Headline outcomes for children and young people in the City....

Key Stage 2

• Southampton’s 2017 KS2 achievement for the percentage of pupils achieving the Expected Standard in Reading, Writing and Maths was 61%. This is in line with the National performance of 61% and sustains Southampton’s performance of being in line or above National for the main attainment headline indicator since 2013 (previously Level 4+ in Reading, Writing and Maths). Southampton’s 2017 KS2 cohort achieved a joint rank position of 66th with 13 other Local Authorities out of a total of 150 Local Authorities.
• The proportion of Southampton pupils achieving the Higher Standard in Reading, Writing and Maths is 8%, 1% below the National average for this indicator (9%).
• 73% of Southampton’s KS2 pupils achieved the Expected Standard in Reading, 2% greater than the National average of 71%. In 2016, Southampton (66%) equalled the National average (66%) for pupils achieving the Expected Standard in Reading, therefore Southampton has had a 2% improvement relative to National from 2016 to 2017. Subsequently, Southampton’s rank has improved from 78th in 2016 to 53rd out of 150 Local Authorities in 2017.
• 77% of Southampton’s KS2 pupils achieved the Expected Standard in Writing, 1% above the National average of 76% and ranking Southampton 49th with 17 other Local Authorities out of a total of 150 Local Authorities. Southampton made no improvement to the 2016 percentage achieving the Expected Standard in Writing of 77%, whilst the National average increased from 74% in 2016 to 76% in 2017. This indicates that Southampton have regressed, relative to National, by 2%.
• 74% of Southampton’s KS2 pupils achieved the Expected Standard in Maths, 1% below the National average of 75%. In 2016, Southampton (71%) was 1% above the National average (70%) for pupils achieving the Expected Standard in Maths, resulting in Southampton’s ranking dropping from 65th in 2016 to 82nd out of a total of 150 Local Authorities in 2017.

Key Stage 4 (provisional and therefore subject to change)

• In 2017, 51% of Southampton pupils achieved a 9-5 (Strong Pass) in English GCSE. 68% of Southampton pupils achieved 9-4 (Standard Pass) in English GCSE while in 2016, 69% of Southampton pupils achieved A*-C in English GCSE. The 2016 National average for percentage of pupils achieving A*-C in English GCSE was 75%.
• In 2017, 40% of Southampton pupils achieved a 9-5 (Strong Pass) in Maths GCSE. 64% of Southampton pupils achieved 9-4 (Standard Pass) in Maths GCSE while in 2016, 62% of Southampton pupils achieved A*-C in Maths GCSE. The 2016 National average for percentage of pupils achieving A*-C in Maths GCSE was 69%.
• In 2017, 34% of Southampton pupils achieved a 9-5 (Strong Pass) in English and Maths GCSE. 57% of Southampton pupils achieved 9-4 (Standard Pass) in English and Maths GCSE which was the same outcome for percentage of Southampton pupils achieving A*-C in English and Maths GCSE in 2016 (57%). The 2016 National average for percentage of pupils achieving A*-C in English and Maths GCSE was 63%.
• In 2017, 18% of Southampton pupils achieved a 9-5 (Strong Pass) EBacc. In 2016, 21% of Southampton pupils achieved A*-C EBacc while the 2016 National average was 25%.
• In 2017, Southampton pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 44.1 where in 2016, the Southampton Attainment 8 score was 47.5. The 2016 National average for Attainment 8 was 50.0.

Key Stage 5 (provisional and therefore subject to change)

• In 2017, 96.6% of Southampton A Level entries achieved an A*-E grade at College or Sixth Form. This is 1.3% below National performance that saw 97.9% of A level results achieve an A*-E grade.
• 67.8% of A Level entries within Southampton’s Colleges or Sixth Forms achieved a grade C or above. The National performance for A*-C was 77.4%, a gap of 9.6% when compared with Southampton LA (67.8%).
• Out of over 1900 A-level entries within Southampton, 39.4% achieved an A*-B grade. Nationally a pass rate of 53.1% was achieved resulting in a gap of 13.7% with Southampton (39.4%).
• 15.7% of Southampton entries achieved an A-Level A* or A grade in 2017. A challenge still remains to meet National performance as A-Level A*-A grades was 26.3%, a gap of 10.6% between Southampton and National.

STA Assessment Update...

