Refocusing Assessment

NFER, ASCL, SSAT

17 March 2017

Refocusing Assessment is a resource which provides a framework for school leaders and department heads to plan a coherent whole school approach to assessment that will support the learning of each and every student.

The resource is also about focusing on the needs of students, the ways in which assessment can best support good pedagogy and practice and supporting effective formative assessment approaches in key stage 3. It can however be used across all key stages.

This resource has been jointly developed by NFER, ASCL and SSAT and came about following discussions between us and the schools that we work with.

The resource provides:

  • A rationale for the need to refocus assessment.
  • An exploration of some common assessment and inspection myths.
  • Key strategies of effective formative assessment in action.
  • Five key questions to support discussion about a departmental approach to assessment and how these can contribute to the whole school policy.
  • Thoughts from expert panels in English, mathematics, science, history, geography and modern foreign language to help support, challenge and structure your discussions.

We believe that the most effective school assessment systems are those designed by practitioners to suit their particular context and hope that this resource will help you to achieve this.

Subject areas

 English
 Geography 
History
Maths
Science
Modern Foreign Languages
Refocusing Assessment - Template for schools

Additional information

Refocusing Assessment

Sponsor Details

SSAT, ASCL, NFER