Tracking your child's progress

Target Setting

At Cliff Park Ormiston Academy, we are committed to ensuring that all within our community make excellent progress. As a result, personalised, Aspirational Target Grades are set for all students. These are based on Key Stage 2 test results and the average progress made by similar students in the top 20% of the country. They are challenging, but attainable targets and represent the grade that a student should be aiming for at GCSE. 

For Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) we present these targets as an expected grade range, and in Key Stage 4 students are given a target grade to aspire to. Teachers have the flexibility to move these subject target grades up at any point if a student could and should be aspiring for more. For example, if your child’s subject target grade is a grade 6 and they are consistently achieving grade 6’s in their assessments then the teacher may decide to move the subject target to a grade 7 to help push your child onto a greater level of understanding and application of the skills and knowledge in that subject.  

Assessment  

Throughout your child’s time in Years 7-9 at Cliff Park they will be assessed on the curriculum they have been learning most recently but also recapping on prior learning from previous units of work. These assessments will be marked and graded by percentage that indicates how well they have done in that assessment. Ultimately regardless of the percentage score they receive the most important thing is that students understand what they need to do to improve in their learning. Students will be given feedback and time to improve in lessons, as well as other targeted forms of support as required. 

In Years 10 & 11 students will be assessed in class, through homework activities and at formal assessment points (end of Year 10, Autumn and Spring terms of Year 11).

Reports 

We will report on student progress every term. 
Reports will be emailed to parents.  

In Key Stage 3, you will be given a report that shows your child’s performance in each subject, as well as the average percentage score for that assessment in their year. You will also be given an ‘Engagement’ grade, which summarises their attitude to learning in class and an ‘Independent Learning’ grade which summarises their engagement with extended learning/homework. A target GCSE grade range will also be shown. 

For Key Stage 4, reports will show a ‘predicted’ grade together with a GCSE target grade. This is the grade that according to the teacher’s professional judgement is the most likely outcome at the end of the course, taking into consideration in class attitudes, assessments and what the teacher knows about the journey students take towards their final exams in that subject. Grades 9-1 now represent the formal GCSE grades within those subjects and students will be assessed using GCSE criteria and mark schemes. Secondly in vocational subjects, rather than a numbered grading system, subjects will use a pass, merit and distinction system that mirrors the formal grades students will receive at the end of the course. The table below shows the value of these grades in equivalency to the 9-1 numbered system.   

Again, students will also continue to receive an ‘Engagement’ and ‘Independent Learning’ grade.  

Parents are actively encouraged to discuss the report carefully with their child, highlighting areas for improvement and considering action points for further progression. Where there is a corresponding parents’ evening, this should be done with the support of the Class Teacher. 

Individual student progress is reviewed both by subject areas and the Year Team with a view to celebrating success and to address underachievement. Should a student not be making expected progress then an intervention will be put in place. Where a student is consistently exceeding their Target Grades, then these will be reviewed and, if appropriate, increased (see above). 

GCSE Outcomes 

Given the uneven impact of the pandemic on school and college performance data, the Government has said that you should not make direct comparisons between the performance data for one school or college and another, or to data from previous years. 

GCSE Results 2022

Please click here to be redirected to the Gov.UK School Performance Data website. 

Data Sharing: 

Academy and individual student tracking data will be released to staff and other stakeholders in line with the Academy calendar. This will include: 

• Overview of projections for year group, including a breakdown by subject, class and focus groups. 

• Tracking spreadsheet for each year group, including every student’s Target and Projected Grade, progress and their Attitude to Learning Score.