Rationale
Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. The purpose is to identify students’ strengths and to build on their needs, helping students to learn and grow at the appropriate pace, as set out in their learning, through informed and detailed planning. This assessment policy is designed to reflect and support the philosophy and objectives of St. George International School and Preschool (SGISP).
St. George International School and Preschool is committed to providing the highest standards of teaching and learning and all staff are accountable for providing quality feedback which is understood, clear and can be inferred by all pupils, always, enabling them to self-correct, identify their own mistakes and correct their shared, taught and independent learning. Every opportunity must be made by all teachers to improve their understanding of assessment either through CPD or other means. A shared
All teachers must understand the main types of assessment and have a clear direction on how to evaluate pupil progress.
Assessment in the classroom should be differentiated, sensitive and accessible to all learners. Students should feel successful, motivated and supported. Assessment will take many forms, such as discussions, questioning, observations, marking of written work, testing, self-assessment, and project work. Where applicable, assessments should be shared with the students prior to assigning the assessment task, such as checklists related to a project or an assigned written task. Assessment must be sensitive, considering cultural, gender, racial and religious differences. Differing levels of English will need to be taken into consideration, and assessment should be adapted or modified accordingly.
Assessment enables teachers to:
Plan and observe the individual progress of students Provide feedback for the student’s progress Evaluate whether learning objectives have been met Diagnose students’ strengths and needs Evaluate effectiveness of teaching and learning Provide information on individual student achievement Create a timeline which correlates with the academic progress of all children.
Assessment enables children and students to:
Evaluate and take responsibility for their own learning in various ways so that they can feel successful and involved in the process of their future learning. Identify their strengths and targets for improvement.
Principles and Practice
In line with its overall aims, St. George International School and Preschool recognises that teaching, learning, and assessment are fundamentally connected, complementing each other in developing high standards of achievement for all students at the school.
Language is not a determiner for overall progress but should be seen as a potential barrier to explaining and interpreting taught methods and therefore may have an impact on both formative and summative assessment.
Students and Children:
Have differences in how they learn Have different cultural experiences, expectations and need May perform differently depending on the type of assessment Need to receive clear, understandable, fair, and critical feedback including strengths and weaknesses, in order to improve Should receive feedback that encourages self-improvement Are often required to follow two National Curricula in full (constituting of Bulgarian standards for education and the Cambridge international programme) May retain and forget information in different subjects at different times in their academic development May progress at faster and slower rates in comparison to their peers.
Assessment is used to:
Measure individual achievements and student progress to produce coherent feedback for student, parents, teachers, school administration, and external institutionsMonitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning across the schoolInform curriculum, assessment review and planningInform parents and other relevant parties of the progress being made by students;Plan effectively.
Assessment must:
Be fair, consistent and based on clear, understandable criteria Allow students to track and monitor their own performance Provide parents with accurate feedback on their child’s progress Allow teachers to monitor the effectiveness of lessons in relation to the desired learning goals Be differentiated: must provide material for students working at different levels, including children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), English as a Second Language (ESL department), non-Bulgarian speaking and Gifted and Talented (GandT) students Allow students to develop examination techniques and manage stress.
Differentiation and adaptive teaching :
Differentiation and adaptive teaching are processes by which curriculum objectives, teaching methods, assessment methods and learning activities are planned to cater for the learning needs of the individual student. To provide for this basic entitlement, students in the same group must have learning opportunities matched to their particular needs and teaching must take into account the differences in learner characteristics. This in turn requires flexible planning, careful assessment and the provision of a variety of approaches to learning and teaching. Mixed ability teaching implies that all abilities must be catered for when planning a lesson. Assessment must be fair and considered in-line with the school’s differentiation and adaptive teaching approaches to teaching.
Forms of Assessment
St. George International School and Preschool uses a variety of assessment techniques in order to meet taught objectives. Assessment at St. George International School and Preschool must be understood since it is a critical tool to inform current and future teaching and learning. All students in the Primary School and KS0 are assessed in line with the school’s requirements.
