Assessment
At Stepney Park, we use a variety of types of assessment for a range of purposes. Primarily, the assessments we use seek either to measure how well children are learning or to help teachers to identify where to focus their efforts to support children to learn more.
Formal Assessment & Testing
We assess children's learning formally to make sure they are making progress in maths, reading and writing three times a year at the end of Autumn, Spring and Summer terms. This does not necessarily mean children will sit a test paper: we use end of unit tests and the work that children do in class to assess whether or not they are on track and what they need to learn next.
We ensure that these assessments are accurate by taking part in a range of moderation activities: our teachers work with teachers from other schools in Tower Hamlets to compare assessments.
Feedback & Marking
One of the most important types of assessment is that made by teachers in class to understand how well children have learnt something so that they can plan what steps to take next. This is an ongoing process and forms the heart of our approach to feedback and marking. We believe that, in general, feedback to children is more effective when it is given as soon as possible and when it is given verbally. As such, you will not necessarily see extensive written marking in your child's exercise books. However, you will see the impact of the feedback they have been given in the progress they make and where they have used a green pen.
Reporting to Parents
At Stepney Park, we see education as a collaborative effort between school and parents. As such, we aim to communicate with parents regularly about how your child is doing in school. This includes through informal conversations at the end of the school day, termly parents' evenings and written reports. Parents receive a more extensive 'Mid-Year' report in the Spring term which details how their child is progressing in school as well as specific steps you can take to support at home. At the end of the academic year, parents receive a less detailed report about their child's progress since the Mid-Year report.