Hollymount Primary School & Nursery

Understanding Assessment at Hollymount School

At Hollymount School, assessment is an important part of how we support every child to thrive, make strong progress and feel successful in their learning journey. Assessment helps teachers understand what children know, what they can do, and what next steps will help them continue to grow.

Assessment at school happens in many different ways throughout the year. Some assessments are informal and happen daily in the classroom, while others are more formal and are required nationally by the government.

This page provides an overview of how assessment works at Hollymount.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is the ongoing assessment that happens every day in the classroom.

Teachers use formative assessment to:

check understanding during lessons
identify misconceptions quickly
adapt teaching to meet children's needs
provide immediate feedback
decide when children are ready to move on

Formative assessment may include:

questioning during lessons
discussions with children
observing learning
reviewing work in books
live marking and verbal feedback
mini quizzes or retrieval activities
practical demonstrations

This type of assessment is continuous and helps teachers respond in real time to children's learning.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment happens at specific points during the year and is designed to evaluate what children have learned over a period of time.

At Hollymount, summative assessment may include:

end of unit assessments
half termly or termly assessments
standardised tests
writing moderation
spelling and arithmetic checks
teacher assessment against national curriculum expectations

These assessments help teachers:

track progress over time
identify strengths and gaps
plan future teaching
report accurately to parents
ensure children are on track for national expectations

Statutory Assessment Points

All schools in England are required to complete certain statutory assessments during a child's primary education.

Reception Baseline Assessment (Reception)

Children complete the Reception Baseline Assessment within their first six weeks of starting school.

This is:

completed one to one with a teacher
practical and age appropriate
focused on early mathematics, communication, language and literacy

The assessment is used nationally to measure progress from Reception to the end of primary school. Results are not shared publicly and there is no pass or fail.

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (Reception)

At the end of Reception, teachers complete the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile.

This assesses children across the key areas of learning and development, including:

communication and language
personal, social and emotional development
physical development
literacy
mathematics
understanding the world
expressive arts and design

Parents receive information about their child’s progress and whether they have achieved a Good Level of Development.

Phonics Screening Check (Year 1)

Children in Year 1 complete the national Phonics Screening Check, usually in June.

This assessment:

is completed one to one with a familiar adult
includes 40 words and pseudo words
assesses decoding and early reading skills

Children who do not meet the expected standard will usually retake the check in Year 2.

Multiplication Tables Check (Year 4)

Children in Year 4 complete the Multiplication Tables Check.

This is:

completed online
focused on multiplication facts up to 12 × 12
designed to assess fluency and recall

The check helps ensure children have secure number knowledge before moving into upper Key Stage 2.

Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Assessments (Year 6)

Children in Year 6 complete national assessments, often referred to as SATs.

These usually take place in May and include:

Reading

one reading paper
a range of fiction, non fiction and poetry texts
comprehension style questions

Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling

grammar and punctuation paper
spelling test

Mathematics

arithmetic paper
two reasoning papers

Writing

Writing is assessed by teachers throughout Year 6 using national assessment frameworks.

Science may also be assessed nationally through sample testing in selected schools.

Teacher Assessment and Reporting

Alongside statutory assessments, teachers regularly assess children’s learning throughout the year.

Parents receive updates through:

parents’ evenings
written reports
ongoing conversations with teachers
support meetings where appropriate

Assessment is always used to support learning, celebrate success and identify next steps.

Hollymount Intended Learning Booklets

Our intended learning booklets provide parents with a clear overview of the knowledge, skills and understanding children are expected to develop throughout each year group.

These booklets help families understand:

what children are learning
key vocabulary and concepts
how learning builds over time
ways to support learning at home

Standardised Assessments at Hollymount

At Hollymount School, alongside our day to day formative assessment and teacher led summative assessment, children in Key Stages 1 and 2 may also complete standardised assessments produced by GL Assessment and NFER.

These assessments are carefully chosen to support high quality teaching, accurate assessment and pupil confidence.

What are NFER and standardised assessments?

NFER assessments are nationally standardised tests in reading, mathematics, grammar, punctuation and spelling.

These assessments:

are age appropriate and aligned to the National Curriculum
allow us to compare attainment against national expectations
provide standardised scores as well as age related information
help identify strengths, gaps and next steps in learning
support teachers in understanding progress over time

Children usually complete these assessments in a calm, familiar classroom environment with adults they know well.

How do we use these assessments at Hollymount?

At Hollymount, standardised assessments are never used in isolation. Instead, they form one part of a much wider picture of each child’s learning.

Teachers use NFER outcomes alongside:

daily classroom observations
discussions and questioning
work in books
practical application of learning
independent writing
end of unit assessments
professional teacher judgement

This helps ensure that assessment is accurate, balanced and reflects what children can consistently do over time, not simply how they perform on one particular day.

Helping children build confidence for future assessments

Standardised assessments also play an important role in helping children become familiar with more formal assessment situations.

By completing age appropriate tests during their time at primary school, children gradually become more confident with:

reading and responding to different question types
managing time during an assessment
working independently for sustained periods
checking and reviewing their answers
developing resilience when facing challenge

This gentle and progressive exposure helps children feel prepared and confident when they reach statutory assessment points such as the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check and Year 6 national assessments.