Year 7 Assessment

Assessment at Herschel Grammar School

The government does not operate a national system of assessment at Key Stage 3 any more and have removed ‘levels’ to allow schools to develop their own approach.

At Herschel I hope we have come up with an assessment system that:

is easy to understand
tracks progress
translates into meaningful grades
allows for yearly progression and
links into GCSE grading.

Starting with Year 7 this year, we will use a consistent grading scheme that runs throughout Key stage 3 and 4 (Years 7-11).

It will use the new GCSE grading system of 1-9. (with 9 being the highest)

See the following link that explains the 1-9 grade. http://www.aqa.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/policy/gcse-and-a-level-changes/9-1 or watch the video below:

Based on a range of data including ability tests and the new Year 6 ‘scaled scores’ we have assigned each pupil a starting grade. (Ranging from 0 to 3)

In Year 7 a pupil will start with ‘grades’ 1, 2 or 3 in most subjects, and most likely 0 in MFL.

All pupils have a flight path with the expectation of one grade of progress per academic year. The expectation is that by Year 11 pupils will be working towards target grades of 6, 7 or 8. (Or in old GCSE grades B, A or A*)

An example of how the target grades will work for a pupil entering the school with an old Level 5b can be seen below.

So by the end of Year 7 pupils should progress to grade 2 to 3 in most subjects (depending on their initial starting point)

In every subject your son/daughter will have been set a target grade. This is a grade that the school believe they are capable of achieving. Target grades are meant to be challenging but achievable and should not act as a ceiling.

We do not publish target grades on reports; however, pupils will have written them in their planners. Targets may vary across subjects. Target Grades do not represent a ceiling on achievement and I encourage students not to be satisfied with meeting targets but to attempt to surpass them where possible.

Across the year there is an expectation that pupils’ will complete 5 tests or assessments in every subjects. These assessment grades will again use the 1-9 system.

Again pupils are asked to write these into their planner too, so you can monitor their performance across the year.

Please note that it is not unusual for individual test results to be below the expected flight path. Sometimes the content or skill tested can be intentionally challenging. A lower grade in a single test should not be alarming or a cause for concern. At Herschel we always look at the bigger picture.

I hope this information is useful and please do not hesitate the contact a member of staff if you are still unsure.

You can also find a short video explaining the assessment system here: