Tracking Student Progress

To meet our aim to enable every young person at the College to learn, flourish and succeed, we look to work closely with our students and their parents to track their progress. In doing so, our students know how well they are doing and, more importantly, what they need to do to make further progress in each of their subjects.

On this page, we'll outline the different mechanisms we use to track student progress working in partnership with our students and their parents.

Subject Assessments

Students regularly complete assessments in their different subjects to allow them to demonstrate to their teachers their understanding of what they have been learning.

Some of these will be less formal - for instance pieces of classwork, knowledge quizzes, independent learning actitivities or end of topic tests. Some of these will be more formal - such as practice exam questions and tests including Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs) for students studying their GCSE and A Level subjects.

Baseline Assessments

When students join us in Year 7 they will complete a number of in-class assessments. This allows their teachers to gain an understanding of where they are at in their learning. These are known as baseline tests and assessments. We may use these to group students by ability in some subjects and to set end-of-Key Stage target grades.

Results from these subject assessments are visible to parents and students on the GO 4 Schools website.

Pre-Public Examinations

Students in Years 11, and 13 have the opportunity to sit Pre-Public Examinations in their GCSE and A Level subjects. These are taken in formal exam conditions in our main exam venues to allow students to experience as closely as possible what their external examinations will be like as part of their preparation for these. Dates for these are published here.

Progress Reviews

Progress Reviews are completed once a year at an appropriate time for that year group during each school year. They form a snapshot in time of how a student is doing in each of their subjects. The information by subject for each student includes:

For students in Years 7 to 9

• a Progress Summary statement giving an indication of whether they demonstrating the knowledge, skills and understanding required of them;
• a written comment outlining the student's progress in the subject, and setting targets on how to make further progress.

For students in Years 10 to 13

• the Target Grade that they are aiming to achieve by the end of the Key Stage;
• their Currently Working At (CWA) Grade where they are working at now in that subject;
• a written comment outlining the student's progress in the subject, and setting targets on how to make further progress.

Further information about these grades can be found on the student's Progress Review report.

The dates for this year's Progress Reviews can be found on our Key Dates page.

Students' Progress Review reports are published in GO 4 Schools. Students and parents will be notified when a new report is available.

Progress Evenings

Our Progress Evenings happen every 4 weeks during term time, with 8 opportunities for students and their parents to attend throughout the school year. These evenings aim to:

• create a partnership between students, parents and teaching staff;
• provide wide ranging information for parents about their child and the progress they are making;
• develop strategies to support the child’s education.

Teachers may specifically request to see you about your child's progress. Where teachers have requested to see you, please try to attend if you can; often, teachers want to see parents as early as possible so that we can work together to address any concerns.

Appointments for Progress Evenings can be booked here. Please use this guide to help you to use the booking system.

Communication

GO 4 Schools provides students and parents with quick and easy access to student information on their latest attainment and progress.

The app offers a quick snapshot of a student's latest attainment and progress information. For more detailed information the website has greater functionality - for instance, viewing a student's latest Progress Review report or seeing a student's result for a particular piece of assessed work. We recommend parents and students access the website daily where possible.

Contacting Us

If you wish to discuss your child's attainment in a recent assessment, or their latest Progress Review report, please contact their teacher for the subject concerned in the first instance. This will be visible on the GO 4 Schools website or on your child's report. Alternatively, you can make an appointment with your child's teachers at one of our Progress Evenings.

If you have broader concerns about your child, please contact their mentor. They may then refer your concerns to the relevant Pastoral Manager or Head of Faculty.