Explanation of Assessment Certificates at Key Stage 3
Our aim is that students learn their subjects well so that they have strong knowledge and capability that will prepare them for success at Key Stage 4 and beyond. It is also important that we identify any gaps so that these can be addressed.
The Assessment Certificate provides information on both how well students have learned the curriculum and how well they are engaging with their learning.
What have we assessed?
Our curriculum teams have assessed each student’s depth of knowledge in two ways:
- Declarative knowledge: How well the student knows what he/she has been learning each subject
- Procedural knowledge: How well the student knows how to apply that subject knowledge i.e. through practical skills, solving problems, or composing an argument
Each curriculum team has reported on both areas of knowledge using the following descriptions:
INITIAL, ESTABLISHING, SUBSTANTIAL, COMPLETE AND FLUENT.
Teams have arrived at their judgements using various forms of assessment, low stakes testing and classwork. The areas of the curriculum that have been assessed can be found on page 2 of the Assessment Certificate.
What do we expect of Key Stage 3 students?
By paying attention in lessons and practising hard, every student should be able to gain substantial knowledge of the material they have been taught in lessons. It is then through students’ independent practice outside of lessons that they build their knowledge to a level where they have learned material completely or fluently. A student who has complete or fluent knowledge is well-prepared for Key Stage 4.
What other information does the Assessment Certificate provide?
Learning routines are vital and the five we focus on are below. In this report, teachers have recorded how well each student is:
- paying attention and
- engaging with practice
We use the language of ENOUGH, JUST ENOUGH, NOT ENOUGH to flag up where students may be ‘coasting’ or struggling with learning so that we can address this.