Assessing Pupils’ Progress Strategy (APP)

The objectives relating to each question in the SP assessments have been fully cross referenced to the APP guidelines grids.

The DCSF Standards Site explains that through the Assessing Pupils’ Progress Strategy, schools should track pupils’ progress through Key Stage 1 and 2. They should also use diagnostic information about pupils’ strengths and weaknesses to inform future planning and target setting.This should form part of a school’s Assessment for Learning Policy.

The assessments produced by SP Educational Services are an invaluable resource in helping to provide vital evidence when implementing the APP Strategy. The assessment system, which is both summative and formative, provides information that is an ideal starting point in the3-step levelling process in the APP Strategy(Considering Evidence, Reviewing the Evidence, Making a Judgement). The results of groups or individual children’s assessments can be analysed and strengths and weaknesses relating to each objective of the Renewed Framework can be identified. This then informs future planning and strengthens teachers’ knowledge and skills in making judgements about children’s levels.

The aims of SP assessments and the aims of APP match in the following ways:

1. They enable teachers to make judgements about their pupils’ attainment, keyed into national standards.
2. Teachers’ understanding of progression in their subject is refined.
3. They provide diagnostic information about the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils and groups of pupils.
4. They enable teachers to track pupils’ progress over time.
5. They inform curriculum planning.
6. They facilitate the setting of meaningful curricular targets that can be shared with pupils and parents.
7. They promote teaching that is matched to pupils’ needs.
8. They support the transfer of meaningful information at key transitional points e.g. Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2.
   
   (‘Getting to Grips with Assessing Pupils’ Progress’ booklet from the DCFS) click to follow link

Unlike many of the tests and assessments available on the market, SP assessments are very flexible and are designed to help teachers make levelling judgements and not dictate them. They also provide ample evidence of children’s ability in the Using and Applying assessment focus.

The SP mental assessments also give a clear picture of children’s strengths and weaknesses; this adds to the evidence base when making APP judgements.