DARRTS: EYFS and Primary Data for Learning, Assessment, Recording, Reporting and Target Setting Procedures

Discovery Bay International School

‘DARRTS’

DBIS EYFS and Primary

Data for Learning, Assessment, Recording, Reporting and Target Setting Procedures

Rationale

This outline serves as a guiding document for the EYFS and Primary phase of the school and underpins our approach to assessment, reporting, target setting and the use of data to inform and impact learning. Adherence to the procedures outlined within ensures that the student experience is considered, consistent and underpinned by fair, up-to-date and actionable data which results in accelerated growth and timely support for students.

Specifically, these procedures speak to the following Learning Principles:

Intentional

Intentional learning at DBIS is the mindset of seeing every experience as an opportunity to learn. Learning opportunities are designed and facilitated to ensure that all students develop a love of learning and approach challenges positively with creativity and independence.

Personalised

Every DBIS learner is valued as an individual. We celebrate students' strengths in order to identify realistic and challenging expectations that are uniquely tailored to each individual's learning journey and meet their specific needs.

Data for Learning

Teachers have access to a wide variety of data to inform their pedagogical practices and planning. To personalise the learning journey for students, teachers are expected to utilise this information to apprise future planning, assessment and intervention strategies.

Assessment

Assessment is a systematic part of teaching and learning. It is essential that teachers know how well a student has progressed and that students understand how well they are doing and what they must learn to help them improve.

Assessment is the process of obtaining, analysing and evaluating evidence of student achievement in order to inform future learning experiences and associated provision.

A variety of assessment tools are used to monitor learning and to plan for future development. In addition to summative assessments in each subject to ascertain the level a student has achieved, regular formative assessment strategies take place to measure individual and/or collective understanding and to shape future learning and lesson design.

Formal assessments are planned in advance. In order to make valid and reliable judgments about students, we need to ensure that formal assessments have been designed, implemented, moderated and communicated to the highest practical standards. Assessments must reflect key learning intentions from the planned curriculum.

Formative assessment and summative assessment

The title of formative and summative refers to how the information gathered from the assessment is used, not to the assessment itself. Any activity that is used to inform in-process teaching and learning modifications; to improve instruction and student learning is formative in nature. Examples of formative assessment in lessons may include questioning, peer or self-assessment. At DBIS we also believe in the formative nature of more formal tests, the information gathered from these is always used to impact teaching and learning.

Baseline Assessment

Baseline information is analysed for all students to identify underlying strengths, weaknesses, attainment potential and attitudes to school and learning. In Foundation Stage 1, baseline assessments are completed by Class Teachers. In Year 1, the students’ Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) forms the basis of baseline information. In Foundation Stage 2, Year 2 - Year 6, assessment data from the previous teacher is used to inform planning and teaching. Students who are new in Year 1 - Year 6 will undertake three assessments for baseline purposes. These are: Progress Test English (PTE), Progress Test Mathematics (PTM), and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4). Teachers of new students in Foundation Stage 2 will undertake a baseline phonics assessment.

Regular Standardised Assessments

All students in Year 1 - Year 6 will complete the Progress Test Maths (PTM) and Progress Test English (PTE) twice per year. Form A of the tests will be administered towards the end of Term 1, in November; Form B of the tests will be administered towards the end of Term 3, in May. In addition, students in Year 3 - Year 6 will complete the Progress Test Science (PTS) annually. Form B of this test will be administered towards the end of Term 3, in May.

All students in Year 2 - Year 6 will complete the New Group Spelling Test (NGST) termly.

Class Teachers in Year 1 - Year 6 have the option to complete the Progress in Reading Assessment (PIRA) and Progress in Understanding Mathematics Assessment (PUMA) when appropriate. This is not a mandatory assessment but it can be a useful tool to help assess individual students and/or groups of students.

All testing dates and published annually in the DARRTS tab of the EYFS & Primary Year Planner.

These assessments are used in a formative manner, with next steps for learning being identified. The information gathered from standardised assessments informs planning, practice and target setting. Standardised assessments also provide class teachers with evidence that forms part of their teacher assessments; however, these tests alone cannot be the basis of overall teacher judgements. The data gathered from NGST is used to form the next steps in learning. It also provides evidence towards teacher assessment of spelling. At DBIS we value evidence of spelling in context. Application of spelling rules and patterns in students' work always forms the basis of teacher assessment in spelling.

Wellbeing Surveys

Data on student wellbeing is collected regularly through the use of the Komodo survey. Students in Year 1 - Year 2 complete these surveys twice per half term. Students in Year 3 - Year 6 complete the surveys on a bi-weekly basis. The results of the survey prompt teachers to arrange a 'check-in' with specific children. Requested check-ins are check-ins that are initiated by the students themselves, teachers must respond to requested check-ins within 2 days. Recommended check-ins are initiated automatically by the system for children who would benefit from a 1:1 conversation with a teacher, based on their survey responses. A library of resources is available on Komodo to support teachers with 1:1 conversations.

