We know that curriculum and assessment are inextricably intertwined – our curriculum is our progression model. The more of the curriculum our students know and remember, the more progress they have made.
At Paddington, it is primarily through formative assessment, rather than high-stakes exams and summative assessment, that we check whether our students have a coherent and deep understanding of the curriculum. Formative assessment functions as regular statements of competence – that students have mastered the content – and allow us to provide tailored feedback to students to allow them to progress successfully through the curriculum.
While summative assessment at Key Stage 3 is important for several reasons, it is not the ultimate focus of the education we provide at Paddington – rather it is students’ successful acquisition and retention of the knowledge of our high-quality curriculum, guaranteed by rigorous and regular in-class formative assessment, that is particularly valuable.
Having checked rigorously for understanding, we act on what we learn to ensure students know what we expect them to by certain points.