At Holly Park we are continually assessing our pupils. We use a mixture of informal observations and assessment for learning opportunities in lessons. We also make more formal assessments with the use of tests to support our teacher assessments.
We keep a detailed track of our pupils’ progress and attainment using Online Pupil Tracker and based on book scrutiny of every pupil’s English and Maths book approximately every 10 weeks.
All of our pupils from Y2-6 have termly assessment weeks and the results of these assessments are shared with parents at termly parent evenings. Parents can take home any completed practice test papers to help support their children at home. The test papers are also used by teachers to identify gaps in knowledge and inform future planning. The test papers are also used by support staff to help identify weak areas for some children and to help focus interventions so that the children can keep up with their peers.
You can compare Holly Park with the performance of other schools here.
There are also National Assessments that have to be made at key times during the primary school phase.
End of Year Data at Key Assessment Points
Early Years Foundation Stage Profile
During the Reception year, children are continually assessed and at the end of Reception a judgement is made as to whether they have achieved a good level of development.
Across the areas of Communication & Language, Physical Development, Personal Social and Emotional Development, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design, children are awarded levels as to whether or not they have met, exceeded or are emerging at this point.
Reception Profile Data (53 children)
Reception Profile over past years:
- 2019- 75%
- 2020 – COVID – no results
- 2021 – COVID – no results
- 2022 – 59% (but 74% based on the 42 children without the 11 new children admitted this term)
- 2023 – 76%
- Early indications of National 2023 are 67%
The Year One Phonics Check
The Phonics Screening Check happens towards the end of Y1. It is administered individually to each child by the class teacher. It is meant to show how well a child can use the phonics skills they’ve learned up to the end of Year 1, and to identify students who need extra phonics help.
The checks consist of 40 words and non-words that a child will be asked to read one-on-one with a teacher. Non-words (or nonsense words, or pseudo words) are a collection of letters that will follow phonics rules your child has been taught, but don’t mean anything – a child will need to read these with the correct sounds to show that they understand the phonics rules behind them.
The 40 words and non-words are divided into two sections – one with simple word structures of three or four letters, and one with more complex word structures of five or six letters. Each of the non-words is presented with a picture of a monster / alien, as if the word were their name.
KS1 Phonics Check
Year 1
Here are the Holly Park phonics scores over previous years:
- 2019- 87%
- 2020 – 79% (these children missed a term in Y1 and took the test in Dec 2020 – in Y2)
- 2021 – 71% (these children missed a term in Reception and almost a term in Y1)
- 2022 – 76% (these children missed a term in reception)
- 2023 – 62%
- Early indications of National 2023 are 79%
This cohort, when they were in reception, were not a full cohort. We only had about 45 children out of a cohort of 60 in September. It then went up to 53 children on roll by the end of the school year but there was extensive movement of children in and out of our Reception classes all year. Just in the summer term of Reception we have had 11 new children start, many who have only recently come to this country and a number of children who have had either no, or limited experience of Nursery or School.
As the children moved in to Year 1 there were 48 children. Over the course of the year there were 15 leavers and 22 joiners. Of the joiners – for 8 of the children this is their first school in England. Ten of the children had very weak English and for two children they had no English at all. Currently there are 55 children in Year 1. The most recent joiners joined on Monday 12th June which was the actual phonics week.
Of the cohort 12 are SEND with 2 EHCPs. 32 are EAL and 9 are Pupil Premium.
Three children were disapplied from the check because two were so new to the school with no English at all and one has SEMH issues that prevent them from doing the test. However they still count in the data.
If we remove a total of 8 children who were really new to the school and who did not pass then the result would have been 72%.
In terms of intervention – these have been very specific and targeted. As above – a TA has run six different intervention groups to support children.
We will be considering how to support these children who are new and didn’t pass the phonics check as they move into Year 2. It is likely that we will continue with School Led Tutoring for Year 1 and Year 2 with a focus on phonics.
Key Stage 1 National Assessment
Year 2 children (Key Stage One) have to be assessed in English, maths and science and teachers have to make an assessment of their national curriculum levels. These assessments are moderated by the local authority.
Children in Year 2 are assessed during May with National Assessments in English and Maths to establish what they have learnt during Year 1 and 2. The results of these assessments are reported annually to parents. Children are assessed in Reading, Maths, Writing, Spelling and Grammar tests. Children will be deemed to be:
- Not working towards the expected standard,
- Working towards the expected standard
- Working at the expected standard
- Working at greater depth within the expected standard
The tests are marked using a scaled score with 100 being expected.
