ST. VINCENT’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL END OF KEY STAGE 1 ASSESSMENT EVENING Wednesday 9 th March

Purpose of the meeting: Update on national changes in assessment arrangements Explain school arrangements for KS1 assessments Opportunity to look at sample test materials Question and Answers

A new national curriculum was introduced in As a result, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is changing the tests so that they assess the new curriculum. Pupils will take the new tests for the first time in May National Curriculum

DfE position statement As part of the national curriculum review, levels have been abolished. This is in part in response to concerns about the validity and reliability of levels and sub-levels. These concerns had an impact on pupils’ learning, but also on the relationships between primary and secondary schools and the trust in their assessments. Levels have also been recognised as the driver of undue pace through the curriculum, which has led to gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

Our response to the changes… From 2016, scaled scores will be used to report national curriculum test outcomes. We won’t need to change the way we prepare for, or administer, the tests because of the introduction of scaled scores. Within key stages, we will continue to assess what pupils understand and can do in a way that best suits our school. We will report the pupil’s scaled score and whether or not your child met the national standard in our annual report to Parents.

Scaled Scores and Raw Scores  A pupil’s scaled score will be based on their raw score.  The raw score is the total number of marks a pupil receives in a test, based on the number of questions they answered correctly.  The pupil’s raw score will be translated into a scaled score using a conversion table.  A pupil who achieves the national standard will have demonstrated sufficient knowledge in the areas assessed by the tests. This will mean that they are well placed to succeed in the next phase of their education. Reassurance! We will prepare and administer in the same way as previous years according to DfE guidance. We will continue to focus on quality teaching and learning.

At the end of Year 2, children will take tests in: Reading English grammar, punctuation and spelling Maths Tests have to be carried out during May but there are no set dates nationally – this will be a school decision. KS1 Assessment arrangements

 The new reading test for Year 2 pupils will involve two separate papers:  Paper 1 consists of a selection of texts totalling 400 to 700 words, with questions interspersed  Paper 2 comprises a reading booklet of a selection of passages totalling 800 to 1100 words. Children will write their answers in a separate booklet  Each paper should take around 30 minutes, but children will not be strictly timed, as the tests are not intended to assess children’s ability to work at speed.  The texts in the reading papers will cover a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and will get progressively more difficult towards the end of the test. Teachers will have the option to stop the test at any point if they feel this is appropriate for a particular child. There will be a variety of question types :  Multiple choice  Ranking/ordering, e.g. ‘Number the events below to show in which order they happened in the story’  Matching, e.g. ‘Match the character to the job that they do in the story’  Labelling, e.g. ‘Label the text to show the title’  Find and copy, e.g. ‘Find and copy one word that shows what the weather was like in the story’  Short answer, e.g. ‘What does the bear eat?’  Open-ended answer, e.g. ‘Why did Lucy write the letter to her grandmother? Give two reasons. Reading

Children taking Key Stage 1 tests will sit two separate papers in grammar, spelling and punctuation:  Paper 1: a grammar, punctuation and vocabulary test, in two sections of around 10 minutes each (with a break between, if necessary), worth 20 marks. This will involve a mixture of selecting the right answers e.g. through multiple choice, and writing short answers.  Paper 2: a 20-word spelling test taking approximately 15 minutes and worth 10 marks. The words will be presented in order of spelling difficulty. Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation

Spelling 1: The word is faster. Hannah ran faster than Lee. The word is faster. Spelling 2: The word is sunny. Yesterday it was very sunny. The word is sunny. Spelling 3: The word is face. I had a big smile on my face. The word is face. Spelling 4: The word is group. There was a large group of children at the party. The word is group. Spelling 5: The word is fingers. You pick things up with your fingers. The word is fingers. Spelling 6: The word is paints. The paints in the box are different colours. The word is paints. Spelling 7: The word is kitten. Our new kitten is black with white paws. The word is kitten. Spelling 8: The word is thanked. I thanked my friend for her help. The word is thanked. Spelling 9: The word is Saturday. We are going on holiday on Saturday. The word is Saturday. Spelling 10: The word is sweets. I am not allowed to eat too many sweets. The word is sweets. Spelling 11: The word is baking. My grandad was baking a cake. The word is baking. Sample Spellings

Spelling 12: The word is knew. The children knew all of the words. The word is knew. Spelling 13: The word is model. Our class built a model from clay. The word is model. Spelling 14: The word is whale. A whale can hold its breath for two hours. The word is whale. Spelling 15: The word is world. The musician gave concerts all over the world. The word is world. Spelling 16: The word is hurried. Dad hurried to meet the children. The word is hurried. Spelling 17: The word is petal. A rose petal fell to the ground. The word is petal. Spelling 18: The word is rainbow. I saw a beautiful rainbow. The word is rainbow. Spelling 19: The word is peaceful. The school garden is a peaceful place to sit. The word is peaceful. Spelling 20: The word is teddies. Susan had a large collection of teddies. The word is teddies.

The new Key Stage 1 maths test will comprise two papers:  Paper 1: arithmetic, worth 25 marks and taking around 15 minutes.  Paper 2: mathematical fluency, problem-solving and reasoning, worth 35 marks and taking 35 minutes, with a break if necessary. There will be a variety of question types: multiple choice, matching, true/false, constrained (e.g. completing a chart or table; drawing a shape) and less constrained (e.g. where children have to show or explain their method). Children will not be able to use any tools such as calculators or number lines. Mathematics

Test Papers Classwork Classroom Observation Work from across the curriculum Records of Spelling and Mental Maths Tests Practical tasks Moderation Between Classes Problem Solving Activities

KS1 tests have to be carried out during May but there are no set dates nationally – this will be a school decision There are several changes to KS1 tests: DfE video outlining the 2016 changes in KS 1 and KS2: Sample test papers are also available online

How can you help? Outstanding attendance and punctuality throughout the year Support at home with homework, reading, spellings, times tables Liaise with school /Classteacher if you have any issues/concerns at any point Don’t tell them it’s a test!!! Avoid discussion of ‘tests’. Children are just applying their learning and will know what to do when the time comes.