Endorsement of assessment tasks

Endorsement is a process of quality assurance for formal assessment before the assessment is delivered to the students. This process is essential in ensuring that the assessment instruments provide valid opportunities for the students to demonstrate what they know and can do. Formal assessments should be regularly monitored by the Heads of Curriculum/Heads of Department to ensure reliability, validity and uniformity across the phase. The following components should be accounted for:

• The source of the material (published materials, teacher devised, recognition of ownership).
• Accessibility (differentiated, accommodations and allowances where necessary).
• Assessment objectives (align with learning intentions as outlined in curriculum).
• Weighting and relative task demands (various proportions of the assessment accurately reflects course demands).
• Associated marking scheme/assessment rubric (agreed/official and accurate assessment criteria are established).
• Curriculum/Syllabus coverage (assessing only what has been taught).
• End of Year expectations
• Academic Integrity (conditions for administering assessment should be agreed upon, e.g. time, environment).

Feedback and marking of assessments

Formative feedback must be present on all assessments. Whilst a numerical score may also be awarded for some work, as a school, we believe that formative feedback is more likely to result in positive improvement than the assignment of a grade. Marking should be against the learning objective(s) and feedback should identify successes and areas for improvement (gaps in knowledge, understanding or application). Feedback should account for a student’s goals, what they have done well and what they need to do to improve.

To promote consistency, the following principles underpin our approach to marking and feedback:

Addresses…

• Student’s Goals
• Current attainment (Strengths)
• Next steps (Areas for improvement)

Is…

• Formative/Responsive
• Against learning objectives/Success criteria
• Specific, meaningful, actionable

Moderation and exemplification materials

Moderation should be undertaken for any formal assessments (i.e. end of unit work). It is not required for day-to-day formative assessment and feedback, although it is good practice to adopt. To ensure effective moderation, work should be cross-marked by another assessor who has knowledge of the assessment and content (i.e. another teacher in the same department or year group). Heads of Curriculum and Heads of Department will arrange formal moderation meetings for the phase, throughout the academic year. Heads of Year will complement these with regular moderation discussions in team meetings.

Work that is deemed a reflection of relative academic standards should be retained. This serves several purposes:

• Generates evidence of student achievement
• Supports grade determination
• Exemplifies standards in learning outcomes and achievements
• Promotes reflective and meaningful learning conversations, with colleagues, students and parents
• Enables ongoing and effective moderation

Recording

Gradebooks - entering data

Accurate records of student assessment outcomes are maintained within the school’s management information system (MIS): iSAMS. Teacher judgements are entered into the iSAMS gradebook by the teacher in order to track student progress over time.

Deesha - viewing data

Teachers have access to Deesha, our data dashboard. There are two versions of the dashboard, one for EYFS teachers and one for Primary (Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2) teachers. The aim of using Deesha is to streamline data analysis for teachers and leaders by placing all the data we have on students in one place; it works in the following way:

• Teacher judgements are pulled from iSAMS gradebooks, it is teachers’ responsibility to keep these gradebooks up to date. The dashboard updated automatically at regular intervals, changes in iSams will not reflect on Deesha until the next update.
• Attendance data, behaviour data and pupil information (e.g. EAL banding, year of enrolment etc), also pulls through from iSams.
• GL data (PTE, PTM, CAT4, NGST, PASS) is uploaded periodically by the IT team, dates of GL data uploads will be published to staff. All middle leaders have access to TestWise. If teachers need to view GL data that is not yet on Deesha, they should request this from their Head of Year or Head of Department.

Tracking Progress

Monitoring student progress is an integral facet within the phase. The tracking process provides a systematic approach to ensure consistent practice in terms of academic judgement, recognition of achievement, modifications to pedagogical practice and communication.

The following process takes place termly and is lead by Head of Year/Head of Department:

1. All teachers input data into iSams, date deadlines are published in advance at the beginning of the academic year
2. HoYs/HoDs undertake data moderation using a Deesha tab specifically designed for this process. An additional moderation of students’ work is organised within the team to discuss any discrepancies noted.
3. HoYs/HoDs complete a cohort analysis (HoYs) or a subject analysis (HoDs) summarising the key strengths and areas for development drawn from the data. Individual children who require more support, challenge, or a change in provision will be identified in this process.

When tracking students progress and attainment in the EYFS, teachers and leaders make reference to the EYFS and Primary Parameters document.

