1

STUDENT PROGRESS POLICY 1. Context At Beechwood School we serve a diverse community in terms of academic achievement to date. We have as our motto & goal: ‘Doing our best to be the best that we can be’. This philosophy and approach is fundamental to our ‘Student Progress Policy’. We have excellence as our goal. We intend to provide an exceptional standard of education for all our young people so that all are enabled to develop, thrive, learn effectively, make progress and succeed. We believe all can and all should. We are not striving for minimum levels of academic progress. We are ambitious for our young people and want them to share this ambition and expectation with regards to what they can achieve via their learning experiences at Beechwood. We aim to empower our students to be owners of their own learning. Our aspirations and intentions with regard to Student Progress will be realised if we have high quality and consistent practice in the following areas:

1) teaching & learning; 2) assessment & marking; 3) use of additional learning / homework; 4) target setting; 5) monitoring of student progress in relation to targets set; 6) intervention / additional support; 7) reporting to parents; 8) monitoring and evaluation of the impact of our practice.

This Policy will summarise key practice in all of the above areas. This Policy does, however, need to be read in conjunction with the following policies:

- Behaviours for Learning / Climate for Learning - Equal Opportunities - SEN - Talented, Able & Gifted - Literacy - Numeracy - CPD - Performance Management / Appraisal

There also exists very specific additional guidance / detailed information on all of the above areas 1 to 8 contained in the Staff Handbook.

2. Teaching & Learning When high quality learning is evident, then it is clear that there has been high quality teaching. Teaching is facilitation of learning. If learners are not engaged and motivated then the teaching has not been adequate. If academic outcomes for students are not good, then teaching has not been good. In terms of outcomes, this is judged by the levels of progress made by students over time.

2

We know that students need to learn much whilst at school. Their learning relates not only to subject areas / the academic but also to their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Good and outstanding teaching enables learning in all areas. Teachers have a central and critical role but so too do other adult members of the school community. Support staff with specific responsibility for supporting learning will know from their Performance Management the vital role they have to play. Teaching staff will know from the Teacher Standards and Career Stage Expectations information shared in the Performance Management Policy and Pay Progress Policy, what is expected. In summary, however, it is important to highlight the following. Teachers must: - plan all lessons; - plan lessons which illustrate that the learning needs of all students are being addressed (ref. context

sheets and lesson planning documentation); - ensure that appropriate resources are used; - ensure that other adults in the room are deployed to support students appropriately and advance

learning; - ensure that in each lesson, and over a Scheme of Work (SoW), students know what learning has been

achieved and what progress they are making (AfL); - set homework / additional learning; - regularly (ref guidance below) mark and assess written work which provides formative feedback to

students; - regularly monitor student progress against targets; - provide support and intervention for students who are not learning effectively and therefore not

meeting their targets; - adhere to all policies e.g., Behaviours for Learning / Behaviour Management; - use rewards and sanctions system to promote learning; - review own practice, strengths and development needs and take responsibility for own performance

review and CPD needs; - engage positively with parents and provide feedback in line with Reporting Policy. Learning Support Staff must: - liaise with class teacher and be prepared for each lesson; - follow direction of teacher re developing resources, targeting support, feedback to students, parents,

SENCO; - evaluate impact of support / practice; - complete all necessary paperwork; - attend meetings, as requested, to discuss or plan for student progress or to provide direct

intervention support for students; - review own practice and development needs to take responsibility for own performance review and

CPD needs.

3

Students must: - value their learning opportunities; - come to lessons prepared; - make every effort to engage and make progress; - respect the rights of all to learn, achieve and succeed; - engage in all additional intervention and support activities as required; - participate in extra-curricular and enrichment activities; - complete all additional learning / homework; - take on board assessment / marking feedback and make a conscious effort to address weaker areas

in subsequent work / learning activities. Parents / Carers must: - support the school’s aspirations for their child; - respond positively to requests to attend meetings, information evenings, reporting evenings; - provide feedback when requested; - ensure their child is prepared for school (e.g. has necessary equipment); - ensure their child undertakes additional learning / homework tasks; - encourages their child to participate in all extension, extra-curricular, enrichment activities; - ensure their child participates in all extra support and intervention activities. Governors must: - know what the overall quality of teaching & learning is each term; - have knowledge of targets and progress being made towards meeting these targets for all students,

groups of students and key stages; - understand the PM process and be assured that it is being appropriately led and managed, with

under-performance being addressed and strong performance being rewarded; - know what support and intervention activities are taking place and the impact these are having; - know the CPD programme / strategy and how this relates to improving teaching & learning.

