Assessing progress in foundation subjects (primary)

Last reviewed on 7 January 2022
School types: All · School phases: Primary
Ref: 1056

Understand how to assess effectively in foundation subjects. Mix and match 6 assessment activities to help you, and see how a primary school has approached foundation subject assessment.

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Contents

  1. Your approach to assessing progress will depend on your curriculum
  2. Include opportunities for assessment in planning
  3. Mix and match these 6 assessment activities
  4. Use similar criteria for art and design and technology
  5. See how a primary school approaches foundation subject assessment

Your approach to assessing progress will depend on your curriculum

You should:

  • Assess progress against the key skills set out in the programme of study for each subject
  • Take into account your curriculum's purpose and aims for those subjects, and assess whether pupils are meeting them
  • Look at pupils’ attitudes and the process that they follow, as well as at the end product that they create

You could classify pupils’ progress in both subjects as ‘emerging’, ‘embedded’ or ‘secure’.

This was explained to us by Nina Siddall-Ward, one of our associate experts.

Include opportunities for assessment in planning

Create opportunities for assessment in your short, medium and long-term planning of a topic or subject area.

This will help you make sure that assessment:

  • Is an integral part of the teaching and learning process
  • Focuses on clear learning outcomes and/or criteria relating to your school's curriculum

Mix

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