Assessment
At Hounslow Town Primary, we are proud of our rich, inclusive curriculum and our commitment to ensuring that every child makes meaningful progress. Our assessment systems have been carefully reviewed and designed to give a clear picture of where each child is on their individual learning journey.
Our Approach
Our curriculum is fully aligned with the National Curriculum while also reflecting the diverse needs, backgrounds and interests of our pupils. From Year 1 to Year 5, we use PiXL summative assessments each term in reading, mathematics and spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) to assess pupils’ understanding and to inform our planning and teaching. In Year 6, these assessments take place half-termly to closely monitor progress and to ensure that pupils are well-prepared for their SATs in May. To ensure that every child continues to make strong progress, each year group meets weekly with our Raising Standards Leader (Miss Weldrick) to review the progress of key pupil groups and to plan the most effective support.
Other key approaches and principles to assessment:
- We believe that every child can be a successful, independent learner.
- Assessment is both formative (ongoing and informal) and summative (termly and through formal tests).
- Daily support sessions (known as surgeries), including small group interventions and one-to-one conferencing, are planned across the school to help pupils’ close gaps in their learning and address any misconceptions as soon as they arise.
- Children are taught metacognitive and growth-mindset strategies to help them to develop independence and ownership of their learning.
- Each subject has a carefully planned progression document to ensure learning is strategically sequenced. Teachers use these to link new lessons to what pupils have already learned, helping them develop a strong understanding of subject knowledge, vocabulary and key skills.
- Each term, teachers use Pixl Question Level Analysis spreadsheets to identify specific learning gaps in reading, writing and mathematics for all pupils. Findings from this gap analysis is used to inform future planning, teaching and intervention groups across the school.
- Parents are kept informed about the progress and attainment of their child through termly parent consultations, parent workshops, informal discussions and end-of-year reports.
Tracking Attainment and Progress
Throughout the school, we use national standard descriptors to assess and report on pupils’ attainment:
- GDS (Greater Depth Standard): Exceeding year group expectations
- EXS (Expected Standard): Meeting year group expectations
- WTS (Working Towards Standard): Working towards year group expectations
- PKS (Pre-Key Stage): Working below the standards of the key stage.
Early Years
In our Early Years setting, assessment is rooted in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. We regularly monitor and support children’s development across seven key areas:
Prime Areas:
- PSED (Personal, Social and Emotional Development)
- CL (Communication and Language)
- PD (Physical Development)
Specific Areas:
- L (Literacy)
- M (Mathematics)
- UW (Understanding the World)
- EAD (Expressive Arts and Design)
Learning is recorded through observations, discussions and practical evidence. We place high value on play-based, child-led learning that nurtures curiosity and builds strong foundations for future success.