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How do you improve practice in
1,000
Welsh primary schools?

“The most common recommendation in
inspection reports is about the need to
improve assessment with nearly 40% of
schools inspected having this as a
significant area for improvement.”
Ann Keane
Estyn Annual Report
January 2014

“I want Wales’ finest practitioners and highest
performing schools to form partnerships and to
share expertise. The knowledge and expertise that is
needed to improve already exists within the system
and we must exploit it. Effective collaboration is vital.”
Huw Lewis
Ministerial Statement
May 2014

Sharing expertise
Celebrating success
Self-Evaluation Workshops
The
Incerts
Network
Collaboration
Practical advice
Webinars Peer Review
Driving improvement Identifying best practice

Framework Architects
Gwyn Pleming (Llanfairpwll)
Iwan Jones (Craig y Don)
Rebecca Billington (Heulfan)
Rhys Hughes (Cae Top)
Rhys Harris (Gnoll)
Tegwen Ellis (Cynwyd Sant)
Roy James (Teilo Sant)
David Davies (Aberdar)
Roger Hardy (Holton)
Nick Wilson (Kitchener)
Phil Brookman (Beaufort Hill)
Jayne Edwards (Shirenewton)

Assessment Effectiveness Framework
Assessment Quality
• Making Detailed Assessments
• Making Reliable Assessments
• Making Accurate Assessments
Assessment Use
• Differentiating Teaching
• Engaging Pupils
• Engaging Parents
• Tracking Pupils’ Progress
• Tracking Vulnerable Groups
• Supporting School Strategy

