The key to good assessment

Good assessment has never been more important than in the aftermath of school closures. Balancing the mental health and well-being of children with the challenge of providing an effective learning environment for each one of them, will be the primary goal of all schools and teachers.

To help schools strike a healthy balance, we have identified four key stages in the formative assessment process. These will help you find out what individual pupils know, and can do, to inform appropriate next steps. You may already have an idea of where pupils will lie along the spectrum of engagement but identifying the gaps and motivating all children will require high quality formative assessment.

Research evidence over 40 years indicates that enhancing formative assessment within the classroom has a significant and powerful impact on pupil learning; it is one of the most important contributors to success in summative assessments. Investing in the development of these strategies is where the greatest benefits to learning will lie.