Assessment

Assessment

Your Child’s Assessments and Reports - what do they mean?

Ensuring students make at least good progress throughout their time at Campion is a key aim of the school.  The reports you receive present you with all the information you need to support your child in striving to achieve this aim.

Reports

Reports will be published twice a year and will be sent home electronically via SIMs in- touch. Physical copies are available on request from the school data team.  The purpose of the reports is to provide you with subject specific progress information to help you monitor how well your child is performing. The report contains both assessment grades and minimum expected grade information. 

Assessment Grades

At Campion we assess work throughout KS3 and KS4 using GCSE grade descriptors. Subject teams calculate assessment grades using information from the exam boards and the curriculum road maps. This ensures students are challenged appropriately for their age and ability. Assessment grades reflect that a student has demonstrated what they know and the skills that students have developed.

GCSEs are graded from 9-1 (with 9 being the highest). The higher the number, the better the standard of work. In order to show progress, Campion subdivides grades when reporting to parents using a, b and c.  These sub grades indicate how “secure” the student is in each subject. An “a” would mean the student has mastery of that particular grade, a “b” would indicate the student has secured most of the competencies associated with the grade and a “c” would indicate the student is developing and starting to work at the grade. For example, a student awarded a grade 7b in maths would suggest this student is securely working at grade 7 while a student awarded a grade 8c suggests they have only just demonstrated the skills and knowledge needed to achieve a grade 8.  We are aware some students may not be working at a grade 1 in Year 7 and in some cases Year 8. These students will be given a “W” which would indicate working towards Grade 1.

Minimum Expected Grades

Although achieving good grades is central to success, progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 is important in ensuring every child fulfils their potential. At Campion, we use Key Stage 2 levels to set minimum expected grades (MEG) as a benchmark to aim for.  If your child achieves their MEG by the end of key stage 4 it represents excellent progress compared to national standards.  The most successful students will exceed their MEG demonstrating outstanding progress. When assessing your child’s progress, you should compare the assessment grades to the MEG to judge whether they are on track.

Assessment at Key stage 5

Reports and assessment grades in year 12 and 13 follow the same philosophy and approach as in lower years but use different grade descriptors and terminology.  Minimum expected grades are based on average GCSE performance and still ensure excellent progress should your child achieve or exceed their MEG. Sub-grades are still used to show progress on reports.  Grades range from A* to E for A-Level subjects.  Vocational subjects have varying grade descriptors depending on exam board and qualification but are usually centred around Distinction/Merit/Pass grades.

7th June 2021