Assessment Effectiveness Framework
Assessment Use
Differentiating Teaching
Engaging Pupils Engaging Parents
The level of detail of the
assessment information shared
with pupils, and their involvement
with the process of assessment
Teachers occasionally show pupils
their overall attainment in a subject,
representing it in a way that’s
meaningful to them. Similarly,
they have an engaging way of
showing pupils how far they have
progressed, and how close they are
to their individual target.
Annual reports include the pupil’s
overall attainment in core subject
areas presented in a way that’s
meaningful to parents. The reports
tell parents how to respond
with their comments, and these
comments could relate to their
child’s attainment.
Milestone
The precision of the information
about pupils’ attainment that is
used to inform differentiation of
teaching
In planning for their lessons,
teachers differentiate for groups
of pupils in their class according to
their overall level of prior attainment
in a subject.
The level of detail of the
assessment information that can
be readily accessed and responded
to by the parent
1
Several times a year, teachers show
their pupils some of the particular
requirements of the Outcomes/
Levels for a subject area that they
have already met, using language
that they understand. Similarly, they
show pupils some specific “next
steps” they must take to make
further progress, perhaps asking
them to choose particular ones that
interest them to focus us.
Periodic reports to parents are made
that, as well as overall attainment
in core subject areas presented in
a meaningful way, include details
of individual skills and the extent
to which the pupil has developed
them. Similarly, the reports set out
some specific “next steps” the pupil
must take to make further progress.
The reports encourage parents
to respond with their comments,
which could relate to those “next
steps”.
Milestone Teachers group pupils in their class
according to their own assessments
of each pupil’s current level of
attainment in a subject, and
differentiate for those groups in
their planning.
2
Teachers regularly show their pupils
how a particular example of what
they’ve done in class relates to one
of the specific requirements of a
subject area, and has therefore
been recorded by the teacher. To be
engaging, these examples should be
recorded as photographs or video
files that the pupils can view with
support.
Alongside periodic reports that
clearly present overall levels
of attainment, details of the
individual skills the pupil has
learned and specific “next steps”
for further progress, parents
are given online access to some
examples of the pupil’s work that
relate directly to the skills learnt.
Parents are encouraged to access
these examples and to give their
comments.
Milestone
Teachers group pupils in their
class who, according to their own
detailed assessments, either require
more support or can be stretched
further in particular individual
requirements of the levels of a
subject. They differentiate for those
groups in their planning for those
requirements.
3
Pupils who are old enough are
aware of some of the specific “next
steps” they must take to make
progress towards the particular
requirements of a subject area.
They suggest examples of things
they have done in class that the
teacher should record, expressing
their reasons in terms of those
requirements. Some pupils are
further engaged by being allowed to
record their own work, annotating it
appropriately with support.
Alongside periodic reports that
clearly present overall levels of
attainment, details of the individual
skills the pupil has learned and
specific “next steps” for further
progress, parents are given online
access to a comprehensive profile
of comments and examples of
work that relate directly to the skills
learnt. Parents are encouraged to
access this profile, and to make
comments and contributions to it
online.
Milestone Having identified groups of pupils to
differentiate for in their planning for
particular individual requirements
of a subject, teachers reassess their
pupils periodically and move them
between those groups as they
progress.
Tracking Pupils’ Progress
Tracking Vulnerable Groups Supporting School Strategy
The range and sophistication of the
uses to which groups’ assessment
data is put
For one or two of those groups that
are typically identified as vulnerable
to under-achievement in schools,
a measure of the pupils’ average
attainment and a measure of the
pupils’ average progress over a
year or a key stage are compared
with their cohort and with national
expectations.
Teacher assessments recorded
through the year are used to inform
the end-of-key-stage levels that the
school is required to submit.
The range and sophistication of the
uses to which pupils’ assessment
data is put
In most of the core subjects, each
pupil’s progress is calculated, from
their scores or sub-levels at the
beginning and the end of each year
or key stage, and compared with
national expectations.
The extent to which assessment
information is used by and
supports the school’s teachers,
leaders and governors
For several groups in the school
that are identified as vulnerable to
under-achievement, and in each
of the core subjects, the pupils’
average score or sub-level, the
pupils’ average progress over a year
or a term, and the pupils’ average
progress towards their individual
target, are compared with those
of their cohort and with national
expectations.
Subject Coordinators or an
Assessment Coordinator use teacher
assessment data to monitor how
cohorts and other groups of pupils
progress in the core subjects from
year to year.
In all the core subjects, each pupil’s
progress is calculated from a
sufficiently precise measure of their
attainment the beginning and the
end of each year or term. These
measures of each pupil’s attainment
are compared with precise targets in
each subject that were set for her/
him individually.
The methods used to compare
the performance of the school’s
vulnerable groups with expectations
are sufficiently robust, and their
use is sufficiently regular, to enable
timely and targeted action to be
taken whenever necessary.
The Senior Leadership Team and
teaching staff collaborate to analyse
teacher assessment data from
all cohorts and groups, making
use of other contextual data
(e.g. attendance), other types of
assessment data (e.g. national tests)
and individual target data (e.g. from
Fischer Family Trust)
The methods used to calculate
pupils’ progress and compare their
attainment with their individual
targets are sufficiently robust, and
their use is sufficiently regular,
to support timely and targeted
interventions. The results of such
calculations and comparisons in
all the core subjects are used to
select particular pupils for additional
support or for more challenging
work.
The methods used to compare
the performance of the school’s
vulnerable groups with expectations
are robust and regular enough to
measure the impact of all targeted
action meaningfully.
The governing body’s strategic
decision-making and planning of
school improvement and resourcing
are informed, where appropriate,
by their clear understanding of
a comprehensive analysis of the
school’s assessment data.
The method used to calculate
pupils’ progress and compare their
attainment with their individual
targets are robust and regular
enough to measure the impact
of all targeted interventions
meaningfully. Such measurements
of impact are used to identify the
best interventions, and sometimes
to move a particular pupil from
one group to another during an
intervention.
4
Assessment Quality
Making Detailed Assessments
Making Accurate Assessments Making Reliable Assessments
The confidence with which
teachers use other assessment data
to guide and support their own
judgements
To arrive at an overall level or
sub-level for a pupil in a subject,
teachers gather “objective” data,
such as levels they have given to
individual pieces of work, and the
results produced by informal and
formal tests. Their judgements are
mainly informed by these—more
than by their own observations of
that pupil over a period of time.
In the course of using assessments
they made earlier, teachers review
each of them at least one more
time. There are procedures that
allow teachers to change their
assessments if necessary.
Milestone
The regularity, scope and level of
detail of teachers’ assessments
Teachers assess all of their pupils
one or two times a year in most of
the core subjects. Each time, and for
each subject, they record an overall
score, usually a sub-level.
The breadth and sophistication
of procedures that increase the
reliability of teacher assessment
data
1
In making detailed judgements
of a pupil’s attainment against
individual requirements of the levels
for a subject, teachers are largely
informed by their observations of
that pupil over a period of time,
although subject to ensuring that
the overall level or sub-level they
arrive at agrees with “objective”
data such as levelled pieces of work
or formal test results.
Periodically, and at the start of
the school year in particular,
teachers review assessments
that were made by a colleague.
There are procedures to support
discussion between teachers about
assessments, and to change those
assessments where necessary.
Milestone Teachers assess all of their pupils
several times a year in all the core
subjects. They record detailed
judgements against all of the
individual requirements of the levels
for that subject, as well as an overall
score or sub-level for it.
2
In making detailed judgements of a
pupil’s attainment against individual
requirements within a subject,
teachers are informed by their
observations and by specific skills
the pupil demonstrates in work
they have produced and in answers
they have given in tests. Teachers
occasionally record examples
of those answers alongside the
judgements that they support.
Examples of pupils’ work are
selected, annotated and collected
together to exemplify some of
the individual requirements of the
levels. These examples are used by
teachers to support them in making
and discussing their judgements.
Milestone
in all the subjects, assessing
regularly in the core subjects.
For each subject, they record
detailed judgements as well as an
overall score/sub-level. They write
occasional comments or identify
examples of their pupils’ work to
support and expand on some of
those judgements.
3
In making detailed judgements of
a pupil’s attainment in a subject,
teachers are informed by all
the information available. They
systematically record how specific
information from answers given
in tests, and from other sources,
has supported their judgements.
They compare sub-levels averaged
across the cohort with test results
averaged across the cohort to
identify any systematic difference
between them.
Examples of work from pupils
within and outside the school are
systematically selected, annotated
and collected together to exemplify
the individual requirements of the
levels in the core subjects. These
“profiles” of the subjects are
used by teachers to support them
in making judgements that are
consistent with those made in other
schools.
Milestone
in all the subjects regularly. For
each subject, they record detailed
judgements as well as an overall
score/sub-level. They systematically
record comments and examples
of their pupils’ work that build
up a narrative or a profile of their
learning, in the core subjects at
least.
4

Who are the Link Schools?
Beaufort Hill Primary, Blaenau Gwent
YGG Aberdar, Rhondda Cynon Taf
YGG Lôn Las, Swansea
Ysgol Craig y Don, Conwy
Ysgol Pendorlan, Conwy
Ysgol Cae Top, Gwynedd
Holton Primary, Vale of Glamorgan
Ysgol Gymraeg Teilo Sant, Carmarthenshire
Gnoll Primary, Neath Port Talbot
YGG Cynwyd Sant, Bridgend
Ysgol Llanfairpwll, Anglesey
Ysgol Ardwyn, Powys
Kitchener Primary, Cardiff
Merllyn Primary, Flintshire
Ysgol Heulfan, Wrexham

Partnership
Partnership
Partnership
Partnership

Timeline
Workshops
Webinars
Peer Review
Self Evaluation
Autumn Spring Summer

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