Assessment Policy-Reviewed and Revised May 2022

Assessment POLICY

Aims

This policy aims to:

● Provide clear guidelines on the approach at TCSI to formative and summative assessment

● Establish a consistent and coherent approach to recording summative assessment outcomes and reporting to parents

● Clearly set out how, and when, assessment practice will be monitored and evaluated

Policy statement

Assessment supports and encourages student learning by providing comprehensive feedback on the individual learning process. Assessment also provides necessary information for teachers to develop the school curriculum.

Purpose

This policy is intended to provide a comprehensive overview on the central role played by assessment in the daily teaching and learning at TCSI, in alignment with the requirements of the KHDA and MOE.

Philosophy

TCSI believes that teaching, learning, and assessing are all interdependent and that all stakeholders of the school community participate in the process. The main objective of assessment is to provide feedback on the learning process and to inform teacher practice. We believe that assessment must be fair, timely, authentic and meaningful. Assessment is based on clear and understood criteria which will enable all students to reach their best. It also reflects the ageappropriate and relevant curriculum standards, providing central information to curriculum development.

At TCSI, assessment has three roles:

● Assessment OF learning focuses on what knowledge, skills, and concepts the students have acquired; it is backward-looking. Assessment OF learning identifies some aspect of a student’s knowledge and understanding at the moment. Summative assessment is often assessment OF learning and must be based on the objectives and assessment criteria specific to each subject.

● Assessment FOR learning: focuses on informing future teaching; it is forwardlooking. Assessment FOR learning helps to inform additional teaching required for the current cohort; teacher planning and collaboration, informed by assessment, informs delivery of lessons to future cohorts. Formative assessment is often assessment FOR learning.

● Assessment AS learning: feedback to students is essential for empowering students to re-engage and make corrections in their understanding. Assessment AS learning focuses on student reflection on their own learning, leading to deeper understanding. Peer-assessment and self-assessment are often forms of assessment AS learning.

Practices: Common to the whole school

At TCSI, we assess student progress in knowledge, skills and concepts. We also provide each child with feedback on their attitude to learning and learning skills.

Effective assessment practices at TCSI

● include formative and summative assessment

● incorporate a range of strategies and tools

● refer to clear, known and understood objectives and criteria

● take into account both process and outcomes

● involve peer-assessment, self-assessment and reflection

● provide timely, direct and contextualized feedback to students, their families and teachers

● take into account individual different learning styles and needs

● generate data that can be analyzed and reported

● include collecting samples of student work for standardization purposes

Assessment strategies should be comprehensive and take a variety of approaches. Possible strategies might include:

● regular observations (individually, in group or as a class)

● performance assessments (based on real-life scenarios), requiring the use of criticalthinking skills.

● a focus on process and skill application rather than on the product, such as assessing the transdisciplinary skills and approaches to learning. They can be observed in real contexts using checklists, narrative notes, and inventories.

● open-ended assessments, where students are presented with a challenge and asked to provide an original response.

● tests/quizzes, which provide a snapshot of students’ specific knowledge at a particular moment.

● portfolios, where an ongoing, purposeful collection of selected student work is designed to demonstrate growth, creativity, and reflection. Continuity portfolios and grade level portfolios are in use throughout the school.

● authentic assessments such as lab reports, oral and visual representations, essays, and projects

Communication of assessment policy and practices

Parents are informed of assessment practices through orientation workshops, parent information evenings or email communications from classroom teachers or coordinators.

Assessment Modifications, Interventions and Access Arrangements

Students identified as needing additional support through the development of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) may receive assessment modifications in each program. Throughout the school, students who are performing below expectation or otherwise identified as needing additional support are referred to learning support following the guidelines and processes detailed in the TCSI Inclusion Policy and Procedures.

For external assessments, particularly with IGCSE and A Levels exam, a variety of access arrangements are available to accommodate specific learning needs. Most arrangements require justification in the form of a learning assessment or an educational psychological assessment. Common arrangements available include additional time, a scribe, a prompter, or use of a computer.

For a comprehensive list of available IGCSE and A Levels access arrangements and modifications contact the assessment coordinator who can refer to the exam officer guide for the most up to date requirements.

