At Demeter House, we recognise that many of our young people will have experienced gaps in their education and are therefore often likely to be working below age related expectations when they join us. This does not necessarily indicate a lack of ability, more that the young person’s educational journey has been inconsistent or learning may have been missed through absence or transitions between settings.
Measuring Progress
Progress is measured from each student’s starting point and takes account of their individual needs. We recognise that progress can be affected by a range of things such as attendance and engagement but we try to ensure that every student makes consistent progress across at least the core subjects.
Our System
We use a school assessment system that is mapped to National Curriculum standards and Programmes of Study or to the qualification syllabus at Key Stage 4 and above.
Each subject area has an identified set of ‘I Can…’ statements or Key Performance Indicators that are the main skills that a student has to have secured to enable them to move onto the next Key Stage successfully. We monitor these skills closely and have mapped out what they are for each subject and roughly when they are likely to be studied, although this can be subject to change. Staff are asked to regularly report on every student’s current level of working, their target for the end of the year, what their main successes have been and what their next steps should be to improve. This information is then used as part of the annual review process and the EHCP reviews that Key Workers complete each term.
Assessment Terms
When we assess a student’s ability in a subject or against a range of skills, we will describe their level as:
WTS (Working Towards) – The student is able to understand the skills or hold the knowledge with a high level of support OR is beginning to apply the skills or knowledge but still needs a lot of support and guidance.
WW (Working Within) – Is able to demonstrate the skills or knowledge mostly independently but may still need prompting or occasional support.
M (Mastered) – Is able to demonstrate the skills or knowledge independently without intervention.
Reporting
We are legally required to report home to parents and carers about progress once per academic year. However, we feel that parents and carers are better able to support their child in school if they have regular updates about their progress. Therefore, we share a mid-year report for parents to view academic progress, in addition to the end of year report and the annual review. We also encourage weekly contact between home and school via the Key Workers. You can request information regarding your child’s progress at any point from your child’s Key Worker.
The end of year report is then a full written summary of the student’s progress over the year, academically, socially and in relation to their EHCP outcomes.