We were extremely pleased that the DfE has released some encouraging moves toward adopting a more flexible approach when it comes to assessing pupil's writing. Two particular statements were very positive to read:

A more flexible approach - teachers can now use their discretion to ensure that, on occasion, a particular weakness does not prevent an accurate judgement of a pupil's attainment overall being made. The overall standard of attainment, as set by the 'pupil can' statements, is the same.

'Pupil can' statements - these have a slightly greater emphasis on composition, while statements relating to the more 'technical' aspects of writing (grammar, punctuation and spelling) have been made less prescriptive. All changes have been made in line with the attainment targets of the relevant programmes of study.

We look forward to a system that places the emphasis on what the children can do rather than what they can't!

Assessment Without Levels Report (NASUWT)

In the midst of a wide consultation over primary assessment, this report sets out the findings of research undertaken by the NASUWT on the impact of the removal of levels from the National Curriculum in England. It also contains a summary of implications of Assessment Without Levels (AWL) for the practice of teachers and school leaders.

Background:

A revised National Curriculum for pupils aged 5-16 in England was introduced in September 2014. The revised National Curriculum is substantially different from previous versions. Most notably, while the use of programmes of study, describing what pupils should be taught, was retained in the new framework, the use of progressive level descriptions to assess pupils’ attainment was discontinued. Under the revised National Curriculum, schools are required to establish an assessment system that enables them to check what pupils have learned, whether they are on track to meet expectations at the end of the Key Stage and to report regularly to parents. Schools have considerable discretion over how they meet this requirement in practice, although they can no longer make use of levels set out in previous versions of the National Curriculum. The removal of National Curriculum levels also had significant implications for statutory end of Key Stage assessment. Previously, levels were used to assess and report pupils’ attainment in external tests and statutory teacher assessment. However, from 2015/16, the results of tests have been assessed using a system of ‘scaled scores’, while teacher assessments are made with reference to a series of ‘interim’ performance frameworks in English, mathematics and science.

Follow this link to the full report.

Consultation Launched - Primary Assessment in England

The Department for Education has launched a public consultation exercise about the future of the primary assessment system in England. Details are included in a statement made to Parliament today by Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening.

The consultation sets out wide-ranging proposals for improving the primary assessment system. These include consideration of the best starting point from which to measure pupils' progress, how to ensure the assessment system is proportionate, and how to improve end of key stage assessments.

A parallel consultation, also launched today, is asking for views on the recommendations of the independent Rochford Review. The recommendations focus on the future of statutory assessment arrangements for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum tests at the end of key stages 1 and 2.

The STA have produced a short video which introduces the main consultation themes.

All those with an interest in primary education are encouraged to engage with these consultation exercises and to share their opinions and insights. The consultation is open until 22 June 2017.

Teacher Assessment & Moderation: Addressing Misconceptions

This video focuses on the teacher assessment of key stage 2 writing and was published by the DfE a few days ago. Clarification on some of the more technical aspects of judging the standards!

2017 Primary Assessment

The STA (Standards and Testing Agency) have provided a statement about potential changes to Primary Assessment in 2017. A summary follows and for further information and a full briefing you can follow this link. 

"We won’t be introducing any significant changes to testing or assessment before the 2018 to 2019 academic year."

• Statutory mathematics and English reading resits for children arriving in Year 7 will not be introduced
• Instead, we will focus on the steps needed to ensure a child catches up any lost ground
• High quality resit papers will be made available for teachers to use, if they choose to, as part of their ongoing assessments
• It is still intended that a mathematics multiplication tables check will be introduced, but not before the 2018 to 2019 academic year, at the earliest

Ministerial Statement on Primary Education

Written ministerial statement by Education Secretary Justine Greening on primary education

This government is committed to building a country that works for everyone and that means having the highest aspirations for all children. But we know that when it comes to their education, if a child starts behind other children, all too often they stay behind. When children leave primary school they should have acquired a firm grasp of the basics of literacy and numeracy. I know that all parents and teachers want this for our children too.

Summer 2016 saw the first pupils taking the new assessments in English and mathematics at the end of primary school. They were set against the new national curriculum which has been benchmarked against what the highest-performing countries around the world are teaching their children. As a result, the new assessments rightly raised the bar on what we expect pupils to have been taught by the age of 11, better preparing them for secondary school and beyond. In the past, although we saw high proportions of children meeting the previous lower standard at the end of primary school, too often it did not translate into good qualifications at the end of secondary school.

