WHAT CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK ARE YOU USING FOR CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENTS NEXT YEAR?
WHICHEVER ONE YOU HAVE CHOSEN, EARWIG WILL HALVE THE TIME SPENT BY TEACHERS ON ASSESSMENTS AND IMPROVE BOTH THE QUALITY AND THE REPORTING.
IT STARTS WITH EVIDENCE CAPTURE AND TAKES YOU THROUGH MAKING ASSESSMENTS, TRACKING, ANALYSIS AND REPORTING, FOR LESS THAN THE COST OF YOUR CURRENT TRACKING SYSTEM.

YOUR PRIMARY ASSESSMENT OPTIONS

You don’t need us to tell you that the current assessment process for Key Stages 1 & 2 is a bit of a ‘work in progress’.  So we’ve created a package that helps smooth the wrinkles, cuts 50% of the work and allows you to stay nimble enough to cope with the inevitable changes to come, with minimal effort.

In the absence of levels, primary head teachers now have to wade through a sea of alternative assessment plans and frameworks to decide not just which one to go with (this year!) but also what mechanism they are going to use to capture the necessary evidence, record the assessments and then analyse, track and report on these.

Your first urge was probably to ignore the whole thing and hope it goes away. But we know it won’t.  So, what are your options?  Here’s our analysis.

There are already many different assessment structures and solutions floating about, but these break down into THREE ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO IMPLEMENTING AND REPORTING ASSESSMENT:

PRIMITIVE

Find a curriculum breakdown that you like and then use spreadsheets to record the assessments and workbooks and printed photos to provide the evidence. This one has two big advantages – anyone can do it and it means that you can choose any assessment framework you like, or invent your own. The disadvantage is that it is BY FAR THE MOST EXPENSIVE in terms of staff time, and the resulting analysis and presentation of the data is either very poor or very time-consuming, or both.

OLD TECHNOLOGY

Buy a software-based pupil tracker package which has a pre-loaded assessment framework. Teach your staff to use it and ride that for a couple of years. There are several of these, of which Target Tracker and Pupil Tracker are probably the best known. These will give you good analysis and reporting, but the disadvantage here is that you are confined to the in-house assessment system and can’t easily change this.  Also, the mechanisms for linking teaching evidence to specific assessments are poor. So, they are INFLEXIBLE and also usually EXPENSIVE and yet provide very little in-school training or ongoing support for non-techie staff.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

With the arrival of tablets and apps in schools the new generation of educational software can turn making and presenting assessments into a pleasure (almost). When deciding which new package to use, here are seven questions you need to ask.
Will it…

  1. Work equally well with ANY ASSESSMENT PLAN you choose – and flex when you (or the DfE) decide on a change?
  2. Provide the same process for EYFS reporting as for KS1 & 2?
  3. Make it REALLY EASY for staff to capture evidence and link it to the right pupil and statement in a second?
  4. Make the actual process of making assessments FAST, ACCURATE and INTUITIVE?
  5. Provide ANALYTICS AND REPORTS which are comprehensive, benchmarked, vivid, engaging and produced IN SECONDS, rather than hours?
  6. ENGAGE PARENTS and improve pupil motivation at the same time?
  7. Provide as much IN SCHOOL TRAINING and support as your staff need?

The new Earwig Assessment Module, of course, does all this. It is a substantial and valuable tool for ambitious primary schools in 2016.  For most primary schools, the annual cost is less than £2,000 a year and it will save you twice this in staff time, alone.

THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW EARWIG CAN HELP YOUR SCHOOL STAFF TO MAKE BETTER ASSESSMENTS IN HALF THE TIME IS TO SEE A DEMONSTRATION FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS.

How it works Request a demo Which type of school?

‘The staff here are buzzing with Earwig and, with the KLIPS framework statements, are addressing assessment across the school.’

Amanda Clayton, Headteacher, Singleton CE Primary, Blackpool

Assessment plan examples

REMEMBER – EARWIG WORKS WITH ANY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK THAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH (WITHIN REASON).
THE LIST OF ASSESSMENT PLANS ALREADY LOADED, INTO WHICH YOU CAN PLUG SEAMLESSLY, IS ALWAYS GROWING.
THE CURRENT LIST IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
TO SHOW YOU HOW ASSESSING WITH EARWIG WORKS, WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES.

SYMPHONY ATTAINMENT MILESTONES

The Symphony Primary Schools Partnership includes fourteen schools based in Leicester.

Unhappy with other assessment plans, they have developed a robust age-related assessment system based on the requirements of the New National Curriculum in all subjects. This system builds upon current good practice and is designed to help to make the transition to a ‘life without levels’ simple.

To check out the detail of the plan framework and assessment parameters, check the Symphony website.

