Assessment in the primary phase

In a primary or special school, the assessments may vary depending on the needs of the child. The class teacher may request an alternative format for assessment in discussion with the team working around the child. 

Children with special educational needs may struggle with the statutory phonics test in Year 1. The Department for Education has guidance on flexibility so the test allows children to show what they can do. Teachers can make adjustments based on their knowledge of each child.

Standard assessment may not break down a child’s progress into sufficiently small steps. To show progress, the teacher and Senco can select a tailored assessment that will provide the information they need. Many schools are using the Early Support developmental journals to assess and monitor children’s progress. Others use P Levels or B Squared.

All primary schools must report on how they are assessing children with special educational needs and they have a responsibility to show that all children are making progress.

All assessments are available for parents to see. The jargon and criteria for assessment can be confusing, so get advice from a Senco if anything is not clear.