How should we assess How should we assess students in Geography students in Geography at KS 3?at KS 3?

Why do we assess? What is the difference between Why do we assess? What is the difference between summative and formative assessment? What is summative and formative assessment? What is

the cartoons message?the cartoons message?

1.1. For league tables? For parents? For students? For league tables? For parents? For students? For teachers?For teachers?

2.2. To improve pupils learning?To improve pupils learning?

3.3. To monitor pupil progress at regular intervals.To monitor pupil progress at regular intervals.

4.4. To inform our teaching and planning?To inform our teaching and planning?

What is the purpose of this What is the purpose of this session?session?

To inform you of the current practice in To inform you of the current practice in assessment at KS 3, and it’s weaknesses and assessment at KS 3, and it’s weaknesses and strengths.strengths.

For you to analyse your own assessment For you to analyse your own assessment procedures using the OFSTED recommendations.procedures using the OFSTED recommendations.

For you to analyse the assessment currently For you to analyse the assessment currently taking place at Hertswood.taking place at Hertswood.

To realise assessment is an ongoing process and To realise assessment is an ongoing process and that the ideal and reality will be different!that the ideal and reality will be different!

For you to take away accessible level hand outs! For you to take away accessible level hand outs! Homework: Putting Hertsfordshire on the QCA Homework: Putting Hertsfordshire on the QCA

website for assessment!website for assessment!

What is the current practice in What is the current practice in Geography departments? Ofsted’s Geography departments? Ofsted’s view point.view point.

Sound policy statements but Sound policy statements but many teachers fail to many teachers fail to recognise the potential to recognise the potential to monitor progress.monitor progress.

End of unit tests most End of unit tests most common.common.

Dept’s concentrate too much Dept’s concentrate too much on the coverage of the on the coverage of the curriculum and or curriculum and or assessment is often seen as assessment is often seen as taking up to much teaching taking up to much teaching time.time.

Not used as a tool to analyse Not used as a tool to analyse pupils performance pupils performance throughout the year.throughout the year.

Poorest practice had Poorest practice had element of one or all element of one or all of these!of these!

Set up tests that are purely Set up tests that are purely recall.recall.

Used traditional tests that Used traditional tests that don’t cover geographical don’t cover geographical criteria.criteria.

Tried to level by ranking Tried to level by ranking students scores as a %.students scores as a %.

Remember levels are Remember levels are designed as best fit models.designed as best fit models.

What does the best What does the best practice look like? Ofsted’s practice look like? Ofsted’s view point.view point.

Common assessments are Common assessments are completed at the end of a completed at the end of a unit. These are large unit. These are large pieces of work 2 – 3 pieces of work 2 – 3 weeks.weeks.

They vary in styleThey vary in style Tasks are linked to specific Tasks are linked to specific

assessment criteria that assessment criteria that are linked to levels.are linked to levels.

Tasks and mark schemes Tasks and mark schemes are differentiated.are differentiated.

The levels are used to The levels are used to assess students work but assess students work but are placed in student are placed in student speak.speak.

Departments use portfolios Departments use portfolios of work to monitor the of work to monitor the quality of their markingquality of their marking..

The assessment The assessment programme incorporates programme incorporates the four elements of the four elements of Geography Enquiry and Geography Enquiry and Skills, Knowledge of Place, Skills, Knowledge of Place, Patterns and Processes and Patterns and Processes and Environmental change and Environmental change and sustainable development.sustainable development.

Field work is incorporated Field work is incorporated into assessmentinto assessment

Assessment for learning a key area in Assessment for learning a key area in shaping the success of assessment in shaping the success of assessment in

GeographyGeography..

Inside the Black box Dylan William.Inside the Black box Dylan William. Assessment should inform future Assessment should inform future

planning and strategies for pupils with planning and strategies for pupils with specific needs.specific needs.

Feedback should include feed forward Feedback should include feed forward and needs be specific to the levels.and needs be specific to the levels.

Dialogue is the most important part of Dialogue is the most important part of assessment, making time to talk to assessment, making time to talk to individuals about their progress!individuals about their progress!

Back to reality!Back to reality!

Task 1 : 10 minutesTask 1 : 10 minutes

In pairs share the assessment process In pairs share the assessment process that students at key stage 3 that students at key stage 3 experience at your school. Complete experience at your school. Complete the tick box to evaluate how well the tick box to evaluate how well your assessment programme your assessment programme performs against OFSTED’s criteria performs against OFSTED’s criteria for “good assessment.”for “good assessment.”

What does the assessment What does the assessment procedure at Hertswood look procedure at Hertswood look like?like?

Task 2 Use check sheet to see Task 2 Use check sheet to see how Hertswood does on the how Hertswood does on the list of criteria from OFSTED.list of criteria from OFSTED.

Remember this is an ongoing Remember this is an ongoing programme that was started programme that was started when I became a HOG 6 years when I became a HOG 6 years ago!ago!

1999 Decision to divide 1999 Decision to divide assessment into the different assessment into the different strands of levels, and to turn strands of levels, and to turn assessment into coursework assessment into coursework completed at the end of a unit.completed at the end of a unit.

2000 Mapped assessment to 2000 Mapped assessment to ensure that all year groups ensure that all year groups covered the 4 strands of covered the 4 strands of assessment. (See hand out) assessment. (See hand out) Updated in 2003 to check we Updated in 2003 to check we were offering a variety of were offering a variety of different styles)different styles)

2000 Introduced moderation 2000 Introduced moderation procedure and portfolio of procedure and portfolio of evidence for department.evidence for department.

2000 Linked all assessment to 2000 Linked all assessment to level criteria.level criteria.

2000 Began to record on data base 2000 Began to record on data base students levels and to monitor students levels and to monitor progress.progress.

2001Began to give students mark 2001Began to give students mark scheme and ensure that it was scheme and ensure that it was students friendly (See students friendly (See handouts)handouts)

2002 Tried to make mark schemes 2002 Tried to make mark schemes active check lists. (See hand active check lists. (See hand outs) File sheets.outs) File sheets.

Task 3Task 3

One of the most difficult activities to One of the most difficult activities to complete is to recognise which complete is to recognise which strand to use for which assessment strand to use for which assessment and to produce a student speak and to produce a student speak mark scheme. You have mark scheme. You have 20 minutes20 minutes to do this using a year 8 coursework to do this using a year 8 coursework that we ask students to complete on that we ask students to complete on population and migration!population and migration!

Where to next at Where to next at Hertswood?Hertswood?

Sadly we haven’t nailed Sadly we haven’t nailed assessment yet!assessment yet!

Below and across are lists of Below and across are lists of our next areas for our next areas for development.development.

How do we ensure our How do we ensure our feedward is consistant, feedward is consistant, levelled and that students levelled and that students can act on this feed can act on this feed forward immediately?forward immediately?

How do we ensure that How do we ensure that our day to day lessons our day to day lessons and feedback are and feedback are levelled?levelled?

Can we plan feedback Can we plan feedback and forward lessons? and forward lessons? Individual work while we Individual work while we talk to students? How talk to students? How often would we do this?often would we do this?

Could we give Could we give assessment at the assessment at the beginning of the unit beginning of the unit instead of the end?instead of the end?

Can we feed our Can we feed our homework into the homework into the assessments?assessments?

Homework?Homework?Task 4 To design a piece of assessment Task 4 To design a piece of assessment for one year group which incorporates for one year group which incorporates

as many of the OFSTED criteria as as many of the OFSTED criteria as possible? To return and to place on QCA possible? To return and to place on QCA

website?website?