Examples of assessment terminology used:
Formative assessment Summative assessment
Formative assessment
Formative assessment is assessment that is used to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by students and teachers to improve teaching and learning and by parents to inform the progress of their children. Formative assessment provides all academics within the school and parents with a broad picture of where their children’s strengths and weaknesses lie and where interventions need to be implemented. Formative assessment could take different forms depending on the subject and the current lesson. Some examples of formative assessment could be: administering tests or quizzes, questioning during lessons, oral examination, marking student’s work, using mini whiteboards, etc. Formative assessment may form the basis of a plenary during a lesson. St. George International School and Preschool encourages students to be reflective learners, recognising their strengths, as well as areas for improvement. Clear, honest, and fair feedback, given by the teachers at SGISP is essential for students to become reflective learners. Portfolios of achievement are kept for each student in paper form as well as recorded in the school’s official platform Each child will be formatively assessed in each lesson by the class and subject teachers, daily. Assessment for learning must take place at the end of each lesson through quality plenaries, as well as monitoring progress through curriculum set objectives. Question and answer sessions must be used, regular checking of all written and electronic work; including the school's official academic platforms, with quizzes and games which enhance learning methods and interactive assessment. Teacher must have a clear understanding of where their students are formatively.
Summative assessment
Summative assessment is a form of formal testing and is a necessary part of the students learning. It is an overall assessment of the student and can take place in many forms, for example: exam, project, oral exam, or through a piece of coursework. It should result in a final grade or score Summative tests seek to evaluate student learning by comparing with a standard or benchmark (i.e. criterion based in accordance with either Bulgarian standards for education or the Cambridge international programme). Summative assessment should result in a final grade being issued The assessment results should be recorded in Shkolo. Judgements on student’s progress will be made via formative and summative assessment based on the curriculum criteria covered in the topics or modules, in each subject, up to set times as decided by the curriculum leads within the school.
Assessment will take the following forms:
Entrance exams
At the start of each academic year, as an assessment for new and prospective students starting their academic life at SGISP (during the admissions process), students will be assessed using appropriate baseline testing methods, as specified by the Academic Leads of the school:
A Centre of Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) test, alongside written, online testing and/or oral examination/s, are implemented accordingly by the Admissions Team for the forthcoming academic year. The same is applied to new students starting later or at a mid-point in the year. This will help to inform and build a profile of all students who enter into school. New students or students returning to the school after a period of absence, as well as existing children on our roll must all be baseline tested at the beginning of each academic year. Once an entry exam is completed then this information is kept by the school and archived appropriately when students leave. Previous and historical prior school data from other academic institutions will also be referred to inform placement and orientation accordingly. This baseline assessment will help to inform and plan for all learners’ needs.
CEM tests are adaptive tests, which measure Reading, Maths, cognitive ability, and other qualities of students at a given time. The score is standardised based on age and makes comparison against current and historical sample size. CEM data and analysis provides a reference marker for each student only. Testing may help to inform teachers where prior knowledge is not known or given for each student to cater for all student’s strengths or areas for development.
Results are shared with our parents in a report during Parent-teacher meetings during the academic year, at any given time, as specified by the Heads of School, as well as presentations to School Governance, and during formal meetings.
Internal examinations
Diagnostic testsEntry Level (Baseline) at the start of each school year (based on previous learning). During the first several days of the school year, each student will sit a test in every compulsory subject, part of the Bulgarian curriculum and studied in the previous school year. Where students have not previously studied a particular subject, the baseline testing will acknowledge their current knowledge in the area. These tests will inform the academic teams on every student's current level of academic knowledge and understanding for each given subject. The exams are in written form. The exam papers are kept at the school for one academic year and archived appropriately. Exit Level Diagnostic – to assess the semester’s learning. As advised by the school’s academic leads, before the end of the school year, each student will sit a test in every compulsory subject, as part of the Bulgarian curriculum for content studied during the current academic year. These tests show the student's current level of knowledge and understanding, as well as the academic progress they have made throughout the year. The exams are in written form. The exam papers are kept at the school for one academic year and archived appropriately. End-of-Unit tests – to assess the level of knowledge after completing a unit Current tests/checks - to assess the level of knowledge on a learning nugget smaller than a unit Project work – individual or group assignments related to a topic which the student(s) research(es) independently and present(s) to the class Oral examinations - to assess the level of knowledge through discussions of Q&A sessions Students in grades 4 will sit mock examinations for their Primary Checkpoint and NVO exams in November and February. The mock examinations should be formed from complete examination papers used in previous NVO, Checkpoint exams. The mock examination serves to provide the students experience at sitting formal examinations, as well as identifying areas of strength and weakness to help students and teachers plan for the final examinations and students` future academic preparation effectively. CEM Testing and Data - it should be used in conjunction with other assessment methods to build a fuller picture of a student’s capabilities; frequent feedback and varied forms of assessment should form the backbone of predicted outcomes All tests from internal examinations must be sent home, signed by parents, and returned to the respective subject teacher to be used for monitoring, moderation, and portfolio purposes. The tests are kept by the relevant subject teacher until the end of the academic year. The entry- and exit-level diagnostic tests will be sent home as copies.
