Assessment at The Grange

At The Grange, assessment is not an add-on to teaching — it is central to high-quality learning. Our approach to assessment is purposeful, proportionate and focused on helping every child know more, remember more and do more over time.

Assessment is used to inform teaching, support pupils’ next steps, identify those who need additional help, and ensure our ambitious curriculum is having the intended impact.

Assessment at The Grange is curriculum-led, formative-first and focused on closing gaps. It helps teachers teach better, helps pupils understand their learning, and ensures no child is left behind.

 

Our Intent

Our assessment approach is designed to:

• Improve outcomes for all pupils

• Ensure teaching is responsive to what children know and can do

• Identify quickly any pupils who are falling behind

• Support teachers to plan precisely for next steps in learning

• Enable pupils to understand their progress and what they need to do next

• Provide clear, reliable information to parents and governors

• Avoid unnecessary workload for staff

 

We believe that the best assessment happens in the classroom, through ongoing dialogue, careful observation and meaningful feedback.

We recognise that progress is not always linear; therefore, pupils are not judged solely on test results. Assessment always sits alongside teachers’ professional knowledge of each child.

 

How Assessment Works (Implementation)

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Formative assessment – day to day

This is the backbone of our approach.

Teachers use:

• Live feedback during lessons

• Thoughtful questioning and discussion

• Low-stakes quizzes and retrieval activities

• Book scrutiny and work sampling

• Learning conversations with pupils

• Careful observation of how pupils apply learning

Feedback is timely, specific and designed to help pupils take responsibility for improving their own work. The next step for learning is usually the next lesson.

 

Assessment aligned to our curriculum

Each subject has:

• A clear curriculum map

• A threshold concepts map

• A published subject statement of intent

Assessment tasks are planned so that pupils are assessed against what they have actually been taught, not generic tests.

In foundation subjects, teachers use a mix of:

• Practical tasks

• Composite assessments

• Quizzes

• Discussions

• Creative responses

• Digital tools (e.g. Purple Mash where appropriate)

 

Core subject assessment

Reading

• Daily formative assessment

• Phonics screening in Year 1

• Regular phonics checks in EYFS and KS1

• Termly standardised tests (Years 2–5)

• SATs in Year 6

Writing

• Teacher assessment three times per year using our progression documents

• Pupil conferencing so children understand their next steps

• Evidence drawn from multiple pieces of writing

Maths

• Based on Teaching for Mastery

• End-of-unit reviews

• Termly standardised tests

• Regular arithmetic practice

• Times Tables Rock Stars and Numbot to secure fluency

Science

• Assessment against our science threshold concepts

• Concept maps, investigations and low-stakes quizzes

• Judgements based on what pupils can explain and demonstrate

 

Summative assessment

Formal assessments take place three times per year in English and Maths (Autumn, Spring, Summer). These are used to:

• Establish baselines

• Identify pupils who need support

• Track cohort progress

• Inform leadership and governor oversight

We use robust, standardised tests (Cornerstones in Years 2–5; SATs in Year 6) alongside teacher assessment to ensure fairness, reliability and accuracy.

 

Assess & Review Meetings

Each term, teachers meet with senior leaders to:

• Discuss individual pupils

• Identify barriers to learning

• Agree targeted support

• Review the impact of previous interventions

No child is allowed to “slip through the net”.

 

Support and Intervention

Where pupils are not making expected progress, we provide tailored support such as:

• 1:1 or small group catch-up in reading and maths

• Pre-teaching and post-teaching interventions

• Speech and language support

• ELSA emotional support

• Zones of Regulation strategies

• SEND-specific assessment tools and targets

All interventions are reviewed regularly to ensure they are making a difference.

 

Reporting to Parents

We work in close partnership with families through:

• Termly parents’ evenings

• Annual written reports

• Reading journals and homework communication

• Curriculum maps and newsletters

• Open days and workshops

 

Statutory results (Phonics Check, MTC, SATs) are shared clearly alongside teacher assessment.

 

Impact – What This Means for Pupils

Because of our assessment approach:

• Teachers know their pupils exceptionally well

• Gaps in learning are identified early

• Pupils receive timely, helpful feedback

• Most pupils make good or better progress

• Pupils understand their own learning journey

• Teaching is continually refined and improved

By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for secondary school, both academically and in their independence as learners.