Assessments & Exams

Learning, assessment and review are a constant process at Ark Pioneer. We know that the feedback pupils receive, both through classroom dialogue and through more formal avenues, such as written feedback on pupil’s work or formative assessments, has a huge impact on their progress and attainment in secondary school: ‘...the most powerful single moderator that enhances achievement is feedback’ (John Hattie, Visible Learning)

At Ark Pioneer, we focus on why we are assessing, when planning the type of assessment we will use. This ensures that each assessment serves a clear purpose and that we use the results meaningfully.

Formative assessment helps us find out what pupils do and do not know. We believe regular and spaced, low-stakes assessment embeds learning and provides specific feedback on how pupils can improve. Our termly formative assessment informs future teaching, intervention planning and feeds into the evaluation of curriculum structure and resources. We do not grade formative assessments.

Summative assessment gives a measure of pupil progress and attainment. We set rigorous, challenging and fair tests of content taught at the end of each year, in order to gather data that’s indicative of where pupils are in relation to national expectations in each subject. We sum this up with an age-related grade. Alongside the formative assessment data gathered through the year, this informs our understanding of which pupils require further support. The end of year grade is an indicator of the pupil’s outcomes in external examinations, if they were to make nationally expected progress between that assessment point and their GCSE exams.

You can view information about each subject assessment cycle on the Assessment Information Booklet for each term. This includes content to be tested, format of the exam and guidance on revision. In addition, teachers will support revision in class before termly assessments and the end of year exams.

Assessment booklets

Additionally, you may find our Candidate Handbook below:

Please find a video recording below of the Webinar from 09/12/2024:

It’s very important parents and carers know how their child is progressing:

• At the end of each AUT, SPR and SUM term, we give out reports so parents and carers can see how their child is doing. We also hold a parent evening where we invite parents and carers to meet with their child’s tutor. All year groups meet once through the year in order to discuss their child’s progress and areas for development in each subject, except for Year 11 pupils who have two parent evenings. The meeting includes reviewing the child’s assessment folder including all assessments and targets for improvement in each area, as well as reminders on how to complete follow up work using their chromebook and class resources.
• Year 10 and year 11 parents & carers meet their child’s subject teachers individually, to look progress through their GCSE curriculum.
• Additionally, we will share a report with all parents and carers after each termly assessment and in the end of the year, which summarises each child’s:
  • Prior attainment level (from end of Primary School)
  • Progress in each subject that term
  • At the end of the year, an attainment grade in each subject (from 1-9)
  • Effort scores for each subject (see table below)
  • Attendance %, including authorised/unauthorised absence
  • Punctuality record
  • Behaviour Events
  • Reading age and reading variance from chronological age

Effort Descriptors

In deciding what level of effort pupils show, teachers use the following rubric: