Arundel Drive, Carleton, Lancashire. FY6 7TF Tel: (01253) 891228 Fax: (01253) 896227 Email: head@carletongreen.lancs.sch.uk
13th May 2015 Dear Parents and Carers, Information about assessment in the new National Curriculum As you may be aware, a new National Curriculum came into operation in September 2014 for children in Years 1, 3, 4 and 5. It is a statutory requirement from the Department for Education that we teach these year groups according to the new curriculum. However children in Years 2 and 6 are still working to the previous National Curriculum. From next September, all Key Stage 1 and 2 classes (Years 1-6) will be working to the new curriculum. One of the features of the new National Curriculum is that it no longer uses a system of numbered ‘levels’ to describe children’s attainment. It also places a greater emphasis upon developing a greater breadth of skills and knowledge, so that pupils are confident to apply their skills to different areas of the curriculum, rather than focus on moving to the ‘next level’. Pupils will still be familiar with their ‘next steps’ learning targets as a way of ensuring maximum opportunity for progress but there will not be an emphasis on what numerical level they are working at. This national change (the removal of levels) means that, when we discuss your child’s attainment with you, either in parent consultation meetings or written reports, we will no longer be reporting levels*, as these no longer have any relevance to the curriculum. Instead we will refer to your child’s progress and current level of attainment in comparison to ‘age related expectations’ (the expected range of attainment for his/her age), using phrases such as: Entering (beginning to work at age related expectations) Developing (working at age related expectations) Secure (working competently at age related expectations) Mastery (working beyond age related expectations). It is important to note that the ‘age-related expectations’ in the new curriculum are more ambitious than the previous age-related expectations. Therefore a child who was previously ‘working within’ age related expectations for Maths under the numbered levels system in the old curriculum, may now for example in the new curriculum be ‘working towards’ age related expectations. Our aim is for the majority of pupils to be working within age related expectations by the end of the academic year. When discussing your child’s attainment with you, we will also comment on your child’s progress and give details of any specific areas of the curriculum where he/she has achieved well, and any