KS1 Assessments
| Year 2 | Maths | Reading | Writing | Science |
| Working At and above |
75% |
78% |
67% |
95% |
| Greater depth |
27%
|
25% |
5% |
Holly Park KS1 results over past years:
- 2019 Maths 81% Reading 81% Writing 74%
- 2020 COVID – NO RESULTS
- 2021 COVID – NO RESULTS
- 2022 Maths 69% Reading 73% Writing 64%
- 2023 Maths 75% Reading 78% Writing 67%
Greater Depth in 2019 was Maths 12% Reading 22% Writing 7%
Greater Depth in 2022 was Maths 10% Reading 14% Writing 7%
Greater Depth I 2023 was Maths 27% Reading 25% Writing 5%
Year 4 Multiplication Check 2023
This was the second year of the check.
There is no pass mark
Full marks (25/25 100%) 4 out of 60 = 7%
20 or over (80%) 29 out of 84 = 48%
15 or over (60%) 67%
The average score was 17.7
KS2 National Assessment
Year 6 children (Key Stage two) have to take national tests in English and mathematics. The tests are sent to external markers and the school receives a scaled score for each child.
Children in Year 6 are assessed during May with National Assessments in English and Maths to establish what they have learnt during Years 3, 4,5 and 6. The results of these assessments are reported annually to parents. Children are assessed in Reading, Maths, Writing, Spelling and Grammar tests. Science is teacher assessed.
For Reading, Maths and Science children will be deemed to be:
- Working at the expected standard
- Not meeting National Standards
For Writing children will be deemed to be:
- Not working towards the expected standard,
- Working towards the expected standard
- Working at the expected standard
- Working at greater depth within the expected standard
The tests are marked using a scaled score with 100 being expected.
KS2 (62 children)
| Year 6 | Maths | Reading | Writing | GPS | Science |
| Working at and above |
74% |
69% |
66% |
77% |
81% |
| Greater depth |
13% |
19% |
6% |
16% |
Holly Park KS2 results over past years
- 2019 Maths 77% Reading 73% Writing 81%
- 2020 COVID – NO RESULTS
- 2021 COVID – NO RESULTS
- 2022 Maths 70% Reading 72% Writing 68%
- 2023 Maths 74% Reading 69% Writing 66%
Greater Depth in 2019 was: Maths 15% Reading 25% Writing 11%
Greater Depth in 2022 was: Maths 20% Reading 33% Writing 7%
Greater Depth in 2023 was: Maths 13% Reading 19% Writing 6%
Before any remarks or removal for children only in the country for a short time – our results compare favourably with initial National data at EXS+ (There is no National data on GDS yet)
| Maths | Reading | Writing | GPS | Science | |
| Holly Park 2023 | 74% | 69% | 66% | 77% | 81% |
| National 2023 | 73% | 73% | 71% | 72% | 80% |
Our results at EXS+ are deemed in line with National for Maths, Reading, Writing and grammar
Our combined EXS+ score (R,W,M)
Holly Park 50% National 59%
KS1 to KS2 Progress
There is KS1 data for 50 children out of 62
- Writing 92% made expected or better progress. 10% made better than expected progress
- Reading 78% made expected or better progress. 16% made better than expected progress
- Maths 78% made expected or better progress. 18% made better than expected progress
Progress in all three subjects was in line with national progress.
*GPS= Grammar, Punctuation & spelling
Internal data
At the end of each term we constantly update our assessments for each pupil and look at how individuals, year groups and specific groups of pupils are achieving in terms of progress and achievement. We report attainment levels to parents at each parent consultation and also in the annual school report.
At Holly Park we are constantly looking at our data to inform our plans and future priorities for the school as a whole, for classes, year groups, certain groups and individuals.
We are determined to raise standards of achievement, while remaining a wholly inclusive school where all children are highly valued.
Our aim is to help all of our children to reach their potential, not just academically but also in the arts, in music, in sport and in any other field they choose.
At Holly Park we aim to produce lifelong learners, good citizens and children who are independent, reflective, creative and team workers. Our Holly Park children cope extremely well with the transition to secondary school and go on to local secondary schools where they are often awarded major prizes, are school ambassadors and are selected as prefects because of the skills that we have given them here.
We are always keen to learn of the future successes and stories of our pupils which include many pupils who win prizes and awards t secondary school and also those who have gone on to study at university including Oxford and Cambridge.