From Assessment to Action

From Assessment to Action

By mattwo Comment Closed
Every school does assessments. Baseline assessments at the start of the year. Mock tests before SATs. Progress checks throughout the term. Pupils sit the tests. Teachers mark them. Leaders review the percentages. Then comes the important question: What happens next? For many schools, assessment data stops at a score. A pupil achieved 72%. A class average was 68%. A cohort performed broadly in line with expectations. But percentages alone cannot improve outcomes. They cannot reveal misconceptions. They cannot explain why pupils struggled. They cannot identify the curriculum content that needs revisiting. And they certainly cannot provide the evidence needed to justify future actions to governors, trust leaders, school improvement partners, or Ofsted. The most effective schools understand that the real value of assessment lies not in measuring performance, but in understanding it. At DAISI Education, we believe the Assessment is only the Beginning. Many assessments provide a score, a percentage, or an attainment judgement. While that tells you how pupils performed, it rarely explains why they performed that way...
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What If Your Year 7 Data Could Tell You More?

What If Your Year 7 Data Could Tell You More?

By mattwo Comment Closed
Every September, secondary schools welcome a new cohort of pupils armed with timetables, planners and ambitions for the years ahead. Alongside them arrives something equally valuable, yet too often overlooked: their KS2 SATs data. Most schools will review scaled scores. Some will analyse attainment groups. Others will invest time in baseline assessments to build an initial picture of their new Year 7 intake. The strongest secondary schools do something far more powerful. They go beyond the headline figures to understand them. The Conversation has Shifted. At a time when schools are expected to demonstrate a clear understanding of their pupils' starting points, the ability to articulate what learners know, where gaps exist, and how the curriculum responds has never been more important. The question is no longer: "What score did they achieve?" The question is now... "What does that score tell us about the learner and what are you doing about it?" Why Baseline Assessments Don't Always Provide the Full Picture For many pupils, the first weeks of secondary school...
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Are you making the most of your KS2 SATs Results?

Are you making the most of your KS2 SATs Results?

By mattwo Comment Closed
SATs outcomes are a measure, not a verdict. They don’t see your school, your community. The published figures are data points in time that prompt questions to drive your school forward? Are your results in line with internal tracking? Did the cohort include a significant number of SEND or EAL pupils? How did other cohorts perform? Were different topics taught differently? But you need to look deeper to find the real truths hidden inside. As one headteacher said.. “Do an in-depth analysis - cohort context, subject breakdowns, question-level analysis, and internal tracking vs outcomes… and you’ll find some good news in there. ” Confidence and Evidence for Ofsted When KS2 SATs results arrive, most schools naturally focus on the headline figures: Expected Standard, Greater Depth, Progress Measures, School Comparisons etc. These measures matter. But they’re only the starting point. The real opportunity lies in understanding why pupils performed the way they did and what those results tell us about curriculum effectiveness, teaching, learning and future priorities. Inspectors aren’t looking for rehearsed answers or...
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Home Learning

Home Learning

By mattwo63 Comments
We present a wide range of fun, educational and engaging resources schools can share with pupils and families. This long list of links and resources was put together over the summer of 2020 and has continued to grow ever since. Many thanks to those from around the world who have suggested ideas and links. We hope you continue to find them useful! “Such an Inspiring collection of Links & Resources” Learning Check out these links for Primary and Secondary age. Early Years Activities for 2-5 year olds - stories, craft and more Exploring See the world from space and live elephants in Africa... Craft Ideas 100s of ideas from a variety of sources.. Colouring Here are over 100 patterns and pictures to choose from.. Museums Visit the Louvre, British Museum and more... Fun Activities 100s of Ideas and Links "What a huge help for families!" Science Create giant bubbles, a rocket that blasts off and more.. Baking Loads of recipes and ideas from cupcakes to pizzas. Reading Escape to a new world with these reading links. Discovering Fascinating facts about Space,...
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Analyse School Performance

By mattwoNo Comments
What is ASP? Analyse School Performance The DfE’s Analyse School Performance (ASP) service was launched in April 2017 and provides schools and local authorities with a range of analyses predominantly built around the DfE headline measures. It is a key source of data from the Department for Education (DfE) and so therefore used by School Improvement Advisers and OFSTED Inspectors. Get Analysis of all your cohorts – straight to your inbox by clicking here When is the ASP released? The KS2 Validated Data is now available in Analyse School Performance. The KS4 data is due to be published in January 2023. How do I access my ASP? Access to the ASP reports is via the Department for Education’s Secure Access portal, DfE Sign-in. If anyone in a school needs access and does not have login details, then they should liaise with the DfE Sign-in Approver in their school for further advice for accessing the site and for login details. DFE Secure Access Sign-In You will then need to sign with your email and password. ASaP –...
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