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Assessment & Outcomes

CAPPS (Collett Assessing Pupil Progress System)

Our work in progress for assessment grids was created in the removal of National Curriculum Levels.

The 'I can' statements in CAPPS include specification objectives of external (and internal) accreditation of relevant Pathway outcomes for pupils.

The CAPPS grids identify the school's curriculum Pathways' essential content coverage.   All Pathways' assessment objectives are identified on the CAPPS sheets - this contextualises the learning at different levels and, ensures pupils, staff and parents can determine whether the child's current pathway remains the correct one.  Extension work and further breadth is evidenced at levels of attainment and support deeper and wider learning.

CAPPS are a significant tool for assessment, but always in conjunction with the EHCP outcomes determined with parents, the child and professionals. 

 

CAPPS - Collett Assessing Pupil Progress System

Why we needed to create our own system of assessment

  • National Curriculum levels were disbanded in 2015
  • Schools were then required to either buy an off-the-peg system or make their own
  • We took the opportunity to create something effective and bespoke for special needs learners
  • We anchored progress against national data of mainstream and special school pupils
  • We can show progress instead of being limited by the barriers of NC and P-Scale Levels

 

So, what is the focus of the assessment at Collett?

  • Developing independence and functional skills
  • The acquisition of new skills and knowledge
  • Inclusivity of children, parents/carers and professionals in the co-assessment of pupils' learning

 

What makes Collett's system effective for SEND learners?

Many systems for assessment are only age-related and categorise our children as under-achievers. We feel this is over-simplistic.  Invariably, people with cognitive disabilities, achieve less than a child of the same age, who learns at an 'ordinary' rate - evidenced through the Government's Progression Materials regarding progress across the country.  

The System uses 'I Can' statements, which captures pupil's spiky learning profiles and age-related abilities. All of which are monitored through challenging targets based on their comparative abilities and, benchmarked with national data.

Different 'starting points' (recorded ability at a recorded age) are important to know in order to see how much progress is made between that point and a subsequent point in time (data is most often measured from the end of academic years/ends of key stages).  

Every day is a new day! We do not know any child's potential, nor should we create glass ceilings that prevent progress as a result of low expectations. With synapses in the brain forming in the plasticity of our brain- these sparks of learning need encouraging to transfer to the parts of the longer-term memory in the brain.

CAPPS is used for each child at The Collett, from EYFS through to external examination accreditations, enabling children's strengths to be mapped at whatever point they meet. Both concrete and abstract aspects of learning feature in the hierarchy of skills and knowledge. It is a flexible system, easy to understand and work with, whilst also reflecting the requirements of the new national curriculum and new external examinations.

 

Accreditations

Accreditations

As a school we aim to ensure that pupil’s leave The Collett School with a broad portfolio of accreditations which provide a true reflection of their abilities.  Throughout their time in Upper School pupils are given the opportunity to study for Entry Level qualifications in a range of subjects, submitting coursework portfolios at the end of each year.  These qualifications do not have an exam component, reducing the stress levels on pupils and enabling them to show their full potential. In their final year pupils study for accreditations in functional literacy, numeracy and ICT.  These are the culmination of the work that pupils have put in throughout their time as The Collett School and paves the way for their next destination.

In addition to academic accreditations we also offer vocational qualifications to equip pupils with transferrable and employable skills.  Pupils have undertaken barista training and Level 1 Food Hygiene courses prior to working in our Horse Box café, serving members of the public and representing The Collett School in the local community.  We also offer a B-Tec in home cooking skills which helps pupils build their independent life skills ready for the journey into adulthood.

 

Potential Accreditations offered at The Collett School

  • Functional Skills English (Entry 1-3, Level 1, Level 2)
  • Functional Skills Maths (Entry 1-3, Level 1, Level 2)
  • ICT today (Entry 1-3)
  • B-Tec Home Cooking Skills (Level 1)
  • Creative Media and Performing Arts (Entry 2-3)
  • Science Today (Entry 2-3)
  • Humanities (Entry 2-3)
  • Personal Progress
  • Food Hygiene Level 1
  • Barista training

Assessment is continual

As adults and pupils, we are constantly assessing understanding, abilities and application of knowledge and skills.  In addition, three data drops per year create summative assessment data, from which we evaluate progress in learning and determine the effectiveness of interventions, at which time changes are made where needed to the provision for the individual child.

 

A basket of different measurement tools are used to ascertain:

  • The individual’s progress in learning
  • Achievements and outcomes – addressing appropriate relevance with their journey towards adulthood
  • Understanding and the ability to demonstrate this across different contexts
  • Comparison with neuro-typical learners’ expectations of outcomes and rates of progress in order to benchmark attainment and determine gaps in knowledge
  • Age-related skills are capitalised on for securing rapid progress where possible and building self-esteem

 

We measure what is worth measuring

  • Progress against the individual's EHCP Outcomes
  • Pupils' personal and social development
  • Pupils' abilities in communicating effectively
  • Pupils' progress in each Area of Learning
  • Pupils' independence

 

As such, assessment is a key aspect of:

  • Comparing pupils' attainment with similar learners and, neurotypical learners
  • Effectively establishing the levels of support needed to continue learning and making progress
  • Examining the effectiveness of our teaching
  • Evidencing the individual's comparative strengths, from which to build on
  • Enabling others (e.g. employers/college) to build on proven skills, knowledge and abilities
  • Celebrating individuals' achievements

 

Assessment Measures

We use a range of assessment measures to help the individual child with certification in subject knowledge and skills for later life.  In addition, some of the assessment measures support the enabling of exam access support (such as additional time/reading support/use of an amanuensis (scribing)).

CAPPS: Our in-house assessment system

See above

Government Age-related Tests for Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6

 

WRIT: Wide Range Intelligence Testing: Testing that is standardised to find a child's IQ score

WRIT examines a child’s level of cognitive ability by assessing both verbal and non-verbal abilities by means of verbal and visual scales; measures and monitors fundamental reading, spelling and maths skills including word reading, sentence comprehension, spelling and computation. 

HAST2 - Spelling Tests

Helen Arkell Spelling Tests: Testing to find the spelling age of our pupils, with diagnostic results for further practice.  This test is used well for diagnostic phonics analysis

Occupational Therapy and Educational Psychology Assessments

Testing to ascertain abilities and diagnostic tests to establish a programme of further support

Speech and Language Communication Needs Assessments

Testing to ascertain abilities and diagnostic tests to establish a programme of further support

Reporting to Parents

There are many ways parents and carers are informed of their child's progress over the course of the year. These include:

  • Face to face meetings with parents
  • Letters and information sent home
  • Weekly newsletters
  • Assemblies that parents are invited to attend to see the presentation of ideas and activities
  • Communication through Class Dojo
  • Email correspondence between parents and staff
  • Telephone conversations between parents and staff
  • Termly EHCP Progress Update Parents' Evenings, with a dedicated slot to talk to the child's teacher
  • Summer reports
  • EHCP Annual Review meetings
  • Copies of referrals and letters between professionals