At Malden Parochial, we track how children are progressing toward the "Expected" standard in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics in line with the National Curriculum. To ensure every child succeeds, we use two distinct types of assessment.

Formative Assessment 
This is the most important part of daily life in the classroom. Teachers use observations, questioning, and marking to check understanding in the moment. This allows them to give immediate feedback and adjust their teaching to support or challenge children right away.

Summative Assessment
Termly children in year 1-5 children take standardised tests, to evaluate what has been learned over a period of time. This helps us see the "big picture" of a child's progress and identifies any gaps in knowledge. These test papers are shared with parents and discussed at parent consultations. We use OLEX, an AI tool, to identify the strengths and next steps in pupils' writing. 

We use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which are the "essential milestones" a child must reach to stay on track with the National Curriculum. They prioritise depth over breadth, focusing on the skills required to access the following year's work.

The KPIs are on our website, but some examples would be:

English

• Reading: Mastery of phonics (KS1) moving into inference and justifying opinions with evidence (KS2).
• Writing: Correct use of "year-group specific" punctuation (e.g., fronted adverbials or relative clauses) and accurate spelling of Common Exception Words.

Mathematics

• Fluency: Rapid recall of number bonds and times tables (up to 12 times 12 by Year 4).
• Calculation: Competence in formal written methods for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Science

• Subject Knowledge: Understanding core concepts (e.g., States of Matter, Evolution).
• Working Scientifically: The ability to plan an experiment, control variables, and record data accurately.

Achieving the Standard
Working Towards (WTS)  - The child is currently practising the KPIs for their specific year group.

Expected Standard(EXS)  - The child has successfully achieved all KPIs for their year group.

Greater Depth (GDS) - The child has mastered the expected standard and is now applying those skills in more complex, analytical or creative ways.

Recording Assessment
To ensure our tracking is both rigorous and transparent, all results from these termly standardised tests (Testbase) are recorded on our SIMS management system. This allows us to monitor individual progress and attainment over time with high precision. By mapping these scores against National Curriculum expectations, we can maintain an accurate, live record of whether a child is on track to meet the expected standard, ensuring that our data-led insights directly inform the tailored support provided in the classroom.

Targeted Intervention and Diagnostic Support 
Where a child is not meeting predicted milestones, we employ bespoke diagnostic assessments and screeners to gain a more granular understanding of their specific barriers to learning. Tools such as Lucid Rapid, HAST-2, or the Leeds Maths Assessment allow us to look beyond general attainment data and identify precise areas for intervention. These supplementary insights ensure that our support strategies are evidence-based and tailored to the child's individual needs, providing a robust framework for those requiring additional assistance to bridge the gap to the expected standard.