Although the new assessments this summer were rightly more challenging, teachers and pupils rose to that challenge. 66% of pupils met or exceeded the new ‘expected standard’ in reading, 70% did so in mathematics and 74% did so in writing.

The pace and scale of these changes has been stretching. Our objective is to make sure that children are ready for the next stage of their education. We know, and Ofsted inspectors understand, that the 2016 assessments and results mark a break with the past and are not comparable with the preceding years. In recognition of this, I am reaffirming the commitment that no more than 6% of primary schools will be below the floor standard in 2016.

It is right that we do more to identify schools where pupils are not fulfilling their potential and 2016 saw a greater emphasis on pupil progress in the accountability system. To take the next step, we are laying regulations around ‘coasting’, so that schools not making enough progress get the focus and support that they need to improve. We expect a small proportion of primary schools to be defined as coasting this year.

Because of the changes to primary assessment, I want to be clear that no decisions on intervention will be made on the basis of the 2016 data alone. Regional Schools Commissioners and local authorities will work together with the current leaders of the small minority of primary schools below the floor or coasting to help and support the schools to move forward in a positive direction.

It is important that we now set out a clear path to a settled system where our collective focus can be on achieving strong educational outcomes for all children. There has been significant change in recent years, but the timeline from this point will bring greater stability, with no new national tests or assessments introduced before the 2018 to 2019 academic year.

As part of this I am setting out steps to improve and simplify assessment arrangements. First, we have worked closely with the profession to improve the guidance for the moderation of teacher assessment. It is important that we have a consistent and reliable approach across England. This new guidance will be accompanied by mandatory training for local authority moderators. Second, the key stage 1 grammar, punctuation and spelling test will remain non-statutory for schools this year, with tests available for teachers to use if they choose. Third, we will not introduce statutory mathematics and reading resits on children’s arrival in year 7. Rather, we will focus on the steps needed to ensure a child catches up lost ground. High-quality resit papers will be made available for teachers to use if they wish, as part of their ongoing assessments. In addition, we will introduce a targeted package of support to make sure that struggling pupils are supported by teachers to catch up in year 7.

Whilst the steps set out above will make improvements in the current academic year, we also need to now set out a longer term, sustainable approach. Early in the new year we will launch a consultation on primary assessment and the implications for accountability. This will cover key issues, including the best starting point to measure the progress that children make in primary school, and the role and operation of teacher assessment. Whilst we take time to consult on assessment arrangements, the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile will remain in place for the 2017 to 2018 academic year.

Last year, the Government commissioned Diane Rochford to lead an expert review into the assessment of pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum tests and to make recommendations that ensure they have the opportunity to demonstrate attainment and progress at primary school. I am grateful for the work of Diane Rochford and her team and we are publishing their report today. Its recommendations will also form part of the consultation.

I look forward to engaging with parents, teachers and unions on these issues in the coming months.

The announcement includes plans for a consultation on primary assessment and its implications for accountability early in the new year.

The consultation will cover key issues, including the best starting point to measure the progress that children make in primary school, and the role and operation of teacher assessment.

Achieving Greater Depth!

The focus of our November INSET day was around ensuring our curriculum allows children opportunities to work at a greater depth across our curriculum. We took ourselves back to school for part of the day for a reminder about some fundamentals of teaching and learning. Bloom's and 'Solo' taxonomies are an excellent rationale for the way we need to ensure children are given opportunities to think and apply their learning.

One key question was around the definition and concept of 'cleverness'?

• Is it being able to generate revolutionary new thinking?
• Is it seeing links and connections between different concepts and ideas?
• Or is it the quality and quantity of what you know?

Our curriculum therefore needs to allow children to learn skills, apply them in interesting contexts and use them to make links which extend their thinking.

Primary School Accountability 2016 KS2

Last month the DfE released information on how Primary schools would be measured based on the new tests introduced in May, 2016. The following text appears to summarise how this will be worked out.

