These high aspirations result in all students being set challenging but achievable targets for outcomes in their learning. Venture uses a refined assessment process to ensure that it continues to have a rigorous, robust, measurable and transparent system of assessment. Our experienced staff have developed a model of assessment that supports student’s progress through the curriculum.
When it comes to target setting and reporting on these assessments there are slightly different systems for Key Stage 3 (7-9) and Key Stage 4 (10-11) but use a common system of number grades 9-1 to signify the level of progress students are making through the curriculum and also use a consistent method and calendar of reporting home to parents about the progress and effort your child is making across their subjects.
Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)
Throughout your child’s time in year 7-9 at Venture they will be assessed on the curriculum they have been learning most recently but also recapping on prior learning from previous units of work. These assessments will be marked and graded by subjects to provide a number grade (9-1) that indicates how well they have done in that assessment. Ultimately regardless of the number grade they receive the most important thing is students understand what they need to do to improve in their learning and have access to the tools to do this. This is where as well as being given feedback and time to improve in lessons, as an academy we have a whole suite of support mechanisms to help students boost their knowledge and skills across the curriculum. These might include but won’t be limited to:
- Students accessing the Raise Rooms after school where staff and Learning Guru’s (peer tutors) will be on hand to support them
- Academic Tutoring – where teaching staff request a student attend a targeted afterschool session to support them with a specific element of their learning to help them improve.
- Venture Vitals – every half term you and your child has access to all of the core knowledge they need for the curriculum they are learning in that half term. These can be used to pre learn and revise/study the core knowledge that will help them succeed in the subject.
As parents when you see their individual assessment grades, subject targets or working at grade, please use the table below to determine what this means in terms of how well they have learnt the curriculum in each subject.
In Key Stage 3 your child’s subject target grade will be determined by a number of factors. Firstly, we will take into account their KS2 Sats Scores along with their Reading and Spelling Ages in providing a target grade between grade 5 and 9. Secondly, we will set the target at a minimum of a grade 5. We aspire for all students to have at least a secure understanding of the curriculum they are being taught. Finally, teachers have the flexibility to move these subject target grades up at any point if a student could and should be aspiring for more. For example if your child’s subject target grade is a grade 6 and they are consistently achieving grade 6’s in their assessments then the teacher may decide to move the subject target to a grade 7 to help push your child onto a greater level of understanding and application of the skills and knowledge in that subject.
Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
When your child enters year 10, their target grade in subjects may change. Firstly targets will now be linked only to their average KS2 Scaled SATS Score and use the most up to date national progress data to ensure that the target they have is in line with the grade that nationally students with the same KS2 scaled score on average would be expected to achieve. We aspire for our students to make better progress than other students from the same starting point nationally and set their target grades accordingly. Grades 9-1 now represent the formal GCSE grades within those subjects and students will be assessed using GCSE criteria and mark schemes. Secondly in vocational subjects, rather than a numbered grading system, subjects will use a pass, merit and distinction system that mirrors the formal grades students will receive at the end of the course. The table below shows the value of these grades in equivalency to the 9-1 numbered system.
Reporting to Parents
As a parent you have the ability to check on your child’s progress at any time using Go4Schools. Through formative and summative assessments, every student receives a Working at Grade (a reflection of where they are currently working in a subject) and you can see how these compare to their subject target grade. This is true in both KS3 and KS4. In Key Stage 4 only you will also see a predicted grade. This is the grade that according to the teachers professional judgement is the most likely outcome at the end of the course, taking into consideration in class attitudes, assessments and what the teacher knows about the journey students take towards their final exams in that subject. These grades are reviewed every half term.
Twice yearly to coincide with our Academic Review day appointments, you will receive a report which summarises their working at grades in all subjects (and predicted grades in KS4), but also provides you with an effort grade which summarises the attitudes to learning in class and a level of knowledge and retention grade which summarises the amount of extended students are doing to ensure they can recall the core knowledge in their Venture Vitals.
Go4Schools also allows you to see live updated views of your child’s attendance statistics, the extended learning they have been set and how many venture visa’s they have been awarded for showing an excellent attitude in and outside of the classroom.
To see live reporting for your child click on the link below:
