Providing students with feedback is highly important to allow them to succeed. During lessons, teachers continuously check students’ knowledge and understanding through a variety of assessment techniques, such a mini-quizzes and questioning. Teachers use this to inform teaching, identify and address misconceptions, and provide students with immediate feedback.  

We also think that it is important that parents and carers are involved in reviewing their child’s progress and are able to see if their child is on track. Therefore, students complete summative assessments (usually at least once per term) to identify progress. Students’ attainment in these assessments is communicated via three progress checks which are sent home. Additionally, in each subject, teachers provide a grade for your child’s effort and homework/independent study. The reporting criteria for these areas can be found below. The progress check also includes your child’s cumulative attendance percentage and the Year Group attendance average.  Although we understand that some students have been seriously ill or have ongoing chronic medical conditions, the vast majority of students should have attendance of 95% of higher. A good target would be 98% or higher.  

In Years 7-9 students’ attainment on these tests is provided as a percentage. It is important to note that there is not a set percentage which will indicate if your child is on track. This is because the level of difficulty of the test varies slightly between each subject and for the topic that is currently being taught. You will also be provided with the average test percentage in each subject for your child’s year group. This can be used to indicate whether your child is working at a similar level to their peers. However, comparison between students should be done with caution, as it is important to remember that each student has their own specific needs and will have different strengths and areas for development.

In Years 10 & 11, attainment in summative assessments is marked using the grading criteria that matches the course that they are studying. GCSE courses are marked using a numerical system that ranges from a maximum of 9 through to 1. Anything less than a 1 is ungraded. Target grades are also provided, and we allocate target grades using a data analysis tool which uses Year 6 SATs data to provide a contextual target. In other words, looking at what previous students with similar characteristics who performed the same in Year 6 SATs achieve at GCSE. The target grades are ambitious, yet still achievable, if the student were to work hard. 

In the Sixth Form, attainment in summative assessments is marked using the grading criteria that matches the course that they are studying.  GCE courses are marked using a letter system that ranges from a maximum of A*, down through A and B until the minimum pass of an E is reached. Anything less than an E is a fail, and noted as a U grade. BTEC courses are marked using the four-tier marking system that goes from Near Pass, up through Pass, Merit and Distinction to Distinction*.    

The summer progress check qualifies as the annual report.  Rather than each subject teacher providing a short comment, there is a single comment from your child’s form tutor.  Tutors know their tutees well, both in relation to pastoral matters and academic performance, and so we believe that their comments will be of value to parents and carers. 

Parents’ and Carers’ Evenings 

We would encourage you to look through the progress checks that are sent home to identify if there are any subjects where your child is making less than expected progress. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress in specific subjects, a useful first step would be to discuss this with their subject teacher. You can do this at any point, by contacting the school via telephone or email. Usually, we would expect that teachers would be proactive in contacting home as soon as they identify that a student is at risk of not making expected progress. Additionally, each year group has one parents’ and carers’ evening per year, where teachers provide clear specific feedback on a student’s learning, and how they can improve. Dates for these events can be found on our school calendar: