumn and spring terms and adjusted if necessary. These targets are inputted into the whole school progress tracker by the lead teacher and recorded in the pupils’ individual profile.
How does the school track and monitor pupil progress and attainment?
The school has developed its’ own tracking system for the core subjects using data from PIVATS assessments. It has created more sublevels for PIVATS to ensure all pupils show some progress. The senior management team analyse the results and decide on a group of pupils to track closely the following year.
This data is also used to identify subject strengths and weaknesses. Where weaknesses are found they become a focus in the school improvement plan and for performance management.
How does the school evaluate the progress of learners?
The school uses the CASPA and Progression Guidanceto compare the progress of its pupils with that of similar pupils across the country. Evidence from this analysis shows that most children make good or outstanding progress.