Reporting

At DBIS, capturing student progress is an ongoing process, this is supported by termly formal data entry deadlines. The information gathered in these formal data points is used internally to inform pedagogical practice and instruction. In addition, some of this information is shared with parents and guardians at least three times per academic year via written reports or parent teacher conferences (PTCs)

Reports

At the end of Term 1, students in Years 1-6 will all receive a formal report, consisting of:

• A personal comment from the Class Teacher
• A personal and social goal
• Grades for the strands of the curriculum that have been taught in Term 1 from the following subjects:
• English
• Mathematics
• Discovery
• Mandarin
• Physical Education (PE)
• Learning Technologies (LT)
• Music
• Students who have received extra provision in one of the following areas will also receive a comment from the responsible teacher:
• Learning Enhancement
• English as an additional language (EAL)

At the end of Term 3, students in FS1 - Year 6 will receive a formal report.

For FS1 and FS2 students their report consists of:

• A personal comment from the Class Teacher which addresses the characteristics of an effective learner
• A personal and social goal
• A comment on the child's progress in the prime areas of learning
• Grades for the following prime areas of learning:
• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• A comment on the child's progress in the specific areas of learning
• Grades for the specific areas of learning:
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts
• A target related to the child’s next steps in learning in the prime areas
• A target related to the child's next steps in learning in the specific areas
• A comment from the Mandarin Teacher

For Year 1 - Year 6 students, their report consists of:

• A personal comment from the Class Teacher
• A personal and social target
• Grades for the strands of the curriculum that have been taught throughout the academic year from the following subjects:
• English
• Mathematics
• Discovery
• Mandarin
• Physical Education (PE)
• Learning Technologies (LT)
• Music
• For each subject above, two highlights from the year will be shared along with a next step for the child’s learning.
• Students who have received extra provision in one of the following areas will also receive a comment from the responsible teacher:
• Learning Enhancement
• English as an additional language (EAL)

Buddy checking system

We have introduced a buddy checking system for our written reports. This ensures that our reports are accurate, adhere to the associated guidelines and that any discrepancies can be identified and responded to quickly.

Grading Structure

In FS-1 - Year 6, students will be graded in relation to the age-related expectations (AREs) as either:

• Working towards the ARE with support (WTS)
• Working towards the ARE (WT)
• Working at the ARE (AT)
• Working at greater depth (GD)

Attitude to Learning Grades

Students in Year 1 - Year 6 receive an attitude to learning grade for each subject on both their Term 1 and Term 3 reports. These grades are reported as either:

• Needs improvement
• Improving
• Commendable
• Exceptional

For students who received an attitude to learning grade of ‘needs improvement’, the issuing teacher must contact parents to explain the reasons for this ahead of report publication.

Informal/Interim Communications

In addition to formal reporting situations, there will be occasions for teachers to contact parents directly to inform them of student progress and/or behaviour at school. Below is a non-exhaustive list of reasons which would necessitate the teacher contacting a parent:

• A student’s academic performance has undergone a noticeable change, negatively or positively
• A consistent pattern of tiredness or stress becomes apparent
• A student has experienced an issue/issues with peers that may affect them academically or personally

Parents Teacher Conferences (PTCs)

It is essential that parents are kept informed of their child's (children’s) performance. Parental involvement (as recognised by Hattie 2017) has the potential to accelerate growth for our learners (*effect size 0.5) but only through regular learning conversations. Hence, each year group will have at least two PTCs per academic year.

The purpose of the event is for parents to meet the teacher and to share in an honest and informed discussion of the areas a student is excelling in and to provide specific ways in which the student can improve. PTCs should also be used as a stepping stone to foster improvement and to promote agency and ownership in learning. The students’ targets should also be integral to the dialogue.

Dates of PTCs are published on the EYFS and Primary year planner, these are set at the beginning of the academic year. Teachers are actively encouraged to invite parents in for learning conversations outside designated PTC sessions.

PTCs take place at the following times of the year:

• August - introductory PTCs (FS1 - Year 6)
• October - progress and attainment (Year 1 - Year 6)
• End of Term 1 - progress and attainment (FS1 - FS2)
• End of Term 2 - progress and attainment (FS1 - Year 6)

* Effect Size: Hattie defines d=0.4 to be the hinge point - an effect size at which an initiative can be said to be having a 'greater than average influence' on achievement. The greater the effect size, the greater the influence (Hattie 2017)

Target Setting

Target setting takes many forms at DBIS and is a regular part of daily classroom practice. There are two formal procedures for target setting throughout the year.

Each student’s targets and progress towards targets are discussed during Parent Teacher Conferences (PTCs). All parents from FS1 - Year 6 are invited to PTCs during Term 1 and Term 2. Progress towards targets will be shared with parents during these meetings.

Each student receives an End of Year Report in Term 3. Students In FS1 and FS2 will receive targets in the form of a target for the prime areas of learning and a target for the specific areas of learning. Students in Year 1 - Year 6 receive targets for all of their subject learning as well as a personal target.

Created: 20/02/2025

Last Reviewed: 09/09/2025