At Alice Smith, an academic report is issued 4 times a year, which is roughly every 11 weeks. The report includes details of what your child has been learning, the current assessed level of attainment in each subject, the results of any course assessments completed during this period as well as an indication of your child’s progress in relation to their target grade. One academic report per year will also include detailed subject written comments on an individual’s strengths and areas to improve. Tutor comments accompany a report at the beginning and end of the year for your child.
We understand that regular communication of your child’s progress is important.
We hold one student/parent/teacher conference (SPTC) each academic year for each year group to give you the opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers and discuss academic progress in each subject. Your child is also encouraged to attend this conference and actively participate in discussions to benefit their own learning. Parent are encouraged to contact the school at any point should any issues arise.
In several subjects, we have organised students into sets of similar ability. This is an efficient way to encourage your child to become more confident within a subject by working at the level appropriate to their ability and in doing this, we hope to enable them to achieve their full potential. Movement within and across sets is always possible according to performance and is regularly reviewed.
Assessments form an integral part of the learning process. These will vary and could comprise of quizzes, completing practical tasks, speaking, presentations, creating artifacts or peer assessments. All are designed in some way to shape your child’s learning and to maximise their potential by guiding them in terms of their successes as well as areas for development.
In addition to the ongoing assessments listed above, there are more formal tests that are administered generally at the end of a learning unit. Students in Year 10 and 12 will sit internal formal exams in Term 3 while Year 11 and 13 sit mock examinations in Term 2 in preparation for their external terminal exams in Term 3. In addition, we run standardised computerised tests in Years 8, 10 and 12 known as CAT 4, these tests require no preparation. The results measure academic potential and offer a valuable insight for teachers to help them set targets and assist learning in specific subjects. Parents are issued a summative report to help support their child.
Read our KLASS blog on what you can do to help your child revise.
