The majority of pupils will achieve one level every two years. There will, however, always be some children below and others beyond the target levels shown below.
- At the end of Key Stage 1 the expected level is 2.
- At the end of Key Stage 2 the expected level is level 4
All teachers assess their pupils’ progress in each subject as a normal part of their teaching. At the end of Key Stages 1 & 2 pupils are assessed through a combination of teacher assessment and national tasks or tests. Every SCE School will give parents an annual report on how their child is progressing in each National Curriculum subject.
- Assessment at the end of Key Stage 4 is mainly through GCSE examinations or vocational qualifications
Each target describes a particular level of skills, knowledge and understanding and schools use them to check each child's progress so that they can personalise their teaching to each child's needs and abilities. The government uses information based on these targets, to see how many children are making the right kind of progress - especially in English and mathematics.
Children usually get a sense of achievement from reaching each milestone in their learning and going beyond it. If your child finds their work easy, talk to their teacher about what target they should be aiming for - they may need to aim higher. Of course, some children may not make as much progress as others and some may have special educational needs. If your child's school says that he or she is likely to find it hard to reach the target, remember:
- children develop at different rates. Some may not reach the level at the given age, but will catch up later
- your child may need extra help from their school and from you. Talk to his or her teacher about how you can help.
Parents and/or carers, have a very important role to play in helping children learn. The most important thing they can do is to be interested in what children learn at school and encourage them to talk about it and explain it. Remember, parents can never go wrong by showing interest in a child's learning.
The current assessment arrangements for 7 & 11 year olds are as follows:
- 7 year olds - Teacher assessment in English, mathematics and science - National Curriculum tasks and/or tests in reading, writing, spelling and mathematics.
- 11 year olds - Teacher assessment in English & mathematics - National Curriculum tests in these subjects (this does not include pupils working at the lowest levels).