2016 performance tables
The headline measures, which will appear in the performance tables in December 2016, will include attainment and progress measures. These will be:

• the percentage of pupils achieving the ‘expected standard’ in English reading, English writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2
• the pupils’ average scaled score:
• in English reading at the end of key stage 2
• in mathematics at the end of key stage 2
• the percentage of pupils who achieve at a higher standard in English reading, English writing and mathematics
• the pupils’ average progress:
• in English reading
• in English writing
• in mathematics

The percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard is a combined measure across the three subjects. To be counted towards the measure, a pupil must have a scaled score of 100 or more in reading and a scaled score of 100 or more in mathematics; and have been teacher assessed in writing as ‘working at the expected standard’ or ‘working at a greater depth in the expected standard’.

The percentage of pupils achieving at a higher standard is also a combined measure across the three subjects. To be counted towards the measure, a pupil must have a ‘high scaled score’ of 110 or more in reading and mathematics; and have been teacher assessed in writing as ‘working at a greater depth within the expected standard’.

Our 'to do' list:
While we are not surprised by any of the above, we are firstly focussed on the appearance of a higher combined standard - indicated by pupils scoring 110 or more in a test - this will put additional emphasis on pupils who perform well in a test which will then be the measure that defines their attainment. Secondly, progress measures in the new age related curriculum also seem to be being based on achievement in the old levelled curriculum. In the absence of any other measure, the assumption is that a child achieving a 2a or 3 at KS1 will have to achieve a higher standard in KS2 to make good or better progress.

Our Attainment & Progress Dashboard 2016

Our KS2 outcomes for 2016 are beginning to be put into some of context as the national picture emerges. 'FFT Aspire' is a non-profit organisation that works alongside the DfE to provide schools with information about their performance for  the purposes of self-evaluation. While we still have some work to do as we begin to explore how our key groups performed, our initial self-evaluation is that this KS2 picture looks pretty good! A ranking of '10', while it is volatile, puts us in highest banding of schools nationally. Reason to be proud of our pupils for sure.

'Interim' Assessment Frameworks for 2017 Available!

A recent DFE email has confirmed that the Interim Teacher Assessment Frameworks for 'end-of-key-stage 1 and 2', were released on Thursday 14th July, and appear to be very similar to the current 'Interim' frameworks. While the early notification is much appreciated after the previous year's delays - we remain a little bemused about the definition of the term 'interim'! We have linked to these documents and will be taking a closer look shortly...

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Key stage 2 Interim Teacher Assessment Framework 2017:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2017-interim-frameworks-for-teacher-assessment-at-the-end-of-key-stage-2

Key stage 1 Interim Teacher Assessment Framework 2017:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2017-interim-frameworks-for-teacher-assessment-at-the-end-of-key-stage-1

Pre-Key stage 2 Interim Teacher Assessment Framework 2017:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2017-pre-key-stage-2-pupils-working-below-the-test-standard

Pre-Key stage 1 Interim Teacher Assessment Framework 2017:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2017-pre-key-stage-1-pupils-working-below-the-test-standard

Further clarity and wording may yet emerge...

2016 End of Key Stage Two Outcomes

Last week, we provided Year 6 parents with details of their child's teacher assessment and test results. Since then, further data has been officially shared by the DfE, and we now feel able to provide further details of our school's performance in this context. It is worth a reminder that the over-emphasis on test results without considering the progress our children make, alongside their many other talents, can be misleading. We also believe our teacher assessments provide a more accurate picture of a child’s overall attainment. However, the above table reveals how our school compares to this emerging national picture. 

Overall this is a very positive picture for our school and we have achieved above the national picture in all published areas so far at Key Stage 2. This is a massive well done for all of our pupils and our school! Their effort and positive attitude to learning during their time at Bitterne Manor is exemplary and sets them up for the next phase of their education. We are both pleased and proud that our results continue to reflect our expectation that we are all learning to be the best we can!

Parents may be interested in the following link that provides further details about the changes to assessment in KS2 this year:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/534658/Information_for_parents_-_2016_NCT_results_at_the_end_of_key_stage_2.pdf

1 or 2 Dimensional Progress...?

It's that time of year when we review our teacher assessed judgements about the progress our pupils are making - a thorough combination of work scrutiny, testing, moderation against national standards leads our teacher assessment. Current thinking has us moving away from a 1 dimensional approach to the way children progress through our school to looking more at the quality and depth of that learning. A more 2 dimensional approach that ensures our pupils can demonstrate the depth of their understanding by their application of it in different contexts across the curriculum.

Maths Exemplification Videos...