3. Assessment & Marking Assessment is inextricably linked with student progress. ‘Assessment for Learning’ – the ongoing formative assessment – and ‘Assessment of Learning’ – the summative assessment points during the school year – must both be used to build a comprehensive picture of students’ progress over time. Assessment – both formative and summative – should: - help drive improvement for students and teachers; - give reliable information to parents about how their child and their child’s school is performing.

(DfE 2014)

For Teachers, assessment should: - provide an opportunity to monitor student progress towards learning objectives and success criteria

and determine additional support and intervention as required; - inform planning of teaching that enables active learning; - provide evidence for target setting and predictions; - create opportunities for dialogue between the teacher and student about learning and progress.

4

For Students, assessment should: - be linked to clear learning objectives and success criteria; - provide opportunity for students to be engaged actively in their own learning and progress; - provide clear feedback and advice in order that students can make progress; - motivate, challenge and build confidence. For Learning Support Staff, assessment should: - enable monitoring of student progress; - inform intervention / support required; - provide evidence of impact of intervention / support - create opportunity for dialogue about student learning and progress. For Parents and Carers, assessment should: - provide easily understood information on their child’s progress and attainment; - identify areas of strengths and areas for development in their child’s learning. For Governors, assessment should: - provide an overview of students’ progress and attainment at regular intervals; - identify areas of strengths and areas for development in the achievement of all students, particularly

key groups of students; - provide information which allows monitoring of effective performance development to take place.

Assessment for Learning – helpful guidance Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and then teachers to decide where learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there’.

(Assessment Reform Group 2002)

‘Assessment for Learning is part of everyday practice by students, teachers and peers that seeks, reflects upon and responds to information from dialogue, demonstration and observation in ways that evidence ongoing learning’

(International Conference - AfL, New Zealand 2009)

The above two quotations provide a helpful summary of practice fundamental to teaching & learning. Below is a summary list of ‘bottom lines’ with regard to marking & assessment within our school. Marking & Assessment 1) All assessment must make clear to the students exactly what is being assessed and be displayed

where appropriate. 2) Assessment criteria should be made clear to students. Guidelines for progression through the levels

/ grades should be modelled or exemplified to ensure pupils are supported and challenged to make rapid progress.

3) Every piece of work should be acknowledged in some manner. Students’ books / folders / written work is to show evidence of teacher marking & assessment at least every two weeks or for subjects at KS3 which only have one lesson a week curriculum time allocation, every four lessons as a minimum.

5

4) There should be evidence of the Literacy Marking Policy being used to support students’ literacy development (SPAG and vocabulary extension).

5) There should be evidence of regular formative marking in exercise books, using the school policy of marking squares. This can be seen in regular formative marking and at the six half termly summative assessment points.

6) There should be evidence of dialogue between students and teachers through the use of marking squares. There should also be evidence of positive response in follow up work. The teacher should ensure that a student has opportunity to show learning in light of marking and assessment feedback by setting work in lesson and for completion in books / folders etc., which illustrates progress / advancement. The feedback on this subsequent work should clearly show the context of the work and progress being made. Throughout a student’s exercise book / work record there must be a continuum of learning explicitly evident.

7) It is essential that teachers use and have access to the available data about students. The data that teachers have on each student, including prior attainment, contextual information and target levels, will help teachers to know the students in their classes and to set challenging learning goals that enable rapid progress. This data is available on SIMS and should be easily accessible to teaching staff to inform planning of teaching & learning.

8) Heads of Department must be aware of the prior data of students within their areas and are responsible for checking of student progress at the data entry points.

9) Students will receive a number of indicate their attitude to learning on the three data entry points (Progress 1 / Progress 2 and Summative). Attitude to Learning 1 to 5 1 - excellent 2 - good 4 - disappointing 5 - unacceptable

10) HoDs and Directors of Studies / DDoSs will receive a ‘progress data’ summary (red, amber, green

RAG report) at each of the data entry points and will evaluate the data to identify students who are not making at least ‘good’ progress.

11) HoDs and DoSs / DDoSs with their Department / Year teams, will intervene when students are not making at least ‘good’ progress and monitor the impact of these interventions.

This is not an exhaustive list, it indicates the minimum requirement.

