primary – DAISI EDUCATION

From Assessment to Action

28th September 202614th October 2026 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...

From Numbers to Narrative…

22nd September 202613th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

The words "Ofsted inspection" can still make even the most experienced school leaders feel a little nervous. Not because they're unprepared, but because inspection is about far more than presenting a set of results. It's about demonstrating that you truly understand your pupils, your curriculum and the impact your school is having every day. The schools that navigate inspection most confidently are rarely those with the thickest folders or the slickest presentations. They're the schools that know their children, understand their data and can clearly explain the story behind both. Moving from Numbers to Narrative... Beyond the Headline Results When KS2 SATs results arrive, most schools naturally focus on the headline figures. Expected Standard Greater Depth Progress Measures School Comparisons 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. And that's where DAISI Education's Question Level Analysis (QLA) can really help... Looking back...

The Best Schools Don’t Just Collect Data. They Use It.

15th September 202613th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

Schools today have access to more data than ever before. Assessment scores, attendance figures, behaviour records, pupil progress measures, intervention tracking, benchmarking reports, and survey responses can provide a wealth of information. Yet having data is not the same as using it effectively. The most successful schools understand a fundamental truth: The best schools don't just collect data. They use it. The biggest difference between good and great schools is often not the quantity of data they hold, but how they turn that information into meaningful action. Moving Beyond Data Collection Collecting data has become routine in education. Every assessment, test, and observation generates another set of numbers that can be stored, analysed, and reported. However, data in isolation tells us very little. A pupil scoring 65% on a test provides a headline figure, but it doesn't explain what they understand, where misconceptions exist, or what support they need next. Looking only at overall scores can leave crucial insights hidden beneath the surface. This is where effective schools take...

QLA – The Tool You Can’t Afford to Miss.

1st April 202313th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

As schools look for deeper insights from their assessment data, Question Level Analysis (QLA) is rapidly gaining traction across the country. When you drill down deeper, you can identify learning gaps, focus intervention where it's needed most, and find the small gains that drive big improvements. But if you think QLA is only about exam prep, think again. Its real power lies in what it can tell you about teaching, learning, and curriculum effectiveness. Let me explain... Examinations | Dive Deeper | Personal Learning Journey | Implement Change | Pass it Forward What does Question Level Analysis do? Question Level Analysis breaks assessment data down into groups – looking instead at topics and cohorts rather than the individual answers themselves. This aggregation allows you to identify patterns and trends that might otherwise go unnoticed. This approach can highlight specific areas where students are struggling or excelling, allowing educators to make targeted interventions. However, the real strength of QLA lies in its ability to guide evidence-based decision-making. By identifying...

What makes a Good Question Level Analysis?

23rd March 202313th October 2026 By mattwo16 Comments

Question Level Analysis (QLA) is becoming an essential tool for schools looking to turn assessment data into meaningful action. But not all QLAs are created equal. The most effective QLAs go beyond reporting results. They identify patterns, uncover learning gaps and provide the insight needed to drive improvement. With over 15 years' experience supporting schools and an attainment improvement rate of 80% over three years for schools using our QLA, we've learned one simple truth: The value isn't in the data. It's in the analysis. Here are ten questions to ask of any QLA. 1. Do you have to search in many places or is it delivered in one go? Remember the aim of this analysis is to save you time as a head/teacher so you are not searching through lots of data to find the answer. You need something that does all that for you. All DAISI QLA arrives as one PDF report sent direct to your inbox 2. Does the analysis look at Individual Questions or just...

Release the Potential of Analysis in your School

15th June 202213th October 2026 By mattwo17 Comments

One of the most popular sports across the world at the moment is Formula One. Here a matter of millimetres or milliseconds can make the difference between finishing first or last. Aerodynamics are checked constantly for any extra speed, the cars are fine-tuned with the latest data to make them go faster and faster. All parts will be updated at a cost of millions of pounds if it means the car will go a simple second quicker. “Data is becoming increasingly important – not just in the world of Formula One, but the world in general. In F1, we use our data on our relentless search for performance, across all functions of the team – both at the track and at the factory,” Toto Wolff - Head of Mercedes F1 Even the driving styles of each driver is manipulated with guidance from the computers for every corner - what line to take, when to brake, how much to brake. Every lap is...

Never Stop Learning

20th January 202113th October 2026 By mattwo14 Comments

In these new and uncertain times, pupils will have spent many months away from school due to the closures put in place as a result of Covid-19. Last year, schools in England were closed to all pupils except those of key-workers and vulnerable children on the 20th March. For the majority of the summer, most learning took part remotely. Huge strides in online education were made in months that perhaps previously would have taken years. Teachers created learning packs, online lessons and updated communication systems – rising to the challenge of how to educate their pupils without the the essential face-to-face contact and personal interaction. Then September arrived and the clamour for the reopening of schools returned. Pressure was on for schools to serve their communities once more. Parents were expecting pupils to return to "normal" schooling despite the Covid-19 procedures that needed to be followed... Now, in 2021, we sit once again in a lockdown with remote learning and home schooling....

Multiplication Tables Check

1st November 20205th April 2023 By mattwo2 Comments

Multiplication Times Check The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is aKey Stage 2 Assessment to be taken by pupilsat the end of year 4. The purpose is to determine whether Y4 pupilscan fluently recall their multiplication tables. https://youtu.be/Wi1UJm27q4Q The Test The test will consist of 25 questions, together with 3 practice questions. Pupils will have 6 seconds to answer each question, with 3 seconds between each question. Please note that you will not get a report on the number of marks each pupil gets when they "Try It Out". However, there is nothing to stop teachers from monitoring their pupils' tests and keeping their own unofficial score. MTC Administration The MTC administration can be accessed from the top menu bar of the Primary Assessment Gateway. This has replaces the NCA tools website, and is usually for headteachers and other super users. The pupil register will be pre-populated with your year 4 pupils. Additional pupils can be added into the pupil register if needed. If you wish, you can organise pupils...

Marginal Gains

14th October 202013th October 2026 By mattwo8 Comments

Back in 2012, at the heart of London Olympics, Sir Dave Brailsford repeatedly told people of his belief in the marginal gains principle. Speaking to the BBC, he said “The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of, that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1%, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together. There’s fitness and conditioning, of course, but there are other things that might seem on the periphery, like sleeping in the right position, having the same pillow when you are away and training in different places. They’re tiny things but if you clump them together it makes a big difference.” Brailsford believed that if it were possible to make a 1% improvement in a whole host of areas, the cumulative gains would end up being hugely significant. This principle has guided and driven the cycling team to great heights and Brailsford’s...

A Position of Knowledge

27th August 202013th October 2026 By mattwo8 Comments

When working within cycling both at the 2012 Olympics and onwards with the SKY or INEOS racing team, Sir Dave Brailsford employs a significant principal in all he does. The 1% principal is based on the small changes that TOGETHER make a big change. As Brailsford said, Speaking to the BBC… “The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of, that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1%, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together. There’s fitness and conditioning, of course, but there are other things that might seem on the periphery, like sleeping in the right position, having the same pillow when you are away and training in different places. They’re tiny things but if you clump them together it makes a big difference.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34247629 He believed that if it were possible to make a 1% improvement in a whole host of areas, the cumulative gains would end...