Assessing Informal learning

1. Assessing Informal learning • How, What and Why? 1

2. Can I ask you about Assessment for learning? (Deputy Head) • Not just now • A4L is the cornerstone of personalised learning. In simple terms, a student needs to know what they need to achieve for a specific task and how they can improve on that work once completed. The teaching strategies may vary from class to class but the underlying principle always remains the same 2

3. What do you think about assessment? (Year 9 boys) • Assessment’s just rubbish cos the teachers just tell you it’s wrong and don’t really give you any feedback • We’re not told our levels as often as we’d like • We just get told our level nothing else 3

4. Talk to me about assessment (RE teacher) • We are too driven by assessment, I’m against it myself. Through what they do you know what level they’re at. • Although it’s got to be done I don’t agree with it being as formal and indoctrinated as it’s become because in my view we end up teaching for the assessment not for learning to be honest 4

5. What do you understand by assessment? (Year 8) • I think for us it’s an opportunity for us to tell what we’ve learnt in the unit and kind of show off a little bit • Once your work gets assessed you get kind of targets and all that and you have to write them in your planner • I see levels as a way of assessing if I’m not concentrating enough in lessons • It shows how much progress you have made since the beginning of the year and gives it a bit of structure 5

6. ‘Talk to me about National Curriculum Levels’ (PE staff room) • National Curriculum levels are completely irrelevant • They don’t connect in any way to GCSE • They can be very good at one activity and very bad at the next…that’s not really achievement is it? • They come out at the end of year 9 with a number against their name which is utterly irrelevant. The kid is a level 7 at PE when in actual fact they are crap at sport. What’s the point? 6

7. Tell me how you are assessed at GCSE level (Year 10 girls) • We usually go through it all in class with a mark scheme or we hand it in and the teacher writes feedback and I think it’s helpful cos it shows us how to improve • Sometimes they just tell you to write your own feedback, it would be better is it came from the teachers so you know how to improve • I agree with that (nervous giggle) 7

8. Can I ask your opinion about assessment in maths (Head of Maths on duty in the corridor) • A lot of people think assessment in maths is just going through ticking a load of work which it’s not you have to look at method and working etc. • A lot of people think not all work has to be marked and I think all work has to be marked even if it’s not by the teacher • I don’t think there’s any point in setting kids work if they don’t know whether they are getting it right or wrong • Comments should be made that the kids can pick up on and the teachers can make sure they are picked up upon • Some kids talked to me this morning for constructive advice about a member of staff regarding the marking of their work. It’s important to them 8

9. Hello Year 7…. • Miss have you marked our projects yet? 9

10. Assess this outcome using NC levels • Video from week 6 10

11. Student info: • Gina: Bass • Genny: Drums • Jess: Keyboard • Phillipa: Singing • Nina: Guitar 11