6

Assessment of Learning Summative assessment throughout the year is essential to know the extent of progress being made by each student. Summative assessment enables sharply targeted intervention. Summative assessments illustrate outcomes. Public examinations are the final summative assessments and are critical determiners of a young person’s future. Public examinations / assessment models are changing and we need to ensure that our policy & practice anticipates and reflects what will best serve the interests of our young people. At present, our practice should follow the ‘bottom lines’ listed below. 1) Each subject area should have six half termly summative assessment points. 2) At KS5, students’ work must be summatively assessed using A Level / AS Level grades or BTEC

grades as appropriate in light of the course students are pursuing. Students need to have accurate information about how their work will be judged by the examination boards in light of the syllabus and specified assessment criteria. In light of this, they need absolute clarity about what they need to do to improve and upgrade.

3) At GCSE (KS4) students’ work must be summatively assessed in accordance with GCSE criteria i.e. grades A*-G at present and also using PiXL five grade 1 to 3 distinction. It is vital that all departments use GCSE grading A*-G or whatever system is currently in use nationally by the examination boards for attainment to ensure that students have accurate information about their attainment and ability and have realistic expectations of what they need to do to make progress and improve their performance.

4) At KS3 students’ work is summatively assessed in levels, using a, b & c (a high – c low) to indicate how secure students are within the level. NB: This practice will change in light of new curriculum and assessment changes.

5) Teachers will keep their own record of assessment for students in their classes. Subject leaders and senior link colleagues will inform their teams of the format in which these records are to be kept.

6) HoDs will have access to a Department record of levels at KS3 and GCSE grades at KS4 from the six half termly assessments.

7) HoDs are responsible for the efficacy of their data in their Department and for keeping evidence to support the accuracy of their data.

8) HoDs should have regular moderation sessions in their Department, particularly at data entry points.

9) HoDs should have evidence of student work at key levels and GCSE grades as exemplars of standards and expectations from previous students and current students.

10) Accurate data must be entered into SIMS for the three data entry points for each student. It is important that this data is moderated and checked at Department level by the HoD within the timescale defined in the Data Calendar.

11) Teachers are expected to have current data from recent assessments, prior data such as KS2 SATs, CATs, reading scores, levels and grades from the previous academic year and contextual information such as information about Special Education Needs (SEN), English as an Additional Language (EAL), Pupil Premium (PP), Talented, Able & Gifted (TAG) about each of their students.

7

4. Additional Learning / Homework To ensure outstanding and good progress – what all our students should be securing – it is essential that additional learning / homework is set and completed. Homework complements the learning in class. It is not simply repetition / more of the same although, on occasion, consolidation is required. Homework must be engaging and stimulating. Homework must require thought and intellectual engagement and response. Homework tasks can be varied. They do not need to be exclusively written tasks but they should be substantive pieces of work which show evidence of learning. The following guidance provides the ‘bottom line’ in terms of what each member of our community should do with regards to homework / additional learning. Teachers must: - set homework twice a week (core subjects) or once a week in non-core subjects at KS3; - set homework three times a week at KS4; - set homework / independent learning activities four times a week at KS5; - ensure all homework is recorded on the VLE with guidance and resources noted; - mark / assess homework in-line with frequency and guidelines detailed above in the Assessment &

Marking section; - address as a disciplinary matter non-completion of homework; - reward students with an exceptional track record of homework completed to a high standard; - liaise with parents ref positives and concerns; - use homework to assist in informing comments made in Reports to parents and Reporting Evenings. Students must: - note all homework in planners; - complete and submit all homework on time and to the highest possible standard; - use the VLE to access materials / information; - advise teachers if VLE access is problematic; - attend Study Clubs and subject support sessions as is appropriate / necessary / required. Parents / Carers must: - check their child’s planner at least weekly; - support their child’s personal organisation so as to ensure they address homework tasks daily; - ensure child completes homework; - communicate with school if there is a concern about homework.

Target Setting Beechwood School believes that target setting is essential to enable the tracking and monitoring of student progress. Targets are set centrally based on KS2 data and Fischer Family Trust (FFT) estimates.

8

Key Stage 3 There are two targets for students in KS3: - floor standards based on a minimum expectation of two sub-levels of progress per academic year; - student targets (aspirational) based on whole levels of progress plus each academic year