External Examinations
SGISP students will sit an examination according to the Bulgarian educational standards and the Cambridge International programme in accordance with the particular educational authority’s schedule.
NVO – National Assessment in Bulgarian language and Mathematics for the students in G4 Cambridge Primary Checkpoint – exam series in English, Mathematics and Science run for the students in G4
Grading
St. George International School and Preschool is required to adhere to Bulgarian legislation with regards to the format and type of quantitative and qualitative grades awarded. All grades must be aligned to the Bulgarian grading scales but also meet the grading scales requirements set by CIE.
Types of Grades
Students should receive the following grades:
Current grades
They are awarded following the completion of an assessment in accordance with Tables 1, 2.1. and 2.2. The results are recorded in the school’s official platforms, and in all official documentation, according to Bulgarian legislation, thus ensuring of effective monitoring.
Current grades can be formed using a variety of assessment techniques including:
Oral examinations Coursework Written examinations Written assignments Project work Homework Preparation for class Independent learning. The weight of the techniques listed above is determined by each teacher, in accordance with the specifics of each subject.
End-of-term grade
End-of-term grades provide an evaluation of the student’s performance throughout each term. The term grade is formed no earlier than one school week before the end of the respective term, and no later than two school days before the end of the respective term. It is based on:
End-of-term test (30%) Mean score of current grades (30%) Classwork and performance based on formative assessment (30%) Presentation of their notebook (10%) These percentages are indicative and may vary according to the specifics of each subject and its requirements.
If the student has been absent from more than 25% of the lessons and has not received the minimum number of current grades, the term grade cannot be formed, and the student should sit an exam for awarding an end-of-term grade.
Students who are unable to do Physical Education due to health reasons must present a medical document for verification. After that, they will be exempt from having a term grade for this subject.
End-of-year grade
End-of-year grade summarises the progress and achievements of students at the end of each academic year. It must be given for every subject and should be based on an end-of-year exam, the average current grade as well as the end-of-term grades.
For subjects studied only one semester, the end-of-year grade is the grade for the semester.
Final grade
A final grade summarises the achievement of the learning outcomes at the end of a stage. They are formed only at the end of the 4th grade.
Effort grade
Each time an achievement grade is awarded an effort grade should also be awarded. Effort grades are awarded following the criteria described in the table below:
Grade Criteria A Outstanding effort: The student is clearly dedicated an extraordinary amount of effort towards this piece of work. B Good effort: The student has clearly shown that they have put a sensible amount of effort into their work. C Satisfactory effort: The student has put an acceptable amount of effort into their work. No more, no less. D Poor effort: The student has not put an acceptable amount of effort into their work and this is preventing success at fully achieving the learning objectives. E Unacceptable: The student has put little or no effort into their work and this is having a serious effect on their ability to achieve. There is a barrier to learning.
Table 1 - Effort grades and criteria
The teacher should personally enter the grades in the obligatory school documentation and online platforms.
The deadlines for entering the grades in the documentation are as follows:
on the day of the examination – for current grades in the case of oral examinations up to one week after the examination – for current grades awarded for written examinations up to two weeks after the examination – the end-of-year exam on the day when they are formed – for end-of-term and end-of-year grades.
Grading scales
To establish a unified approach towards awarding grades, SGISP Primary Section follows a grading scale which combines the requirements of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and of CIE and aims at setting a high standard of achievement for all students.
90 – 100 % - excellent performance
76 – 89 % - very good performance
62 – 75 % - good performance
49 – 61 % - average performance
0 – 48 % - poor performance
CIE Percentage Grade BG Grade 0-14 Poor (2) 15-24 Average (3) 25-44 Good (4) 45-69 Very good (5) 70-100 Excellent (6)
Table 2.1 – SGISP Primary School Summative Assessment Grading Scale – applicable across all grades – for Cambridge only
BG Percentage Grade CIE 0 - 48% Poor (2) 49 - 61% Average (3) 62 - 74% Good (4) 75 - 89% Very good (5) 90 - 100 % Excellent (6)
Table 2.2. – SGISP Primary School Summative Assessment Grading Scale – applicable across all grades – for Bulgarian subjects only
Awarding grades
The students in grades PG – 3 are given a qualitative grade only. Results from summative assessments are recorded as percentages. Students in grade 4 are given both a qualitative and a quantitative grade. Under the Bulgarian educational legislation, the students must be awarded a defined number of grades depending on the specifics of the subject taught. Each grade must be entered in Shkolo. There is not a set maximum number of grades a teacher is allowed to award per semester; however, you must set the minimum as per the school’s official educational plan for each subject. The statutory minimum of grade per semester is shown in the table below:
Subject Minimum number of grades per term Subjects taught up to twice/week 2 Subjects taught 3 or above 3 lessons/week 3
Table 3 – Number of minimum current grades per term
The teacher should personally enter the grades in the obligatory school documentation and platforms.
