STM Whole School Prospectus 2021-22

SCHOOLPERFORMANCE
EXAMINATIONS &
ASSESSMENTS
ItisthepolicyoftheSchoolthatalpupilsareregardedas
candidatesforKeyStage4GSCEorequivalentexaminations.
FinaldecisionsonexaminationentryatKeyStageFourand
SixthForm aremadeontherecommendationoftheHeadof
Departmentinanygivensubject.
KS3
In2014theDepartmentforEducationstatedthat,‘asesment
levelshavenow beenremovedandwilnotbereplaced’.In
placeofNationalCuriculum Levelsschoolsnow havethe
freedom to developtheirownmeansofasesingpupils’
progrestowardsendofkeystageexpectations.
InInlightoftheserecommendationswehavereviewedour
asesmentproceduresacrosKeyStage3anddeveloped
ProgresLaddersforeach subjectarea. These Progres
LaddersarebasedontheKeyStage3NationalCuriculum,
GCSE specification and our local curiculum design.
Furthermorethroughlinkswithourprimaryfeederschoolswe
haveensuredthatthecriteriaandcuriculum contentisfuly
joinedupbetweenKeyStage2andKeyStage3.
ProgresLaddersareanintegralpartofteachingacrosKey
Stage3andareusedattheendofeachmoduletoentera
summativelevelforpupils.Ourmainaim whenusingProgres
Laddersistohelppupilsunderstandwheretheyare,where
theywanttobeandwhattheyneedtodotogetthere.
Asastrategytomonitorprogresanddiferentiatematerials
forpupilsweaskstaftobreakdowntheirasesmentbyusing
ana,borc.Thisindicatesthelevelofdiferentiationor
scafoldingrequiredtoenableapupiltoworkwithinthe
criteriaofthegivenlevel.Webreakthisdowninthefolowing
way:
Asscafoldingisremovedthesub-levelawardedchanges.
Whentheclasmovestoanewtopic,especialyifitisone
thatisunfamiliarto thepupils,thenitwouldnotbe
unexpectedforpupilswhowereautonomousinalevelto
requiresomescafoldingtogetstarted,howeveritwouldbe
expected thatpupilswould return to autonomyvery
quickly.
ThereisanintrinsiclinkbetweendepartmentalProgres
Laddersandtheircuriculum planningensuringthatpupils
aretaughtthepreciseskilstheyneedtomakerapidand
sustainedprogres.
STM10
Asaschoolwetrulybelieveinthepowerofagrowth
mindset.Asastrategytopromotethisandworkwithpupils
wehavedevelopedtheSTM10.Webelievethesearethe
tenkeyatributespupilsneedinordertomakeprogres.
Thesetenatributeslinkdirectlytoourschoolvaluesand
ethosandaresomethingthatalpupilsbecomeawareof
throughouttheirtimeatStThomasMore.
KS4
KeyStage4buildsontheprogrespupilshavemadeinKey
Stage3.PupilsareasesedusingthenewGCSEgrading
systems(1-9)throughoutKS4.Thisisreportedtoparents
togetherwithgradesforworkethicandbehavioureveryten
weeks.ParentscanaccesthisinformationthroughMyChild
atSchool.
ThroughoutKeyStage4parentsareinvitedintoschoolfor
variousinformationeveningsandworkshopstosupport
pupilsintheirlearning.
YEARS12& 13
DuringYears12and13,pupilsarepresentedforan
extensiverangeofexaminationsunderarangements
madewithExaminationBoards.
16
A-thepupilisworkingwithautonomy
B-thepupilrequiresoccasionalscafoldingtoaccesthe
material
C -thepupilrequiressignificantscafoldingtoaccesthe
material
Thefolowingpagesoutlinetheexam resultsfor
theacademicyear2020-2021
GCSEExaminations(KS4)
A&ASLEVELGCE