Sharing criteria and standards in Rothesay Academy Cluster

Project summary

The four schools involved in the project (Rothesay Academy, Rothesay Primary School, St Andrews Primary School and North Bute Primary School) wanted to build on embedding formative assessment and address the issue of the interpretation of the 5-14 Modern Languages Guidelines. They felt that they wanted to 'make sense' of the  5-14 document and ensure there was a shared understanding of standards. They wanted to improve continuity and progression in learning between primary and secondary.

The success criteria for the project were: 

• improved teaching and learning in modern languages classrooms with the consistent use of formative assessment 
• greater understanding of progression and improved continuity P6-S2 with increased challenge for pupils resulting in raised attainment 
• shared understanding of the standard in French between sectors 
• increased pupil understanding of the standard 
• increased staff confidence in teaching, learning and assessment between sectors. 

Staff also worked together to begin to develop a system of local moderation to share the standard and quality assure teachers' assessments. Teachers from both sectors observed each other’s teaching and had conversations with groups of pupils. They then discussed the evidence of pupil progress in speaking in relation to the success criteria. Teachers found this exercise helped to confirm their judgements and increased their understanding of standards. They now plan to extend this practice across the cluster.

Overall, teachers involved in the project that sharing the standard with pupils in language that they can understand motivated them and helped them to plan their next steps in learning and led to greater consistency in the learning and teaching across the transition stage from primary to secondary.

Case study extract

Staff involved in the project met together and began to develop a set of colourful pupil-friendly posters, which shared the assessment standard for each Level in terms of ‘I can’ statements. Posters were produced for levels C-F for reading, writing, talking and listening.

The posters were then trialled in each school with staff using them to share the standard with their pupils. Teachers commented that the posters were a really useful reference for themselves.

To support pupils in taking ownership of their learning and promote an ethos of ‘learning about learning’, the group also developed self-assessment learning logs for pupils P6-S2. The logs were then trialled with pupils in each school.

Impact of the project

• Staff in both the primary and secondary schools are now much more confident in their use of the 5-14 Guidelines in delivering the French curriculum.
• Through the production of the shared criteria pupil posters, staff now have much more clarity about the standard at each Level.
• There is now a much greater understanding of the standard required for each Level, greater understanding of continuity and real progression in learning P6-S2.
• Staff are comfortable with the agreed local moderation process (peer observation of teaching and conversations with pupils) that has been developed to date.
• Teachers are much more confident with reporting to parents because they now have clear and moderated evidence of learning.

Contact details

If you would like further information on this case study, please contact the local authority assessment co-ordinator. You can find contact details for each authority area on our local authority co-ordinators' contacts page.