NGP’s Model of Progression and Assessment

Rationale: Progression within The North Gower Partnership’s  is underpinned by children’s rights principles. It is in line with the principle of using formative assessment effectively to plan next steps for learners.  It is fully inclusive, and considers the progress of all learners in a broad assessment context. 

Article 2: the right to equality and non-discrimination.  A cross-cutting principle of the UNCRC.  Our model for assessment aims to support our curriculum design at a local level.  All information given to pupils is narrative, formative and descriptive.  Numerical descriptors are applied to the tracking systems so that it is possible to disaggregate data to identify the impact of teaching for different cohorts and different groups of children and young people.  This information can then be analysed by socio-economic data, by protected characteristics and by the presence of additional learning needs to determine whether approaches to learning are benefiting learners equitably and whether they are enabling the reduction of the attainment gap. Rigorous use of this data will enable future planning to ensure no groups of children and young people are disadvantaged. This is particularly important for children and young people from socio-disadvantaged backgrounds as research indicates that the rigorous use of data is a key factor in reducing the attainment gap.* [*Pirrie, A., & Hockings, E. (2012). Poverty, educational attainment and achievement in Scotland: a critical review of the literature  22 Demie, F., & Mclean, C. (2015); Tackling disadvantage: what works in narrowing the achievement gap in schools. Review of Education, 3(2), 138-174.] 

Article 29: enabling children and young people to develop their talents and skills to the full. Capturing information on how individual children are progressing means teachers can ensure they are fulfilling a duty of progression for each child across the curriculum, and between settings (which is particularly important in the transition between primary and secondary).  Without building a coherent picture developed within settings there is the potential for an over reliance on external assessments (for example National Standardised tests or summative qualifications).  This runs the risk of both being reductive of the aims of the new curriculum and also of undermining the aim that formative assessment takes priority. The use of this information enables high status to be given across all AoLEs and the breadth of learning. 

Accountability:  An important principle embedded in children’s rights is that education professionals can be held accountable for how they have ensured that children are experiencing their rights in education.  Information needs to be extracted from the new curriculum at a cohort level so that Governing bodies can fulfil their role of scrutiny and challenge, and can hold Headteachers accountable for how they are ensuring the rights of all children and young people under the UNCRC to equality, and to developing their talents and skills to the full.