The deadlines for entering the grades in the documentation are as follows:
In case of oral examination – class teachers must enter the current grades on the day of the examination For current grades awarded for written examinations – teachers must enter the current grades up to one week after the examination For end-of-year exam – teachers must enter the grades up to two weeks after the examination For end-of-term and end-of-year grades – on the day when they are formed.
Feedback
Feedback to students is a central part of a teacher’s role and is integral to progress and attainment since it is one of the most effective ways of improving students’ learning. The feedback aims to help students make progress; to provide strategies for students to improve; to give students dedicated time to reflect upon their learning and put in effort to make improvements; to inform teacher’s planning for future lessons; to facilitate effective and realistic target setting for student and/or the teacher.
Feedback should motivate students and focus on strengths and achievement. The clear, constructive, and fair feedback, given by the teachers, is considered vital and constructive part of the education and leads to improved learning. Other forms of feedback like peer, group, or verbal will give students a clear sense of how they can improve, how to progress in their learning and achieve their full potential.
Effective feedback requires:
Regularity Setting and communicating with the students` clear assessment criteria for every subject Sharing of learning objectives with the student Timeliness so that a student can respond effectively
Feedback guidelines:
Verbal is the most common form of feedback given and leads to direct student action which makes it very important for the student’s progress. This can be planned but it should always encourage the student to improve. In PE, Art and Music for example, much of the feedback will be verbal. Teachers should ensure that their comments are constructive and aimed at helping the student improve, emphasizing the good work already being achieved. Negative comments should be kept to a minimum and never be of a destructive, sarcastic nature. The written feedback could be detailed or general, depending on the subjects, the grade and the teacher’s plan. Written feedback should clearly identify the strengths and strategies for improvement that students will then act upon. Written feedback should be phrased as a question to allow the student to reflect and act. In order to reduce the workload while giving written feedback the teacher could use strategies like writes annotations in the body of the work, writes overall comments, give one strength and one-two possible improvements, put a double tick next to the best part of the student work, writes a hint or a next step, goes over the question in class, etc. Written feedback should be given sparingly so that it is meaningful and in order to avoid dependence In order to reduce the workload while giving written feedback the teacher could use strategies like writes annotations in the body of the work, writes overall comments, give one strength and one-two possible improvements, put a double tick next to the best part of the student work, writes a hint or a next step, goes over the question in class, etc. Written feedback should be given sparingly so that it is meaningful and in order to avoid dependence. Strategies include give a strength and one/two areas to develop, write a hint for development More practical subjects may have very little written feedback When tests or marked, books are returned to students, it is essential for the teacher to allow time for students to read the comments and understand the feedback. If necessary, the teacher can dedicate some time so the students could edit, redo, redraft or answer some or all of the questions again. When possible, teachers should support their written feedback with verbal, face-to-face feedback. Self-assessment should be encouraged and developed as the student goes through the school (spellings, grammar, letter formations etc). The peer feedback is rigorously structured and modelled by the teacher. Written peer feedback should be clearly titled and underlined as ‘Peer Feedback’. The peer feedback needs to be led by the teacher after students are well instructed and trained over time how to perform it. The group feedback must be delivered carefully and organised well by the teacher. When done well, it can be used to help students to reflect on their learning and receive different points of view on their progress. In order to reduce the workload while giving written feedback the teacher could use strategies like writes annotations in the body of the work, writes overall comments, give one strength and one-two possible improvements, put a double tick next to the best part of the student work, writes a hint or a next step, goes over the question in class, etc. Written feedback should be given sparingly so that it is meaningful and in order to avoid dependence.
Moderation and Peer Review
Moderation should be an integral part of assessment to ensure that standards are unified and adhered to the school standards. Moderation is the process of teachers sharing their expectations and understanding of standards with each other to improve the consistency of their decisions about student learning. SGISP are no different in that we must use moderation processes to increase assessment dependability. Moderation is at the discretion of the Head of the School and given as a directive to Head of Primary, as seen fit.
Book Looks will take place regularly by the subject teachers, subject coordinators, Academic supervisor and Head of Primary. Frequency of ‘Book Looks’ are based solely at the discretion of the Head of the School as well as the Heads of the Preschool, Primary; these instances may be at a higher frequency than normal during given periods which are deemed more important for state exams or for Cambridge learning.
