| 6.1 Effective assessment is critical to teaching because it provides teachers with information about pupils’ understanding and needs. | 6.2 Good assessment helps teachers avoid being over-influenced by potentially misleading factors, such as how busy pupils appear. | 6.3 Before using any assessment, teachers should be clear about the decision it will be used to support and be able to justify its use. | 6.4 To be of value, teachers use information from assessments to inform the decisions they make; in turn, pupils must be able to act on feedback for it to have an effect. | 6.5 High-quality feedback can be written or verbal; it is likely to be accurate and clear, encourage further effort, and provide specific guidance on how to improve. | 6.6 Over time, feedback should support pupils to monitor and regulate their own learning. | 6.7 Working with colleagues to identify efficient approaches to assessment is important; assessment can become onerous and have a disproportionate impact on workload. |
The Applying Professional Knowledge Assignment helps you build skills around the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework Sections 4 (“Classroom Practice”) and 6 (“Assessment”). It will be useful as evidence for Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2011) 4 and 6. This box shows the CCF “Learn that …” statements laid out by the Department for Education (DfE, 2019):
Whilst planning your own lessons is at the core of the assignment, all SCITTs have chosen to focus on Assessment (CCF S6) for the APK assignment and the question banks are as follows.
SECONDARY
CHOOSE ONE QUESTION FROM BELOW AND PERSONALISE
Student Led Approaches
- Which types of student-led feedback are most effective in delivering a Unit of Work with Year X on …
- Investigating a range of student-led Assessment for Learning techniques to increase (engagement/motivation) in a Year X study of …
- Investigating a range of peer and/or self-assessment techniques to increase (engagement/motivation) in a Year X class learning about …
- Investigating ICT techniques/approaches for self/peer assessment with a Year X group learning about …
- Developing X (trampolining/mathematical reasoning/etc) skills through the use of student-led formative assessment strategies for a Year X class studying …
Teacher-led Approaches
- What teacher-led AfL strategies are most effective in delivering a Unit of Work with Year X on …
- What strategies for teacher-led questioning are most effective in promoting learning in a Year X study of …
- Developing X (trampolining/mathematical reasoning/etc) skills through the use of teacher-led formative assessment strategies for a Year X class studying …
- Investigating a range of teacher-led formative assessment strategies to increase (engagement/motivation) in a a Year X class learning about …
- Investigating a range of approaches to questioning as formative assessment with a Year X class learning about …
PRIMARY
Choose one of the following questions/focus areas for your APK
- Exploring the impact of assessment strategies on developing children’s learning skills (can specify skill, e.g. perseverance/concentration) with a Year X class learning about …
- Building on children’s understanding of (fractions/forces/the Romans) informed through the use of AfL strategies with a Year X class learning about …
- Developing dialogue about learning: what assessment strategies develop children’s role in assessment and feedback processes in a series of X lessons with a Year X class learning about …
- Exploring creative approaches to provide feedback (verbally/written or both) to children in order to support their understanding of how to improve in …. with a Year X class
Strategy Ideas:
As discussed in your sessions, you should find your strategies in your reading. For your information, some formative assessment strategies are included below, as guidance. Remember your reading should guide you to the strategies, not the other way around.
Student Led Approaches could include:
Self Assessment
- Peer Assessment
- Co-creation of success criteria
- Self- and peer-assessment training
- Ipsative assessment (students ‘assess their present performance against their prior performance in a related area’ (Fautley and Savage, 2008, p130)
- Peer discussion – sharing ideas before sharing with the teacher
Teacher Led Approaches could include:
- Questioning
- Mini-white boards
- Exit tickets
- Hinge questioning
- Randomised questioning
- Low-stakes quizzing
