Assessments & Exams

Year 3-8 assessments and reports

We employ a wide range of standardised tests to produce objective evidence of a pupil’s abilities. These are carried out during the autumn term, and the results inform internal planning only and, as appropriate, guidance for parents on senior school choices (see next page). The results are not passed on to parents as a matter of course in order to keep these tests suitably low-key; they cannot be ‘revised for’ and should not loom large in the pupils’ minds.

Grades Reports are issued at each half term and there are full written reports in two out of three terms. In the remaining term, there is a parent/teacher consultation followed by a second Grades Report at the end of term.

Exams and formal tests

Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations to senior schools in most subjects are taken in the second half of Year 8 and much of Years 6, 7 and 8 (especially the latter two) are dedicated to ensuring preparation for these exams, whilst also keeping an eye on the bigger educational picture.

We take care to balance and grow the pupils’ exposure to formal tests, exams and thus exam technique to ensure they are fully prepared come Year 8, while promoting as much syllabus coverage and teaching time as possible. This breaks down as follows:

Year 4: a set of formal tests are sat after the summer half term and these then form one part of the way we stream the pupils in examined subjects from Year 5.

Year 5: a full set of exams is sat after the Summer half term.

Year 6: a set of exams in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science is sat after the spring half term. A full set of exams is sat after the summer half term.

Year 7: a full set of exams is sat after both the spring and summer half terms and the formality of the exams builds rapidly.