Every member of staff is accountable for student’s progress, and we must ensure that we are clear on student development while preparing them for the future academic years and the school’s curriculum needs.
As regulated by the Bulgarian educational legislation, primary school students who have been awarded a qualitative grade which shows that they have not reached the expected standard, or have been given a grade Poor (2) as an end-of semester mark for a certain subject in grade 4, must be provided additional learning programme under the regulations of art 178, par.1, p.2 from the Law of School and Preschool Education.
Student Portfolios
Teachers are to keep a record of assessment in individual student portfolios. A portfolio should include a cover page, formative or summative assessments, checklists, students’ self-assessments and artifacts (samples of students’ best work such as photographs or projects, writing samples). Portfolios should demonstrate both developmental and academic progression as well as give evidence of assessment and student target setting.
Responsibilities in the Process of Assessment
Subject teachers - Assessing the achievements of the students according to the Bulgarian standards for education, the international standard. Record assessment data and enter it into the relevant platforms. Where students are struggling academically it is the responsibility of the class teacher to inform Head of Stage.Subject Coordinators - Monitoring teachers’ compliance with the assessment policy. Where necessary to plan and implement effective intervention strategies (to include HoP). Adhere to the timetabled schedule of end of semester tests.Heads of Stage - Monitor the success rate, process and provide information regarding top and bottom 25% of achievers and coordinate plans for the success of these students.Head of Preschool and Primary - Monitor the work of the subject coordinators and Heads of Stage, the success rates and obligatory submission of student data onto the relevant platforms. Analyse the data from said platforms and manage interventions when necessary. Approve the end of semester test schedule.Academic Supervisor - Work alongside with the subject coordinators to ensure assessment, which is fair, consistent, and based on clear, understandable criteria done across each department. Ensures that intervention is carried out appropriately in order that the needs of different types of learners are met. Ensures quality control of assessment, including grades, homework, formative assessments, summative assessment and homework is monitored and adhered to in the given deadlines set by the class teachers. All planning and information with schemes of work are checked and administered by the class teachers, as checked by the academic supervisor.Learning support - The learning support at the school consists of the school counsellors, psychologist and the speech therapist. They are involved in the personal development of the students, working with all students, especially with SEND and G&T students, training the pedagogical and non-pedagogical staff on issues related to special educational needs, organising and controlling the preservation of relevant students’ documents.
Marking
Please also refer to the Marking policy of the school*
✓ Correct work x Incorrect answer VF You have discussed your work with the teacher Misspelled word Missing punctuation Grammatical error ? The teacher doesn't understand what is written // Need for a new paragraph ˄ or v Missing word T A target you should work towards S You received support I You worked independently SA Self-Assessment PA Peer Assessment
Table 4 – Marking Key
Marking is a central part of a teacher’s role and can be integral to progress and attainment. It is the routine activity of reading, checking, monitoring, correcting, and giving a mark to students’ written work or verbal performance while feedback provides more detailed guidance to the student in order to help him/her improve knowledge, understanding and skills. The marking connects the teacher to the student’s work, motivates the student to take ownership of their work and do their best, as well as it provides crucial information about the progress of each student.
All marking should be given based on the teacher’s professional judgement and clear assessment criteria and scales, specific (if necessary) for every subject. The grading criteria should be linked to the learning objectives and made clear to the students. The marking must be meaningful, manageable and motivating for every student.
Frequency of marking varies from subject to subject, but in general books should be taken in and checked approximately every two to four weeks, tasks and assignments must be checked regularly after they are due.
At SGISP we expect students to do their best and apply themselves to the fullest of their abilities. Before work is submitted to be marked, students are expected to:
Present a neat work with good structure and presentation. Proof-read and correct the work before presenting it to the teacher - in order to check for technical mistakes, spelling mistakes, if it flows and makes sense, etc. Self-asses against the success criteria for the task. These criteria might have been shared at the start of the task. Departments within the school may adapt this feedback checklist based on their teams’ and students’ needs.
Academic Honesty
Corresponding to the school’s core values of honesty and transparency, St. George International School and Preschool does not tolerate cheating and plagiarism. Instances like this are dealt with all seriousness.
The consequences are as follows:
1st offence - the student receives a poor mark, and his/her parents are informed; 2nd offence - the student receives a poor mark, and his/her parents are called for a meeting; 3rd offence - the student receives a poor mark, and a formal warning "Note" as his/her parents are informed. Sessions with the school counsellor are organised and started with the student on a weekly basis. The current Assessment Policy of St. George International School and Preschool is written in compliance with the Bulgarian educational legislation which could also be used for all other cases, not described in the current document.
