Setting targets in primary schools

Get to grips with what you need to consider when setting targets, and see examples of different approaches other primary schools have taken.

Last reviewed on 16 September 2022
School types: AllSchool phases: PrimaryRef: 11672
Contents
  1. What guidance do I need to follow?
  2. What else to consider when setting targets
  3. School examples
  4. How to set out your targets

What guidance do I need to follow?

There are no specific requirements for target-setting.

Your teachers should “use appropriate assessment to set targets, which are deliberately ambitious” as explained in paragraph 4.1 of the National Curriculum framework.

Specific guidance on reading and writing targets

The primary National Curriculum sets out broad targets for reading and writing across primary schools (see paragraph 6.3, page 10). 

  • Maintained schools: you must follow these targets
  • Academies: you should check your funding agreement to see if you follow the National Curriculum for English and use these targets

Whole school targets will be slightly different to individual targets. Read our article on whole school targets for more information. 

The guidance in the following sections is based on this report.

What else to consider when setting targets

It's up to your individual school who sets these targets, whether it's your senior leadership team (SLT), year group teams