Assessment

At Marple Hall, we agree that levels aren’t very accurate and are potentially distracting from learning and the feedback we actually want students to act on.

We have developed our own system of assessment which focuses primarily on improving the learning of our students, and which builds on the following overarching principles:

• A move away from giving levels or grades to focusing on just giving great feedback
• A move towards charting progress relative to a student’s starting point and away from simply charting attainment
• A focus on the Growth Mindset ideals, where a focus on effort is explicit and really important

We recognise that, used wisely, data and assessment can prove a powerful tool for teachers and school leaders to help ensure the progression of your child. However, we also want to ensure that we concentrate on learning and not be obsessed by accountability measures and an unnecessary adherence to levels that prove not to contribute at all to learning.

At Marple Hall, we have a deep trust in our teachers and support staff and our assessment model reflects our trust in their expertise. We are always open to refining what we do and listening to the needs of parents.

See below for our parental guide to assessment without levels: