How we Assess Maths at Walkley

Through the White Rose learning journey and the clear small steps approach, the teachers, support staff and the pupils assess their learning continuously throughout the lesson. Assessment for Learning is fundamental to raising standards and enabling children to reach their potential. Assessment in Mathematics takes place daily using a range of strategies such as marking and feedback of work and verbal discussions with children.

• Marking feedback – children self-assess each lesson against the ‘Remember tos’ – the building blocks in the lesson to reach the learning objective. Teachers then mark their agreement with the child’s own judgement. Teachers will mark children’s accuracy in their independent work. A written comment will look at the child’s understanding of the learning objective and provide the next step. In the case of misconceptions, verbal feedback may be given or the teacher may scaffold the learning in their marking.
• At the end of the unit, block assessment tasks are completed, where children have the opportunity to reflect on their knowledge and understanding.
• Teachers will use their judgement from lessons and from end of block assessments to inform their judgement of each key objective on the PiTA grid. Objectives are organised in to White Rose blocks of learning and children are judged using the 6-point PiTA scale for how well they are achieving against each statement. These key objectives are the crucial learning in each maths block.
• Three formal assessments take place in a year using White Rose end of term assessments or past SATs papers (Year 2 and Year 6). These raw scores are captured on PiTA grids and used to judge outcomes of working towards the standard, meeting expected standard and achieving greater depth.
• Pupil progress meetings are held regularly to discuss the progress children are making and to discuss the need for different approaches or interventions in light of assessment data in order to close any gaps in learning.

CLIC & SAFE

Due to the identified need across school to focus on fluency in number and calculation methods, weekly CLIC assessments take place in Key Stage 2. Children complete a prepared activity of 10 questions at their assessed level covering a range of areas of number. This enables staff to track progress and assess the impact of teaching and learning. These are then marked and the scores inputted in to the Big Maths website and children progress through the ages expected CLIC levels. Children are given time to work on the questions they have got incorrect before the following week. In Year 5 and 6, weekly SAFE assessments are also completed using the same rationale as CLIC testing.

TT Rockstars

Results from weekly paper tests for TT Rockstars are inputted to the TT Rockstars website and are reflected on the class leader board display. Once a term, a baseline assessment is also administered which assesses the knowledge of the children across all times tables. The rock speed (calculated as number correct in time completed) is also captured. Year 4 also record the soundcheck score as this gives an indication of achievement in line with the Year 4 multiplication check.

For more information on assessment in the curriculum see the school Assessment Policy. 

Below are the key objectives forming the crucial learning for children at each year group which are captured on PiTA grids.