A Guide to Secondary Assessment-Aylesbury

Guide to Secondary Assessment

Assessment features prominently among the many changes to secondary education implemented since September 2016.

Key Stage 4

Most secondary schools have prioritised their focus on ensuring that teachers and resources are in place to support their students in meeting the stringent new standards in GCSEs. The ‘Gold Standard’ of 5 A*-Cs (including English and Maths) has been replaced as the ‘floor target’ by a new measure called ‘Progress 8’, which is reported along with a raft of other school success measures.

Key Stage 3

Levels are no longer compulsory for reporting Key Stage 3 (KS3) progress. Secondary schools have had the opportunity to develop their own ‘rigorous’ assessment structures for KS3. However, in many schools the priority in KS3 has been focused on updating their planning and resources to meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum. As such, some schools are still developing their KS3 assessment practices.

This course explains the new KS4 assessment practices and a range of current approaches to KS3 assessment. It also includes guidance on how to use assessment productively in the secondary context, helping you stand out so that you can build great working relationships with the schools you are placed in.