Assessment is in continual use at Thornhilll Primary School, in every subject across the whole school curriculum. Children's work is looked at by adults in the classroom on a daily basis, successes are celebrated and next steps are identified. All work is marked by a member of staff known to the child. 

Statutory Assessments

In all primary schools, there are 5 statutory assessment stages that are set by the Department for Education. These are:

End of EYFS: Throughout Year R, children are assessed against the GLD assessment points. These are reported to you at the end of the year and data from this is sent to the Department for Education. 

Year 1 Phonics Check: In June, all children in Year 1 sit the 'Phonics Screening Check'. This is an assessment of children's phonic knowledge and consists of 40 words that the children read to their class teacher or another well known teacher in the school. The pass mark for the Phonics Screening Check is not released until after the test results have been reported, however it has been 32/40 for the past 8 years. If your child does not pass the Phonics Screening Check in Year 1, they will resit it at the same time in Year 2.

Year 2 SATs Tests: Children in Year 2 sit the Year 2 SATs tests. These take place throughout May and are not as formal as the Year 6 SATs in the sense that children can complete these tests in small groups. The results of these tests do not determine your child's reports as it is teacher assessment which is reported, however they can be used to assist teachers judgements. If your child did not pass the phonics screening check in Year 1, they will resit it after the Year 2 SATs tests in June. 

Year 4 Multiplication Test: Children in Year 4 take part in the multiplication test in June. This is an online assessment of their times table knowledge and is designed to be a test of both knowledge and speed. Times Tables Rock Stars, an app which all children have access to in school and at home, is a specially designed app to help children with this assessment.

Year 6 SATs: The final statutory assessment in Primary School is the Year 6 SATs. These take place in one week in May and include tests on Reading, Grammar and Maths. The SATs scores are the final assessments reported to parents in the end of Year 6 reports, and they do go to secondary schools. 

If you have any concerns or questions about these statutory assessments, please discuss this with your child's class teacher.