Literacy

Renfrewshire project: On the write track

Project objectives

Aims

  • To share the standard in assessment of functional writing.
  • To raise attainment in functional writing.
  • To share good practice in formative assessment in functional writing.
Outcomes
  • Opportunity for teachers to mark collaboratively and share views on the standards expected and interpretation of 5-14 criteria.
  • Sharing of effective teaching strategies.
  • Highlighting the AifL strategies found to be most supportive.
  • Improved teachers’ confidence.
  • Sharing of good assessment practice throughout schools.
  • Collegial approach promoting confidence in primary/secondary transition.

Project outline


  • Planning meeting held.
  • Teacher and pupil questionnaires designed, produced and issued.
  • Sampling of cross-curricular functional writing at all levels.
  • Discussion of samples and assessment by working party.
  • Agreed samples to be used - from each level (A-E) three strengths of example were identified: bare pass; pass; and secure pass.
  • Comments were added to each sample along with a copy of the relevant level’s marking criteria.
  • Questionnaire responses were collated.
  • Planned and prepared materials for in-service afternoon workshop for representatives’ schools.
  • Collated responses from in-service day activities and modifed working group’s assessment as appropriate.
  • Discussed success of in-service, comments from evaluations and feedback from collaborative assessment tasks.
  • Collated recommended AifL strategies to add to booklet.
  • Made any necessary amendments to assessed writing samples and produced a final draft of booklet.
  • Booklet published and distributed to schools.

Future developments

Changes in staffing/stages taught will require continual revising of assessment standards and strategies.

Secondary staff from different departments need to be consulted and given an opportunity to develop familiarity with expected standards to promote cross-curricular consistency.

Publication of Curriculum for Excellence guidelines will demand further work and opportunities for discussion within individual schools and between associated schools.

Contact Info

Janice Neilson
0141 840 3786
janice.neilson@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Available support files

The following PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of the On the Write Track project:

Powerpoint iconPowerPoint file: On the Write Track - Sharing standards in functional writing