(differentiated dependent on starting points). As foundation subjects do not haveKS2 data the floor standards will be based on Average Point Score (APS) from students’ KS2 data. Key Stage 4 There are three targets for students in KS4: - floor standards based on 3 levels of progress from KS2 to KS4 for English, Maths & Science; - floor standards for each subject, other than English, Maths & Science based on APS on entry; - student targets based on 4 levels of progress from KS2 to KS4. Some students in light of strong

progress at KS3, will have an adjusted 5levels of progress set after review; - for both KS3 and KS4 student targets – HoDs can review targets and can negotiate with the senior

link colleague to make changes to the centrally set targets. Key Stage 5 - targets will be set using ALPs; - value added targets will be set for all and this is the goal to be achieved; - unless there is an exceptional circumstance, it would not be expected that subject teachers / HoDs

will be seeking to adjust the target set. Monitoring of Progress / Predictions In addition to giving KS3, KS4 & KS5 students a level or grade based on current performance, teachers will also enter an end of year (KS3) or an end of key stage (KS4 / KS5) prediction for the two progress reports. This will be an accurate prediction based on the student’s assessment(s), performance in class, homework and effort. This will inform all involved of what a student is likely to attain. These predictions will help us to identify students who are not progressing in-line with the floor standards or student targets. The predictions will also help HoDs and Senior leadership team to identify students who are on the margins of achieving key thresholds such as 5A*-C with English & Maths, making required levels of progress, securing strong outcomes within the context of Progress 8 measure, securing the UCAS points and value added outcomes at KS5 (NB performance measures are changing and we need to evolve our practice over time to reflect this). In addition, they will allow the Director of Studies, DLCOs and DDoSs a clearer picture of the progress of students in their Year group / key stage and give them opportunity to undertake quick checks on an individual student’s progress across a range of subjects.

9

5. Monitoring of Student Progress Each student will have targets set. Our tracking procedure will enable monitoring of progress being made against the target. Our tracking calendar will be set at the start of each academic year. The tracking period will culminate in ‘Progress Review Meetings’, reporting to parents and agreed intervention activities being actioned. All members of staff, as is appropriate in light of their responsibilities, will accurately assess and collate information on, student attainment and progress and enter these on to the system / submit these in a timely fashion ensuring all deadlines are met. This information is critical to the monitoring of progress, communicating progress and ensuring success is celebrated and under-performance is addressed. Under-performance may result in students requiring intervention support and / or members of staff requiring professional development support. All Teachers, Heads of Department & Senior Link colleagues will be able to articulate: - progress being made against target, in a specific subject area for all groups of students (ref RAISE

and PANDA); - what action is being taken to celebrate achievement and address under-performance and what

impact this is having (student intervention and teaching performance issues). Directors of Studies, Deputy Director of Studies, Learning Co-ordinators, Deputy Learning Co-ordinators, Tutors & Senior Link colleagues will be able to: - articulate the progress being made by individual students across subjects; - co-ordinate the intervention support for students and monitor the impact this is having; - know where strong teaching and learning is taking place and where improvement is needed and be

able to advance improvement ref. School’s CPD, Improving Teaching Programmes and PM processes.

Governors will: - have a good knowledge of data and implications ref. targets being met / exceeded in subject areas

and for various student groups ref. RAISE and PANDA; - know what actions are being taken to support student progress and improvement in teaching &

learning. Students will: - know their targets and how they are achieving relative to these; - be able to articulate how to improve and what action they are taking with the support of teachers /

learning support staff to address improvement needs; - receive awards for effort and achievement. Parents will: - know how their child is progressing in relation to targets; - know how achievements are being celebrated; - know what support is in place for their child and how their child is engaging in this and making

progress as a consequence.

10

6. Intervention / Additional Support When teaching is good and outstanding it results in good and outstanding learning. The experience of the vast majority of our young people should therefore be that they do not require additional support to make good and outstanding progress, unless they have identified special educational needs and receive additional support from the SEN team as a consequence. It is acknowledged, however, that there may be some students who, for a range of reasons, have not made sufficient progress to date and who do not have SEN. Our target setting and tracking systems enable precise and rapid identification of these students – ref Progress Review meetings. In our school we have a range of additional support available for students to address this nature of under-performance. As time passes and our teaching & learning is no less than good overall, we would anticipate having to use such support provision less. At present, however, the following is to be strategically deployed to advance progress and positive outcomes: - Departmental study clubs, revision sessions, workshops and surgeries; - Key Stage Team Study Support Groups; - English intervention; - Maths intervention; - Year 7 Catch-Up; - Pupil Premium surgeries (overview with SLT link and DoSs); - Student Support (currently known as Link & Connect); - KS3 Mentoring Programme; - KS3 Study Club; - Saturday School; - Holiday School; - EAL. Teachers, Heads of Department, Directors of Studies, Deputy Director of Studies, Learning Co-ordinators, Deputy Learning Co-ordinators, Form Tutors and Senior Link Colleagues have responsibility at various stages in the progress tracking and monitoring process for: - ensuring that students are identified for support / intervention and for assessing the impact of this

intervention / support. Students have responsibility for: - ensuring that they positively engage in the support being provided. Parents have responsibility for: - ensuring that students attend the extra provision, particularly when this is out of normal school

hours. Governors should ensure that: - funding is being used appropriately to secure / advance progress i.e., the Governing Body need to

have a good knowledge of the impact of expenditure on support / intervention activities.

