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Susan Hope

Reading Assessment

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Hi! I'm interested to hear how you manage reading assessments in your school. Is there a specific program or tool that you use? We are examining our whole school assessment and would like a more uniform approach to reading assessment throughout our school. 
2 replies
  1. Post by Daniel Bottom
    Re: Reading Assessment

    Hi Susan,

    With our younger pupils - up to the end of Y8 - we do use Star Reader and Accelerated reader. We also use Midyis and Alis tests which offer some insight into how well Y10 or Y12 students can read. We have quite a few international students too, so have different assessments there, as we do for the many dyslexic students that we have. 

    In terms of ongoing assessment, we have half-termly 'Assessment Week' in all subjects. For English, we focus some assessments on reading, some on writing while others focus on spoken English. After an assessment, we ask students to reflect on how to do better next time and use the ACPs as the basis for that reflection. We have assessment booklets for Year 9, Years 10 and 11 and are developing them for A-Level and IB. They contain the assessments that the students will do throughout the year, with an HPL reflection space after each assessment. The students' responses are kept on file, though we give them these back as they start to focus on exam revision. If you want a copy of these, let me know, though it's likely that we do different exam boards.

    In terms of feedback, we do try and give as much feedback as possible straightaway, usually verbally, but as you know, that's often hard to do!

  2. Post by Fiona Clark
    NGRT and literacy
    Dear Susan


    LITERACY: Lower School pupils do the NGRT test at least twice a year. For those that it flags as requiring bespoke literacy intervention, we test at least once more. The reports it creates allows us to share classroom best practice with staff through CPD on how to engage students with texts, active learning  literacy strategies and questioning approaches. 

    READING FOR PLEASURE: is another story! Centered around the Library there are scheduled reading lessons on Lower School timetables as well as a whole host of other special events and enrichment activities.

    ASSESSMENT REVIEWS: very similarly to Daniel we run regular ARs where we identify HPL behaviours that will aid progress. We are currently developing student SMART targets on VAA areas and if anyone has any examples, we'd love to take a look!



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