Following two years of significant changes to primary school assessment arrangements due to COVID 19 all assessments within KS1 and KS2 are back on track for the 2021-2022 academic year.
On the 11th October the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) published all the new guidance for KS1 and KS2 for summer 2022. In part 1 of this blog I have summarised the main points of the KS1 document with specific reference to children identified as SEND.
Part 1 – Key stage 1: assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) 2022
All existing statutory KS1 assessments will return in 2021/22, following their usual timetable.
This includes:
- the end of KS1 assessment
- the phonics screening check
- statutory trialing
If any changes are needed due to unprecedented circumstances beyond STA’s control, schools will be informed at the appropriate time, via the assessment update.
Changes for 2021- 2022
Phonics screening check for year 2 pupils
Due to the cancellation of the end of Year 1 Phonics Check all schools must administer a past version of the phonics screening check (from 2017, 2018 or 2019) to year 2 pupils during the second half of the 2021 autumn term (excluding any pupils who meet the exceptions) and return results to their geographical LA by the end of the autumn term.
Exceptions
Pupils should not take the check if any of the following apply:
- they have shown no understanding of grapheme-phoneme correspondences
- they have not completed the first year of the KS1 English programme of study
- they have recently moved to the country and are unable to understand letters and sounds in English
- they use British Sign Language or other sign-supported communication, such as communication boards, to spell out individual letters they are mute, or selectively mute
- they have been absent during the check window
The Engagement Model
The engagement model replaces P scales 1 – 4 and is a new statutory teacher assessment tool for pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum and not engaged in subject-specific study. It should be used to assess pupils’ learning regularly throughout the year, enabling these pupils’ achievements and progress to be measured over time. Schools must report which pupils have been assessed using the engagement model when the pupil is at the end of KS1. This is so the DfE is aware of how many pupils are not engaged in subject-specific study and where they are being educated.
STA have produced additional guidance on the Engagement Model.
Teacher assessment moderation training
Online self-guided teacher assessment (TA) moderation training in English writing has been added to the Primary Assessment Gateway.
Monitoring of local authorities’ moderation
STA will no longer visit a sample of LAs during the moderation period to monitor their moderation processes and procedures.
Removal of ‘D code’ for KS1 teacher assessment
The ‘D’ code, originally used to record where a pupil was ‘disapplied’ from the national curriculum assessments, has been withdrawn for KS1 TA.
The ‘D code’ will still be used in the phonics screening check
The 2022 KS1 Tests (May 2022)
The KS1 tests are designed to assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the KS1 programmes of study. Teachers must administer the English reading and mathematics tests to help make a secure judgement for their final TA at the end of KS1. The tests make up one piece of evidence for the overall TA judgement.
The KS1 tests consist of:
- English reading Paper 1: combined reading prompt and answer booklet
- English reading Paper 2: reading booklet and reading answer booklet
- Mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic
- Mathematics Paper 2: reasoning
Participating pupils should be given the opportunity to attempt each test paper. KS1 tests are not strictly timed. Teachers can use their discretion to decide if pupils need a rest break during any of the tests or whether, if appropriate, to stop a test early.
An optional English grammar, punctuation and spelling test will be available to download from the Primary Assessment Gateway from Tuesday 3 May. Standard versions of the English grammar, punctuation and spelling test will not be sent to schools. Schools are not required to administer the optional English grammar, punctuation and spelling test or use the result to inform TA, although they can if they wish.
Pupils should not take the tests if any of the following apply:
- they have not completed the relevant KS1 programme of study
- they are working at the pre-key stage 1 standards or being assessed using the engagement model
- they are working at the standard of the KS1 tests but are unable to participate even when using suitable access arrangements
Headteachers make the final decision about whether it is appropriate for a pupil to take the tests.