We are extremely grateful to the Head at Oakwood Primary School in Southampton for sharing their maths exemplification videos. These were put together by staff at Oakwood to support a DfE led project supporting teacher assessment in Maths. These are real children doing real Maths!

KS1 Spelling and Grammar Test Cancelled...

Schools have now received confirmation from the DfE that they will not longer be required to carry out the KS1 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test:

Late last year, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) published modified versions of the sample test materials online. Regrettably, one of the guidance documents included in that release, for use with the modified large print version of the KS1 spelling test, contained the live test words rather than sample words. The correct version of the document is now available.

This is clearly unacceptable and we apologise. A full investigation into the cause of the error is underway. Our immediate investigation has shown that no other test papers for KS1 or key stage 2 (KS2) have been affected by this error.

To clarify the situation for schools about the administration of the KS1 tests in May, the Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, has announced that schools will not be required to administer the KS1 English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests for this year only. All other KS1 and KS2 tests will continue as planned.

All schools will still need to submit a teacher assessment judgement for English writing based on pupils' work in the classroom. However there will be no requirement this year to administer the KS1 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test or to use the result as part of that assessment.

KS1 & 2 Reading exemplifications available...

The DfE have produced these useful videos of pupils working at or towards the expected standard in reading in both KS1 and KS2. Teacher s will use these as exemplars to help support their own judgements.

Further exemplification materials can be found by following the following links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2016-teacher-assessment-exemplification-ks1-english-reading

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2016-teacher-assessment-exemplification-ks2-english-reading

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2016-teacher-assessment-exemplification-ks1-mathematics

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/515334/STA-Ex2016-KS1-Science-ES.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2016-teacher-assessment-exemplification-ks2-science

2016 National Curriculum Test (SATs): Information for Parents

If you have a child in primary school in year 2 or 6 they are likely to be taking tests in May. In this video a headteacher provides information about the tests for parents. Have a look here for more information: http://ow.ly/ZlbQX

DfE: Five things you need to know about changes to primary assessment...

A message to schools from the DfE:

1. Setting a higher bar

We want to see all children leaving primary school with a good standard of reading, writing and maths. Previous expectations for children were too low. The new assessment and accountability system - which marks the end of key stages - has been designed to reflect a new, more challenging national curriculum which sets high expectations for every child, setting them up to succeed at secondary school and beyond. These changes were first announced in March 2014, and since then the Department for Education and STA have provided schools with further information on the changes to help them adapt their approach and assessment arrangements - this includes sample questions published in summer 2014, and complete sample tests published in summer 2015.

We should not downplay the scale of these changes because they have been vital to raising standards - but the content or structure of the tests was made very clear last year and will not be changed again, so to suggest the system is in chaos, or to threaten to boycott these tests, is to undermine these important reforms.

2. Preparing for the new tests

The best way to prepare pupils remains to focus on teaching the new national curriculum.

In July 2015, we published guidance on scaled scores which made clear that we would not be setting standards on the new tests until pupils have taken them and the tests have been marked. As this is the first cohort to have reached the end of the key stage it wouldn’t be fair or accurate to set the new scale using data from pupils that had studied the old national curriculum.

However, this does not - and should not - affect schools’ ability to prepare for the test, because each child should be pushed to reach their full potential regardless of where the final standard is set.

3. Getting it right

The frameworks for teacher assessment this year are interim - but it’s disingenuous to suggest this is because we don’t know what we’re doing.

Significant reforms such as these take time to get right and for the system to catch up. We were clear in our response to the consultation on teacher assessment arrangements in February 2015 that we wanted to listen to the views of teachers in order to redesign the arrangements which meant they were published later than we had initially hoped. It is for that reason that the teacher assessment frameworks for this year are only an interim solution and we will be evaluating options for future years.

However, we recognise the unique situation this year with teachers working with a new framework, to new standards. That’s why we’ve listened to the sector, and, following constructive dialogue with NAHT, we have agreed to move back the date for submitting teacher assessment judgements in line with last year.

4. Teachers won’t have to fill out 6,120 check boxes

If anything is likely to cause chaos, it is unhelpful scaremongering and false claims from certain corners. For example, in a recent article in TES, Mary Bousted suggested teachers would have to undertake over 6,120 assessments for a class of 30 pupils.

