Assessment and Profiling
At the Old School House when a new student arrives, we complete academic assessments and a SEND profile for each student.
Our SEND profile we use is The Boxall profile.
This unique online tool assesses the social, emotional, and mental development of pupils aged 4-18. It provides you with a precise picture of a pupil’s strengths, as well as any difficulties which could affect their learning.
The Boxall Profile® Online is a valuable tool for schools to assess and address children and young people’s social, emotional, and behavioural development. Here are some reasons why we use it:
Early Identification and Assessment:
The Boxall Profile® helps us identify hidden issues related to social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. On average, over a third of pupils have some SEMH need, and this tool assists in recognizing those needs early on.
Tailored Support Plans:
By interpreting pupils’ behaviour, the Boxall Profile® allows us to create bespoke support plans for each student. These plans are tailored to specific needs and can be tracked and reviewed over time.
Observational Skills Development:
The tool supports staff in developing their observational skills and understanding of children and young people’s difficulties. This enhances their ability to work effectively with students.
Target Setting and Intervention:
We can set individualized, achievable targets that reinforce target behaviour and skills. This helps create a positive learning environment.
Tracking Progress:
The Boxall Profile® assists staff in reviewing children and young people’s target behaviour, ensuring progress is monitored effectively.
Department for Education Recognition:
The Boxall Profile® Online is widely used in schools and has been cited by the Department for Education. It is recommended for identifying mental health needs in children and young people.
For Numeracy we use
The Sandwell Numeracy Assessment:
Identification: Assessing students’ ability to recognize and identify numbers.
Oral counting: Evaluating their proficiency in counting aloud.
Value: Examining their understanding of numerical value.
Object counting: Assessing their ability to count objects.
Language: Gauging their comprehension of mathematical language12.
We use SENT to identify specific numeracy skills that require targeted teaching and monitor the impact of teaching interventions on a one-to-one basis. It’s a valuable tool for supporting students’ mathematical development and tailoring instruction to their needs.
AQA Stride:
AQA Stride is a new powerful new on-screen diagnostic test to find and fix students’ maths gaps. Our revolutionary new adaptive tests identify what your learners don’t know and why, to help close gaps in their conceptual understanding, crucial for GCSE success.
Stride is:
- personalised to give the right amount of challenge and boosts students' confidence
- designed to allow you to quickly see whole year group performance and spot trends – saving you time
- rigorously trialled and highly rated by students for nurturing independence, confidence, and maths understanding
- fully funded by AQA to help every student transform their maths learning
For Spelling we use the Schonall Assessment
The Schonell Assessment is a series of achievement tests related to vocabulary and reading. One of the well-known components of the Schonell Assessment is the Schonell Spelling Age Test, which provides an accurate measure of a child’s spelling ability according to the sequence most spelling programs follow.
The Schonell Reading Test assesses reading skills. It presents a list of words, and the subject is required to pronounce them correctly. The total number of words read correctly determines the reading age in years and months.
For example, correctly reading 33 words corresponds to a reading age of approximately 8 years and 3 months, while reading 61 words corresponds to a reading age of around10 years and 4 months.
For reading we use Toe by Toe assessment
The Toe by Toe test is designed to evaluate a student’s phonetic knowledge. It’s commonly used to assess reading ability and identify areas where students may need additional support. Here’s how it works:
Reading Age Test:
The test involves asking the student to read a list of words aloud. The assessor marks correct responses with a tick/check and incorrect ones with a dot. The student’s first answer is taken, but if they make a mistake and rapidly self-correct, it’s counted as correct.
Purpose:
Schools and academic institutions often use this test before and after completing the Toe by Toe manual. By comparing the reading age before and after intervention, they can demonstrate improvements in the student’s reading ability. The goal is to help struggling readers improve their phonetic skills and overall reading comprehension.
Ratio Gains:
Rather than using standard scores, many UK studies report results in reading and spelling ages. These ages allow educators to calculate ratio gains, which help evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The higher the ratio gain, the more significant the improvement in reading ability.
For Phonics assessment we use Read Write Inc
Read Write Inc. Phonics is a popular phonics scheme designed to help children learn to read fluently and at speed. Here are the key points about it:
Phonics-Based Approach:
Like all phonics programs, Read Write Inc. (RWI) focuses on teaching children the sounds in English, the letters that represent those sounds, and how to form the letters when writing.
Stages and Speed Sounds:
Children progress through different stages in RWI, including:
Set 1 Speed Sounds: Learning individual letter sounds.
Set 2 Speed Sounds: Learning to blend sounds together.
Set 3 Speed Sounds: Reading books with more complex sounds.
Clear pronunciation of sounds is crucial for effective learning. For example, saying “mmmm” instead of “muh” and “lllll” instead of “luh” helps children blend sounds to read words.
Fred Talk:
RWI introduces a toy frog named Fred to help children read words.
Fred can only say the sounds in a word, and children work out the complete word by blending the sounds. For instance, Fred says “c–a–t,” and children say “cat.”
Fluency and Comprehension:
RWI aims for early reading fluency. By the end of term 2 in Year 2, children can read stories at over 100 words per minute.
The program also emphasizes correct letter formation and spelling using mnemonic techniques.