Hello Curriculum Thinkers,
As you know, when we ran the Subject Curriculum Goals Survey, assessment emerged as a pressing need in your subject areas.
What did we learn from assessment responses?
As well as discovering you wanted to see what assessment looks like in your subject in other schools (more on that below), we learned two things:
Colleagues were at different stages of their assessment improvement journey (15 of them to be exact)
Colleagues are working on a common set of documents which a) help codify their approach and b) they want to share with you (there are 15 of those too) - stayed tuned to find out what they are over the coming weeks.
Before we find out what the 15 stages were, learn how you can join specialists in your subject to discuss strategies and swap resources at our assessment excellences sessions.
15 steps to improve assessment in your subject
Analysing the responses, there were fifteen different stages of development colleagues were working on to improve assessment in their subjects:
Planning their improvement journey
Researching the evidence about assessment
Developing whole school / departmental assessment model
Writing the model into school / departmental policy
Training staff on new assessment models and practices
Defining the knowledge they want students to learn
Defining success criteria (for both formative and summative purposes)
Writing assessments (for summative)
Writing quizzes and retrieval tasks (for formative) - (or buying software to do it)
Writing schemes of work in line with exam specifications and the knowledge above
Mapping when assessments take place on the SOW
Tracking and analysing assessment data to make improvements
Implementing new models and assessment practices
Embedding new models and assessment practices
Reviewing and refining assessments
Where are you on this journey? Want to move to the next stage?
🙌 Excellence in subject-specific assessment - meet & swap documents with fellow subject experts
From sharing Subject Curriculum Goals for 23/24, Assessment is the #1 topic with more subject leaders working on this year than any other.
You've read the blogs and been trained by SLT on assessment theory, but...what does excellent assessment look like specifically in my subject?
Over this half term, our Subject Leader Groups are digging into this question, drawing together a wealth of knowledge and insight for you from subject-specialists across the community.
Join the events to learn from subject-specialists who've made strong progress on how to assess for maximum impact.
Each will kick-off with the host sharing their work, followed by your chance to ask questions and swap ideas and resources with fellow leaders on the call.
Sent this by a friend?
14 meet-up events on excellence in subject-specific assessment
All are welcome to take part in discussions so feel free to extend the invite to your team and line manager.
If you can’t make the date and time, add a quick comment on the event to be kept in the loop on the replay and resources shared on the call.
📐🥗 Excellent assessment in Design Technology & Food
Mon 27th Nov, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Nathan Cardwell, CL for DT at Fulham Cross Girls School.
👩💻 Excellent assessment in Computer Science
Tues 28th Nov, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Kaeren Coverdale, Subject Lead Computer Science at Ribston Hall High School.
💸 Excellent assessment in Business
Tues 28th Nov, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Laura Pollitt, Curriculum Leader of Business, Careers and Computing at John Taylor Free School.
🎭 Excellent assessment in Performing Arts
Tues 28th Nov, 5-6pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Emma Green, Head of Performing Arts at Broadwater School
📚 Excellent assessment in English
Thurs 30th Nov, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Dena Eden, Director of Secondary English at Inspiration Trust
📊 Excellent assessment in Maths
Thurs 30th Nov, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Rhiannon Rainbow, Dave Tushingham and Matt Hussey from Greenshaw Learning Trust
🏆 Excellent assessment in P.E.
Mon 4th Dec, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Will Grove, Head of PE at Broadwater School
🧬 Excellent assessment in Science
Tues 5th Dec, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Claire Bowles, Lead Practitioner at The Corsham School and Matthew King, Education officer - STEM & EdTech at South East Essex Academy Trust
⚖ Excellent assessment in PSHE
Weds 6th Dec, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Clare Owens, Head of PSHE at The Deepings School
🧭 Excellent assessment in RE
Weds 6th Dec, 5-6pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by William Kneeshaw, Curriculum Leader of RE at Northampton School for Boys
📅 Excellent assessment in History
Thurs 7th Dec, 4-5pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Ed Durbin, Head of History at Yate Academy
🌍 Excellent assessment in Geography
Thurs 7th Dec, 4:15-5:15pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Ben Bishop, Head of Geography at Twynham School
Each event is open to all to join discussions, with the replay and resources available on-demand only for members of Subject Leader Groups in schools that have joined Curriculum Thinkers community.
Unsure if your school has joined? Check here
Not yet a member? Get your free trial here.
Wait a minute, what about Languages?
In sharing their Subject Curriculum Goals for 23/24, Language leaders were squarely focused on getting ready for the new KS4 specification in Sept 2024.
To help them learn more about what other schools are doing, we’re putting on a special meet-up event for language specialists.
👋 How are schools preparing for the 2024 changes to GCSE Languages
Tues 28th Nov, 5-6pm | RSVP here>
Hosted by Maddy Opstad, Head of MFL at Duke’s Secondary School.
Maddy will kick-off the discussion by sharing her work and why she is moving from AQA to Edexcel.
Followed by your chance to ask questions and swap ideas and resources with fellow leaders on the call.
All are welcome to join the discussion so feel free to extend the invite to your team and line manager.
Sent with ❤️ Curriculum Thinkers Team at We Are In Beta.
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