11

7. Reporting to Parents

Key Stage 3 KS3 students will have three progress reports each academic year in non-core subjects and six for core subjects. The reports will provide a summary of the tracking data collected from teachers in the school calendar for tracking and collection of progress data. Key Stage 4 (GCSE) Year 10 students and Year 11 students will have six progress reviews each academic year. The report will provide summary tracking data collected from teachers in the school calendar for tracking and collection of progress data. Key Stage 5 – Level 3 Year 12 students and Year 13 students will have six progress reviews each academic year. The report will provide summary tracking data collected from teachers in the school calendar for tracking and collection of progress data. All Progress reports will clearly show progress in relation to target grades. Student Progress Plans will complement these summative attainment and progress reports providing clear information to subjects, parents and staff of strengths and learning improvement to ensure targets are met. Parents’ Evenings All Year Groups will have one Subject Reporting Evening to Parents per year.

The schedule for the annual reporting cycle will be in the School Calendar

8. Monitoring & Evaluation of the impact of our practice & policy

On a termly basis, SLT will decide whether the following summary of responsibility and practice is being secured and will report on this to the Governing Body via the Headteacher’s Termly Report to Governors. The Role of the Student: - to take every opportunity to actively engage in their own learning and progress - to take account of, and respond to, teacher feedback in order to make good progress. The Role of the Parent / Carer: - to engage with the assessment information provided by school; - to support their child’s engagement in addressing areas for development highlighted by their

teachers. The Role of the Class Teacher: - to use AfL strategies to inform planning and as an integral part of teaching & learning; - to use prior data to understand the learning needs of students in their classes; - to follow the expectations for marking & assessment and ensure students are given opportunity to

achieve success in the six half termly assessments.

12

The Role of the Subject Leader: - to ensure the six half termly assessments are appropriate and accessible for all students and

explained to all staff; - to moderate assessments to ensure data is accurate across the Department; - to keep an evidence base to exemplify expectations at key levels and grades; - to monitor progress of students and key groups of students in their Department using the progress

data summary (RAG report); - to develop clear strategies for intervening with students not making good progress, with an initial

focus on teaching & learning; - to encourage a regular dialogue about good practice in assessment and marking with their Team. The Role of the Form Tutor: - to liaise with Director of Studies, Deputy Director of Studies, Learning Co-ordinators, Assistant

Learning Co-ordinators to identify students in the Tutor Groups who are not making at least good progress across a range of subjects;

- to support identified students to improve their progress; - engage in regular discussion with Tutor Group about progress and learning. The Role of the Director of Studies, Deputy Director of Studies, Learning Co-ordinator, Deputy Learning Co-ordinator: - to use the progress data summary (RAG report ) to gain a clear picture of progress and achievement

across the Year Group; - to monitor progress of students and key groups of students in their Year Group using the progress

data summary (RAG Report); - to develop clear strategies for student intervention who for young people are not making progress

across a range of subjects; - to encourage a regular dialogue about the progress of key groups of students with their team of

Form Tutors. The Role of the Senior Leadership Colleague: - to promote good practice and consistency in the quality of marking and assessment across the

school; - to monitor the six half termly assessments across all subject areas (Departmental reviews); - to monitor formative (AfL) and summative assessment (AoL) procedures through assessment

activities (Middle Leader meetings) and learning walks and lesson observations; - to work with linked line management department after each data entry point, to review the HoDs

reports on progress and achievement and ensure support and intervention is taking place as required;

- provide appropriate CPD linked to student progress. The Role of the Governing Body: - the Governing Body should rigorously analyse and monitor the annual report from the Headteacher,

particularly aspects relating to standards and achievement; - monitor aspects of student progress, particularly key groups of students at regular intervals; - be aware of interventions taking place to ensure all students are making at least good progress and

monitor the impact of the intervention; - monitor that effective Performance Development is taking place.

13

On a yearly basis, this policy will be reviewed by all responsibility teams, the Extended SLT with Middle Leaders and the Governing Body. It is anticipated that the review will lead to recommendation for revised practice and therefore policy amendment. It is also anticipated that there will need to be a response to national changes and developments. In light of the ASL Teaching & Learning Improvement Projects there will be some amended to this policy prior to the annual review date. Review Date: June 2015