Although the KS1 tests are intended to assess pupils’ abilities in a fair and comparable way and they are designed so that most pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) can participate using the standard versions, access arrangements may be appropriate, especially for pupils:
- with an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- for whom provision is being made in school using the SEN Support system
- whose learning difficulty or disability significantly affects their ability to access the test
- who have behavioural, emotional or social difficulties
- with English as an additional language (EAL) and who have limited fluency in English
Access arrangements that are available:
- Additional Time
- Adaptations to the test papers (including early opening to adapt a paper)
- Compensatory marks for spelling
- Scribes
- Transcripts
- Word processors or other technical or electronic aids
- Readers
- Rest Breaks
- Prompters
- Accessibility objects in the mathematics tests
- Highlighter Pens
Teachers should be mindful that when undertaking moderation of a pupil’s work, LAs may ask to see evidence that any support given to the pupil in the tests is regularly provided as part of normal classroom practice. This will vary according to the type of support and may be recorded in:
- notes in teaching plans
- individual pupil support plans
- a pupil’s classwork
The support given during the tests must never advantage or disadvantage individual pupils. The school must have evidence that the support provided is based on normal classroom practice. Schools could be subject to a maladministration investigation if they fail to use access arrangements appropriately.
Phonics Screening Check (6th-10th June 2022)
All pupils (excluding any pupils who meet the exceptions) who have reached the age of 6 by the end of the academic year must take the check in June 2022.
All Pupils, if they did not meet the expected standard in the autumn 2021 check, who will have reached the age of 7 by the end of the academic year must also take the check in June 2022.
Exceptions
Pupils should not take the check if any of the following apply:
- they have shown no understanding of grapheme-phoneme correspondences
- they have not completed the first year of the KS1 English programme of study
- they have recently moved to the country and are unable to understand letters and sounds in English
- they use British Sign Language or other sign-supported communication, such as communication boards, to spell out individual letters
- they are mute, or selectively mute
- they have been absent during the check window
Headteachers make the final decision about whether it is appropriate for a pupil to take the check. In any instances when pupils are not entered for the check, schools should explain their decision to the pupil’s parents. Pupils who do not take the check should be marked as ‘D’ (headteacher decided it was not appropriate for the pupil to take the check).
Teacher Assessment is based on a broad range of evidence from across the curriculum and knowledge of how a pupil has performed over time and in a variety of contexts. It is carried out as part of teaching and learning.
The TA frameworks must be used to assess pupils who have completed the KS1 programmes of study in English reading, English writing, mathematics and science, and are working at the standard of the national curriculum assessments.
The frameworks contain 3 standards:
- working towards the expected standard
- working at the expected standard
- working at greater depth
NB: The KS1 science framework contains one standard: working at the expected standard
Pre-key stage standards must be used for statutory assessment of pupils at the end of KS1 who are working below the overall standard of national curriculum assessments and engaged in subject-specific study, as well as for pupils who are working below the standard of the national curriculum assessments because they:
- have not completed the KS1 programmes of study but are still moving onto KS2 with their current year group (and are engaged in subject-specific study)
- cannot communicate in English (and are engaged in subject-specific study)
The pre-key stage 1 standards for English reading, English writing and mathematics are:
- Standard 4
- Standard 3
- Standard 2
- Standard 1
In 2021/22, if a pupil is working below the standard of national curriculum assessments and not yet engaged in subject-specific study, they must be assessed using the engagement model at the end of KS1.
The engagement model is a teacher assessment tool that replaces P scales 1 – 4 and is formed of 5 areas of engagement:
- Exploration
- Realisation
- Anticipation
- Persistence
- Initiation
Each of the 5 areas are interrelated and should be used when assessing pupils who are not engaged in subject-specific study.
From September 2021, schools are required to:
- use the engagement model to assess pupils who are working below the standard of national curriculum assessments and not engaged in subject-specific study at the end of KS1
- report to DfE which pupils have been assessed using the engagement model for KS1 – schools are not required to submit any other data to DfE about the progress of these pupils
Special Educational Provision
Schools must use their best endeavours to ensure that special educational provision is made for those pupils who need it. Schools must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled pupils are not at a substantial disadvantage compared to their peers
