The children are regularly assessed in their reading using Benchmarking until they become free readers. This allows us to assess a child’s ability to decode and comprehend a text. Many children can decode (read) really well, but they can struggle to answer questions about the text. Your child will move up our Book Band levels when we know they can complete both parts of this assessment. When you child is a free reader their progress will be assessed in Guided Reading sessions and more formal tests.

At the start of each year and, then at key times throughout the year, we complete assessments which give your child a reading age and a spelling age. This information helps us measure the progress your child is making in these areas.

The children are given spellings to learn based on their phonics work and the required words as set out in the National Curriculum.

The children are assessed each term on their progress in maths and writing using a combination of tests and teacher assessments.

DFE Performance Tables

This link will take you to the performance information on the DfE website.

https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/110393

https://www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables

Foundation Stage

Assessment is an ongoing process in Year R/Early Years Foundation Stage. We take time to make careful observations of children at play and provide them with opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, through play based opportunities or teacher-lead activities. We take photographs of children to evidence our findings as well as making written observations. More formal ‘Teacher Time’ checklists come from activities adults carry out and theses are objective lead.

We assess children within the first 6 weeks of the Autumn Term using the government Reception  Baseline Assessment (RBA). More information on the RBA can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66d18cdcd107658faec7e3d1/2024_Information_for_parents_reception_baseline_assessment.pdf A summary of this assessment and our own observations are shared with parents at a parents meeting in October.

Assessment is a continuous process and takes place throughout the year, parents receive regular updates via Tapestry. Children’s progress will be reported to parents each term at a parent’s consultation meeting, parents will receive a detailed target sheet for their child and a brief summary of their attainment prior to each meeting and this will be used to form the basis of the parent consultation.

During the summer term we complete another formal assessment the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP). This assesses a child within each of the 17 Areas of Learning against the Early Learning Goals (ELGs).  We use all our evidence from assessments to make a best-fit judgement on your child’s learning and development. This will give one of two outcomes that your child has;

• reached the description of the level of development expected at the end of the EYFS i.e the ELG for that area of development has been achieved.
• is not yet at the level of development expected at the end of the EYFS and is therefore emerging and the ELG has not been achieved.

A printout of this data along with a personal report will be shared with parents and Year 1 teachers. We describe a child as having made a ‘Good Level of Development’ or GLD if they reach the expected level in the prime areas of learning (along with specific aspects of mathematics and literacy).

All children in the summer term of Year 1 complete the Phonics Screening Check. This assesses their ability to sound out and read words, real and ‘pseudo’ e.g. ‘cake’ and ‘terp.’ If the children read enough words correctly then they achieve the expected level. If they do not get this level then they have to re-sit the screening in the summer term of Year 2. To see an example of the test click here.

The presentation from the Year 1 Teachers for the Phonics Screening Check can be found by clicking the button at the bottom of this section.

Key Stage 2

The Year 6 children take their end of Key Stage 2 SATs in May each year. They take tests in maths – an arithmetic paper and 2 reasoning papers; SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) and reading comprehension. Their writing is assessed through a set of criteria that they have to show in their work throughout the year.  The marks the children achieve on their papers are converted to a ‘scaled score’ and if they achieve a score of 100 or more they are judged to have met the expected standard for the end of Key Stage 2. So for reading, maths and SPAG the judgement will be;

AS – has achieved the expected standard for the end of Key Stage 2

NS – not achieved the expected standard for the end of Key Stage 2

For writing the judgement will be;

EXS – the child is working at the expected standard for the end of Key Stage 2

WTS – the child is working towards the expected standard for the end of Key Stage 2

GDS – the child is working above the expected standard for the end of Key Stage 2

For science a judgement is based on all the work covered in Key Stage 2 and the judgement will be either;

EXS – has met the expected standard

HNS – has not met the expected standard

For some children who are working at standard well below their peers there are separate judgements that can be made.

11+

Buckinghamshire is a selective authority. At the start of the autumn term of Year 6 the children can sit the 11+ selection test, parents can withdraw their child if they so wish. There are two practice papers usually taken on a Tuesday and then on the following Thursday the two real papers are taken. The results are sent out in time for parents to make their choice of secondary school place. The 11+ papers consist of reading comprehension questions, maths problems and non-verbal reasoning.

Grammar schools select the most able from all the children who sit the tests. It is important to remember that very few children will achieve the required mark. The teachers are very happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding the 11+ and your child and we do hold information meetings each year for parents on the selection process.

The school must enter all eligible pupils unless parents request in writing that their child be withdrawn from the procedure.  We encourage parents to discuss with class teachers the appropriateness of their child sitting the 11+ tests. For some children for whom grammar schools are clearly inappropriate – for example those receiving extra help according to the Special Needs Code of Practice – sitting the test is likely to prove far more demoralising than being withdrawn. The time allocated to the testing can then be used to provide focused educational activities to raise standards of work.

Key Stage 2 – Results 23/24

Scores in bold = Naphill and Walters Ash Results

Scores not in bold – National Average