At Bishop’s Waltham Junior School the health, safety and well-being of every child is our top priority.

Assessment

BWJS Philosophy of Assessment:

At Bishop's Waltham Junior School we believe:

• Assessment should have a purpose at every level for everyone involved.
• Pupils should be given appropriate feedback on their learning from the formative assessments carried out by class teachers.
• Class teachers should be able to use formative assessment to support planning and implementation of a curriculum designed to meet the needs of learners. (This has to be the main driving force!)
• Teachers and school leaders should be able to use assessment to help ensure that the pupils who need specified intervention are quickly identified, appropriately supported and monitored so that all can fully achieve their potential and no one is left to struggle behind.
• School Leaders should be able to use summative assessment as a tool for monitoring the progress and attainment pupils make, to ensure the school is helping pupils achieve their potential.
• Parents should be able to get a clear and accurate sense of their child’s achievement and progress as well as areas where they can support development.
• Governors should be able to use data to ensure the school is supporting pupils learning effectively.
• Schools can provide data for inspection teams to show how children are performing.

Assessment Principles

The principles detailed below informed the school's assessment policy. 

1) Give reliable information to parents about how their child, and their child’s school, is performing 

a. Allow meaningful tracking of pupils towards end of key stage expectations in the new curriculum, including regular feedback to parents.

b. Provide information which is transferable and easily understood and covers both qualitative and quantitative assessment.

c. Differentiate attainment between pupils of different abilities, giving early recognition of pupils who are falling behind and those who are excelling.

d. Are reliable and free from bias.

2) Help drive improvement for pupils and teachers

a. Are closely linked to improving the quality of teaching.

b. Ensure feedback to pupils contributes to improved learning and is focused on specific and tangible objectives.

c. Produce recordable measures which can demonstrate comparison against expected standards and reflect progress over time.

3) Make sure the school is keeping up with external best practice and innovation

a. Are created in consultation with those delivering best practice locally.

b. Are created in consideration of, and are bench-marked against, international best practice.

For more information regarding assessment/tracking procedures please contact Mr Campbell (Head) or Mrs Daniels (Deputy).