Malton Primary School
Malton Primary School in Yorkshire has been using NFER Tests for the past three years, delivering termly standardised assessments across years 3 to 5 in autumn, spring and summer. Although originally using other tests alongside NFER as part of their assessment framework, the school has since taken the decision to use NFER as its sole provider. Jill Anderson, Assistant Headteacher and Leader for Assessment at Malton Primary, discusses the move to NFER Tests;
“We originally chose NFER Tests because we wanted standardised scores that were reliable and began using them alongside other assessments. However we later found the tests provided a more appropriate level of challenge in comparison to others that seemed to be either too easy or too hard. We also found them to be age appropriate and reflective of the content that we cover as part of the curriculum. As NFER Tests and the online analysis tool worked best for us, these are now the only tests we use to monitor progress in reading and maths in years 3-5.”
Data from termly tests enables us to monitor progress within the year, and we use the summer test data to monitor progress year on year.
Headteacher
Middle leaders in the school use the tool to conduct gap analysis for classes, groups and individual children, which they then share with staff to incorporate into their teaching.
Headteacher
One of the benefits of using NFER Tests, Miss Anderson explains, is the data generated by the assessments which serves several purposes for the school.
“The tests allow us to meet our objectives very well. Data from termly tests enables us to monitor progress within the year, and we use the summer test data to monitor progress year on year. In pupil progress meetings we look at the percentage of children that are attaining and the percentage that are on track for age-related expectations. We use this data to report to governors as well as for gap analysis to inform ongoing teaching.”
Malton Primary is one of the many schools to have benefited from the introduction of the new online NFER Tests Analysis Tool last year, which supports the way the school’s teaching staff use their assessment data.
“The analysis tool is good because it now means everything is in one place and we don’t have to flick between documents. We find the reports very helpful because we can pull out classes from year groups rather than just data from the year group as a whole. Middle leaders in the school use the tool to conduct gap analysis for classes, groups and individual children, which they then share with staff to incorporate into their teaching.”