Principles of Assessment

At TCSI, we have several different types of internal and external assessment within the school context. These are used to inform our internal work, inform KHDA of our progress and attainment remotely and feed directly into our regularly updated SEF and development plans. Assessments are used to inform planning, make changes to lessons and medium-term plans allowing progression within subjects and to report formally to governing bodies.

Assessment approaches

At TCSI we see assessment as an integral part of teaching and learning and it is inextricably linked to our curriculum.

We use three broad overarching forms of assessment: day-to-day in-school formative assessment, in-school summative assessment and external internationally standardized summative assessment.

In-school formative assessment

Effective in-school formative assessment enables:

Teachers to identify how pupils are performing on a continuing basis and to use this information to provide appropriate support or extension; evaluate teaching and plan future lessons

Students to measure their knowledge and understanding against learning objectives and identify areas in which they need to improve.

Parents to gain a broad picture of where their child’s strengths and weaknesses lie and what they need to do to improve.

We do this by:

Using the school’s feedback policy in lessons.

Pupils self-assessing against success criteria

Pupils being aware of their targets

Gap Analysis and documentation

Moderation within year groups

Observations recorded on seesaw

In-school summative assessment

Effective in-school summative assessment enables:

School leaders to monitor the performance of pupil cohorts, identify where interventions may be required, and work with teachers to ensure pupils are supported to achieve sufficient attainment and progress

Teachers to evaluate learning at the end of a unit, or period, and the impact of their own teaching

Pupils to understand how well they have learnt and understood a topic, or course of work, taught over a period of time. It should be used to provide feedback on how they can improve.

Parents stay informed about the achievement, progress and wider outcomes of their child across a period of time.

Assessments at TCSI’s:

▪ Termly assessments (Years 3-13)

▪ International Benchmark test (PTE, PTM, PTS) and IBT Arabic, NGRT)

▪ CAT4 – cognitive assessment tests

▪ IGCSE mock examinations (Year 11)

▪ AS and A Level mock examination (Year 12 and 13)

▪ Regular phonic assessments

▪ End of year examinations, mock examinations and formal external examinations

▪ PASS (Year 2-13)

Nationally standardized summative assessment

Nationally standardized summative assessment enables:

School leaders to monitor the performance of pupil cohorts, identify where interventions may be required, and work with teachers to ensure pupils are supported to achieve sufficient progress and attainment

Teachers to understand national expectations and assess students’ own performance in the broader national context

Pupils and parents to understand how pupils are performing in comparison to pupils nationally

Nationally standardized summative assessments include:

▪ Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) profile at the end of FS2

▪ Phonics screening check in Year 1

▪ National Curriculum tests and teacher assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 (Year 2 and 6)

▪ CAT 4 assessments from Year 2 to Year 6

▪ GL Progress tests in English, Math and Science. Years 2-10 complete tests in English and Math with Years 3-6, 8, 9, 10 completing an additional test in Science.

▪ IGCSE examinations (Year 11)

▪ AS examinations (Year 12)

▪ A Level examination (Year 13)

Collecting and using data

● Data is collected regularly and teachers record evidence on AIMS and Seesaw. It is the duty of each HOD to ensure that their department data is up to date. Data is regularly analyzed by HODs and SLT.

● Leaders ensure that there is adequate coverage of curriculum throughout the school and data entry is robust, through regular learning walks, book scrutiny and lesson observations.

● Data will be presented to the HODs and SLT at the end of every term, after assessment weeks (or when requested for specific reasons). The data will take into account the necessary niche groups and will also look into

separating learners into specific areas (i.e: Gender, Emarati, Native English speakers, EAL etc.)

● Data will be interrogated and used within students' Progress Meetings, with teachers identifying those children who appear to be making less than expected progress within their learning. Provision maps will be made for those groups of learners and these will be inspected within the time frames illustrated on the plans.

● At the end of each term, a focus group of learners will be created for class teachers to ensure better progress in the time frame that is given.

● Data meetings will take place with HOD’s and SLT after each assessment point. Data will be analyzed and areas of concern highlighted so that planning can be adjusted to improve student outcomes.

Reporting to parents

Parent engagement meetings happen throughout the year and can be found on the school calendar

Inclusion

The principles of this assessment policy apply to all students, including those with special educational needs or disabilities.

Assessment is used diagnostically to contribute to the early and accurate identification of students' special educational needs and any requirements for support and intervention, this will include looking at student’s CAT 4 scores.

