Assessment and feedback of the literacy and English curriculum

What is working well 

Across schools, practitioners and teachers use a wide range of formative and summative assessments to assess children and young people’s progress in reading and writing. They discuss the results of assessments at tracking meetings and use this information well to influence their planning. In many early learning and childcare settings, staff observe children closely and use their observations of children’s learning to plan next steps. In some schools, teachers use pre and post-assessments to successfully measure the progress children are making because of targeted literacy interventions. 

In most settings and schools, practitioners and teachers are increasingly confident in using progression pathways and national Benchmarks to assess children’s learning. Moderation activities within schools help staff develop a shared understanding of standards, particularly in writing. In primary and secondary schools, children and young people self-assess and reflect on their learning. This is helping them to understand what they are learning and what they need to do next. 

Challenges to address 

In most settings and schools, there is a need for senior and middle leaders to develop further staff’s understanding of high-quality formative assessment. This includes co-creating success criteria with children and young people. In some schools, the steps to success are too broad, making it difficult for children and young people to understand how well they are doing. Staff should improve the quality and consistency of written and oral feedback so that it clearly supports children’s learning in literacy and English.

In many schools, the monitoring and tracking of progress in listening and talking is not yet robust enough. Enhancing assessment in this area will support a more balanced and accurate picture of children and young people's progress across all aspects of literacy. In most secondary schools, assessment and moderation of attainment in literacy is limited to English departments.

There is scope for teachers, across the curriculum, to gather evidence for the assessment of literacy. Teachers should ensure that assessment approaches in literacy and English allow children and young people to apply their learning in new and unfamiliar contexts. Staff in all schools and settings need to engage more regularly in moderation activities beyond their own schools or settings to improve the consistency of assessment judgements and ensure alignment with national standards.