At Thornhill we believe that:

• Assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process;
• Teachers, support staff, pupils and parents all have an important part to play in this process.

General Principles and Aims

Our assessment and recording procedures will:

• Support quality teaching and learning;
• Provide reliable and credible information to support progression in learning;
• Find out and build on what children already know;
• Be based on clear and shared success criteria;
• Motivate and actively involve children in reviewing their work;
• Be manageable, sustainable, consistent and useful;
• Describe the child’s progress against expectations;
• Highlight a child’s success and progress;
• Identify areas for improvement and how they can be addressed;
• Meet statutory requirements;
• And ultimately, raise standards for all.

Ongoing Formative Assessment at the Classroom Level

Assessment is a formal or informal dialogue between teacher and pupil about work in progress or completed work. It may take place between the teacher and an individual child or with a group or class. It may take the form of open-ended questioning, dialogue focusing on learning objectives, a written record of observations or written on the child’s work.

Essentially it should provide clear and realistic feedback to pupils about where they need to go next. We place great emphasis on this type of dialogic marking, developing teachers’ ability to question so as to assess a child’s understanding and next steps in their learning journey.

Sonar Tracker (Juniper Education)

At Thornhill we use a piece of assessment software called Sonar. This software allows us to track pupil progress, identify gaps in learning and plan for appropriate next steps. 

Sonar is a PITA (point in time assessment) model assessing pupils relative to that particular 'point in time'. For example, a Year 4 pupil may be assessed as at the 'expected standard' during autumn term. That is not to say that they have met all the expectations of the year 4 curriculum, but rather that they are on track and at the expected level for that stage of the year. 

This form of assessment model provides clarity for pupils, parents and staff. At 'any point in time,' we can see if a pupil is struggling, coping well or attaining highly. It means that assessment is always directly comparable with prior attainment and future expectations because it uses a consistent and common language. 

For further information please visit: https://junipereducation.org/primary-schools/sonar-tracker