For students working below the national expected level of attainment, our assessment arrangements will consider progress relative to pupil starting points, and take this into account, alongside the nature of ‘students’ learning difficulties. Students who achieve significantly below year expectations, will be highlighted, and discussed with the Head of Inclusion and a provision plan will be created to ensure that progress can be made. Modified assessments are provided to Students of Determination who are following a modified curriculum and performing below the level of their respective class.

Training

Training on administering the assessments is provided by SLT, HODs, Coordinators and teachers. Invigilation training is given by the Head of assessment.

Roles and responsibilities

Learning and Assessment Committee:

LAC Members are responsible for:

Being familiar with statutory assessment and international benchmarking systems as well as how the school’s own system of non-statutory assessment captures the attainment and progress of all children and students

Holding school leaders to account for improving students and staff performance by rigorously analyzing assessment dat.

Head of Sections:

● The Head of sections are responsible for Overseeing the Assessment Leaders’ work

● To use the data to inform the SEF and to present the data to the LAC

Head of Departments

Ensuring that the policy is adhered to

● Monitoring standards in core and foundation subjects

● Analyzing pupil progress and attainment, including individual pupils and specific groups prioritizing key actions to address underachievement

● To use the analysis to inform the PD requirements of their year group/phases to ensure that teachers adhere to timetables and assessment procedures

● Reporting to the LAC on all key aspects of students’ progress and attainment, including current standards and trends over previous years

Monitoring

This policy will be reviewed yearly by the SLT. At every review, the policy will be shared with the LAC.

All teaching staff are expected to read and follow this policy. HOS and HODs are responsible for ensuring that the policy is followed. The Assessment Coordinator, alongside the HOS and HODs, will monitor the effectiveness of assessment practices across the school, through moderation, lesson observations, book scrutiny, pupil progress meetings, data presentations, SEF updates and PD sessions.

ASSESSMENTS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

Types of Assessment Subjects are divided into 2 categories: Category A – represents the basic subjects for all grades and includes:

PRIMARY SECTION:

Core Subjects: Arabic, Islamic Education, MSC, Computing, English, Mathematics, Science. Non-Core: History, Geography, French

SECONDARY SECTION: Arabic, Islamic Education, MSC, ICT, Computer Science, English, Math, Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), and other optional subjects at KS4 and Post 16 (Accounting, Business Studies, Economics, Environmental management, Geography, History, Psychology, Sociology, Travel and Tourism.)

Category B: enhances the learning process according to standards that are appropriate to skill, age, and level of the student. It includes:

Primary: Art, Music, Physical Education

Secondary: Art & Design (Year 7 & 8), Physical and Health Education

Category B subjects are not included in the students’ final grade.

There will be 2 rounds of Summative Assessment in Terms I and III.

Term End of Term Exam

Term 1 December

Term III June

Report Card – Weightage of Marks for Reporting

Year Groups Term I Term II Term III

FS, Year (1-2)

• 40% of formative assessment

• 60% of major formative assessment

Year 310

• 40% of Formative assessment

• 60% of Summative assessment

• Formative assessment

• No summative

• No report card

• Formative assessment

• No summative

• No report card

• 15% of Term 2 formative assessment

• 15% of Term 3 formative assessment

• 70% of major formative assessment

• 15% of Term2 formative

• 15% of Term3 formative

• 70 % of Summative assessment

Year 1113 Mock Assessments Mock Assessments CAIE Final Assessment

The Benchmarking assessment that will be conducted at TCSI. Year level

Year 410 GL PT Assessments (PTE, PTM, PTS) May-June

Year 311 CAT 4 For New Admission

Year 311 CAT 4

Survey

October/November

External benchmark assessment Progress test - Score range in English, Mathematics and Science

Promotion Criteria: Passed in all subjects by achieving at least the minimum mark

Maximum and Minimum Marks for All subjects

Year groups Subject Max. Mark Min Marks

Year 3 –10 Category A & B 100% 50% or D-

Year 11 –13 CAIE As per CAIE grading.

Links with other policies

This assessment policy is linked to:

• Curriculum policies for all Key Stages

• Early Years Foundation Stage policy and procedures

• KHDA inspection framework

• KHDA inspection Supplement for the relevant academic year.