The important things to understand about this (and the many other assessment plans that Earwig supports) are these
Whichever system you decide on. Earwig makes it easier, attaches the evidence automatically and makes the analytics and reporting better.
Earwig provides training and ongoing support for your staff.

The way to understand this, or any other framework is to talk to the relevant Earwig agent – ask for a demonstration meeting.

‘Working with Earwig we’ve been able to move Symphony to a completely new level. We can now tag the children into it quickly. So, photo's taken; tagged in. There's the evidence. To grade the pupil just tick the box. Are they emerging, expected or exceeding?’

Tim Sutcliffe, Executive Headteacher, Glen Hills Primary, Leicester

NATIONAL CURRICULUM - INTERIM ASSESSMENTS 2016

ASSESSMENT PLAN EXAMPLES
FOR KEY STAGE 1 AND KEY STAGE 2 – DUE IN JULY
FOR ALL YEAR 2 AND YEAR 6 PUPILS
ASSESSMENTS SHOULD BE EVIDENCED

Are your Year 2 and Year 6 staff ready to produce the evidence linked assessments required by these DfE instructions?

If not, don’t worry. With Earwig, you’ve got it covered.

Earwig’s unique technology is designed to make capturing evidence a doddle.

Our special Interim Assessment Module allows staff to assess as they go and produce analysis and PDFs with a couple of clicks It eliminates hours of cutting, pasting, writing, highlighting and filing.

‘We are very pleased that we decided to use Earwig to enable our staff to complete the Interim Assessments for 2016 for those finishing Key Stages 1 and 2. Our staff are delighted that it is so quick and easy and all the evidence required for this process is right there.’

Julia Alison, Headteacher, Irchester Primary

EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE ASSESSMENTS 2016

REDUCE THE BURDEN ON EARLY YEARS STAFF BY 50%
MAKE BETTER ASSESMENTS, WITH EVIDENCE ATTACHED
SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE CHILDREN

Whatever happens with assessment for KS1 & 2, it appears that the EYFS framework is here to stay, for now.
Without Earwig, EYFS reporting is a considerable deflection of teaching resources. So, the more efficiently it can be done, the better. There are already hundreds of schools using Earwig for their EYFS reporting. That’s how we know that the time saving is at least 50%.

Without any extra work you can share the magic moments in the classroom with parents, which makes for more involved parents and encourages children to perform better.

Suitable for nurseries which have good internet access, as well as primary school reception classes. It is so easy to use that we’ve asked Laura (age 9) to show you how it’s done. CLICK HERE.

ASSESSMENT PLANS THAT YOU CAN USE WITH EARWIG

Some schools stick with the National Curriculum framework, although it’s a bit ‘clunky’.  Some prefer a commercial derivative. The bold ones create their own. Others are not sure,but want something that is simple but does the job.  For them, we have built the Earwig suite of frameworks, from which they can choose.

Conventional schools then have to think about how they assess SEN pupils and satisfy their statutory obligations in this respect.  SEND schools have to decide which schemes they include in the suite of frameworks that they need to cover the range of disabilities that they deal with.

Whatever assessment arrangement you prefer, it can be accommodated within the Earwig system. This is a list of those already loaded, but we are adding to this each week.  Try us.

NATIONAL CURRICULUM BASED

  • Focus Foundation
  • Interim Assessments KS1 & KS2
  • KLIPS
  • National Curriculum – KS1 to KS4
  • National Curriculum – Primary Scotland
  • Symphony Assessment
  • Target Tracker

SPECIALIST SEND FRAMEWORKS

  • Earwig Pre-KS1 for SEND
  • Earwig KS1 for SEND
  • ECHP-based editable
  • Engagement Ladders
  • Learning Challenge
  • Learning Ladders
  • MAPP
  • Millgate Project
  • Oakfield Pathways
  • Pathways
  • PIVATS
  • P Scales
  • Routes for Learning
  • SCERTS
  • Vranch House

OTHER SPECIALIST FRAMEWORKS

  • EYFS – England
  • GCSE PE
  • ICT UP Computing
  • EAL Hounslow
  • EAL QCA
  • EAL Bell
  • KPI Assessments
  • Rebound Therapy
  • Teachers Standards
  • Winstrada

CUSTOM BUILT FOR SCHOOLS OR MATS

  • Ashurst Wood
  • Black Firs Bookmarks
  • Bransty Literacy
  • Calverley Parkside
  • Delph
  • Gibside RfL
  • High Legh
  • Irchester Assessment
  • Learning Challenge
  • Meadowside
  • Millgate Project
  • Monk Fryston Progression Statements
  • OLPS
  • Rivacre
  • St Benedicts

 

To discuss your requirements or learn more, first-hand from an Earwig agent, just request a demo.