The Standards and Testing Agency provides exemplification materials as a guide for the types of evidence that teachers may submit to support teacher assessment judgements at the end of key stage 1 and 2. The exemplification materials are intended to help schools interpret the interim frameworks if required - in fact the tick sheets were included in response to requests from teacher panels to help them cross-reference the materials with the particular ‘pupil can’ statements.

However, we trust teachers, and if they are confident in making judgements against the simple ‘pupil can’ statements in the interim frameworks, they may not need to refer to the exemplification materials. The exemplification should not be seen as a restrictive template on how these judgements should be made and certainly does not require teachers to make checklists of several hundred judgements as has been wrongly claimed.

It should go without saying that good teaching is the key to raising standards, not box-ticking.

5. A new floor standard which sets high expectations for all

We want to see every child reach their full potential, no matter what their starting point. As we announced in March 2014, from 2016 primary schools will be held to account for both the progress and attainment of their pupils. This is to allow better recognition of schools doing well with a challenging intake, and to challenge those with a high-attaining intake that are not doing enough to stretch the most able.

These reforms include:

• new headline attainment and progress performance measures
• a new floor standard

Schools will be above the floor standard if 65% or more of their pupils reach the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths or if the school has a sufficient progress score in all 3 subjects. As this is the first year of new accountability measures and new assessments, we will wait until tests have been taken to set minimum expectations for a school’s progress scores.

Writing Exemplification Materials 2016...

The exemplification materials for writing have been released by the DfE to schools for KS1 and 2. The documents are a suite of materials that exemplify the national standards for writing Teacher Assessments. The full suite including the interim TA framework, pupil scripts and annotated versions is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2016-teacher-assessment-exemplification-ks1-english-writing
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2016-teacher-assessment-exemplification-ks2-english-writing

Each collection exemplifies one pupil’s writing that meets the requirements for all of the statements within the interim TA framework for one of the following standards:
• working towards the expected standard
• working at the expected standard
• working at greater depth within the expected standard.

To meet a particular standard within the interim TA framework, a pupil must demonstrate attainment of all of the statements within that standard and all the statements in the preceding standard(s) as follows:

Working towards the expected standard:
The pupil can write for a range of purposes and audiences:
• using paragraphs to organise ideas
• describing settings and characters • using some cohesive devices* within and across sentences and paragraphs
• using different verb forms mostly accurately
• using co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions
• using capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks, commas for lists and apostrophes for contraction mostly correctly
• spelling most words correctly* (years 3 and 4)
• spelling some words correctly* (years 5 and 6)
• producing legible joined handwriting.

Working at the expected standard
The pupil can write for a range of purposes and audiences (including writing a short story):
• creating atmosphere, and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the action
• selecting vocabulary and grammatical structures that reflect the level of formality required mostly correctly
• using a range of cohesive devices*, including adverbials, within and across sentences and paragraphs
• using passive and modal verbs mostly appropriately
• using a wide range of clause structures, sometimes varying their position within the sentence
• using adverbs, preposition phrases and expanded noun phrases effectively to add detail, qualification and precision
• using inverted commas, commas for clarity, and punctuation for parenthesis mostly correctly, and making some correct use of semi-colons, dashes, colons and hyphens
• spelling most words correctly* (years 5 and 6)
• maintaining legibility, fluency and speed in handwriting through choosing whether or not to join specific letters.

Working at greater depth within the expected standard
The pupil can write for a range of purposes and audiences:
• managing shifts between levels of formality through selecting vocabulary precisely and by manipulating grammatical structures
• selecting verb forms for meaning and effect
• using the full range of punctuation taught at key stage 2, including colons and semi-colons to mark the boundary between independent clauses, mostly correctly.
[No additional requirements for spelling or handwriting.]

What does 'met' look like...?

The question in schools around the expectations at the end of Key Stage 2 continues... the interim framework has become our 'go to' document and we await the new exemplification materials due to be released shortly with baited breath...! The bigger picture has to be how we give pupils opportunities and gather evidence that they can show they've 'met' it...

• A natural feel - regardless of topics - fluently using skills and concepts which aren't forced upon
• Their skills are applied in many different areas of learning across the breadth of the curriculum
• Evidence of their independence and choice away from the point of teaching
• Evidence of their practice and process work which is important along with careful questioning and reflection with and by the pupil about their learning
• Time is spent in developing their ideas and discussing experiences so they are articulating their learning in a variety of ways