Assessments
The purpose of assessment is to inform teaching and learning. Regular assessment ensures there is regular appraisal of the effectiveness of our teaching, which is meant to engage students to learn the knowledge, understanding and wisdom revealed in the topics studies in each of the units we teach. Where there is evidence of lack of engagement, relatively limited knowledge, poor understanding and inability to apply what has been learnt, we have clear indication that the teaching for at least this particular student but maybe even the whole group assessed must be reviewed.
The review may include forming different ways of curating resources, scaffolding learning, organising class seating, or accessing different learning styles, for example. On the other hand, we may alter our expectations of what students do on their pathways to success. We may ask for more regular checks so there is increased feedback and feedforward.
Reporting to Parents
Partnering with parents is critical to the well-being and academic success of the students. We report to parents in several ways:
Base line data in Literacy and Numeracy early Term 1
Assessment summary at the end of each term. This summary contains a grade in each subject studied in the first half of each term and another grade at the end of the term (two units per term).
Where projects are used, parents and students receive an award at the end of the projects.
At the end of Term 2 and Term 4 a full report on students’ progress will be sent. This report will include progress in literacy and numeracy; end of unit grades for each term (Units 1-8)
Parent interviews at the beginning of Term 3 and end of Term 4.
Process
We will use assessments in four ways: nationally benchmarked tests, end of unit assessments, project marking and NCEA assessments.
End of Unit Assessments
We will use nationally benchmarked tests such as e asTTle and SMART to find where our students sit in relation to the curriculum expectations and the national norms.
We have found e asTTle to be most useful in this regard in literacy (reading and writing) and numeracy for several reasons. First, the tests provide very useful comparisons between individual students and the whole class or group’s achievement against the curriculum expectations and national norms at the time of testing. As most schools use this tool we can view the students’ progress from the earliest they were assessed until now, and this helps us understand the students’ rates of progress. The test results itemise the aspects of the expected knowledge and understanding achieved, and those missed or completed incorrectly. From this we can see what needs to be taught to individual students and to groups.
For more detailed information about our assesments, please reach out to us.
NCEA Assessments
We can seek to accelerate, consolidate or extend individuals or groups depending on the results. We begin e asTTle in Phase Two and continue into early Phase Five. We have used SMART for the first time in 2026. We have yet to receive the results of the first tests. In Phase One we use a variety of benchmarked tests to provide fine grained analysis of literacy and numeracy.
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24 Waipakakauri Rd, Waipapakauri, Awanui 0486
Phone: 02102226859
Office: Mon-Fri 9-4
