Monitoring and Reporting

Parents can expect three reports in each academic year of the main school. All school reports are published online via the Insight Parent Portal. Reports provide information about pupils' attainment, attendance and progress as detailed in the table below:

 The judgments reported use the following terms:

Attitudes - Grades

• Chew Valley is a high performing school; we expect all students to demonstrate attitudes which are “Good” (G). 
• Students who demonstrate “Very Good” (V) attitudes will have received House Points, Commendations, Postcards Home or other school rewards in recognition of their excellence.
• A judgment of “Satisfactory” (S) indicates that the student is not currently meeting our high expectations and needs to improve their attitude.
• A judgment of “Unsatisfactory” (U) will be given where a student has received sanctions for their poor attitude such as teacher, faculty, or whole school detentions, yellow slips, or time in the Time Out room.

Attitudes – Definitions

• Behaviour: a judgment of how well the student behaves in class including following instructions, active listening, cooperation, and attitudes towards staff and peers.
• Classwork: a judgment of the amount of effort put into classwork and the quality of outcomes
• Homework: a judgment of the amount of effort put into homework, the quality of outcomes, the consistency of meeting deadlines
• Organisation: a judgment of the degree to which a student is prepared for your lesson, including bringing relevant equipment/kit/ingredients/materials, attendance, punctuality and independence (managing own learning)

TAG (Teacher Assessed Grade)

The Teacher Assessed Grade is an assessment of the level or grade that a student is currently working at within a subject. This may be based on recent assessments or tests, but must take into account the wider picture of the student’s achievement. We would expect students to improve their TAG over time.

At KS3 the TAG takes the form of a subdivided National Curriculum Level on the following basis (using Level 5 as an example):

• 5a = High Level 5 (meeting all the criteria for Level 5)
• 5b = Secure Level 5 (meeting most of the criteria for level 5)
• 5c = Low Level 5 (meeting some of the criteria for Level 5)

 At KS4 the TAG takes the form of a GCSE grade (A*-U) or Vocational Qualification grade (Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail).

It would be normal for the TAG to be below the Challenge Grade or Level (see below).

Challenge Grade

The Challenge Grade is an aspirational level which reflects the highest potential achievement of which our professional opinion suggests a student is capable. It is based on prior attainment with a level of challenge built in. If students work at their full capacity and achieve their absolute best, they should meet their challenge grade.

At KS3 the Challenge Level takes the form of a subdivided National Curriculum Level that reflects the student’s potential for achievement at the end of Key Stage 3 (i.e. end of Year 9). The judgment of whether students have met or not met their Challenge Level will be taken from the Teacher Assessment Report in Term 6 of Year 9. 

At KS4 the Challenge Grade takes the form of a GCSE Grade (A*-G) or Vocational Qualification Grade (Distinction, Merit or Pass). The judgment of whether students have met or not met their Challenge Grades will be taken from the external results in the summer after Year 11.

On Course to meet Challenge?

This measure indicates whether or not, if the student continues to work and progress as they are currently, teachers anticipate they will meet their Challenge Grade for the end of the Key Stage.

• Green (G) indicates that all is well, and if the student continues to work as they are now they are highly likely to achieve their full potential.
• Amber (A) indicates that there are some concerns that if the student continues to work as they are now they are unlikely to achieve their full potential. An amber judgment would be supported by a low TAG and/or “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory” ratings somewhere in the Attitude report.
• Red (R) indicates that there are serious concerns that, unless there is urgent action, a student will fall short of their Challenge Grade. A red judgment would be supported by  a low TAG and probably “Unsatisfactory” ratings in the Attitude report Written Comments

In full reports, staff provide written comments, addressed to the student themselves. The comments should support and provide explanations for the mark sheet judgments of attitude, TAG, and “On Course?”, and provide guidance and advice to students about next steps and areas for development. Teachers should ensure that comments have a high standard of written accuracy and a professional tone.

Detailed Assessments

Some subjects use Full Reports to provide a more detailed breakdown of the TAG. For example, English report on Speaking & Listening, Reading and Writing; Technology report on Designing and Making; Geography on Understanding, Written Work, Maps and Diagrams, and Points of View.

These detailed assessments take the same format as the TAG – subdivided National Curriculum Levels, GCSE Grades, or Vocational Qualification Grades.

Monitoring and Reporting in the Sixth Form

We report progress and attainment to parents six times during the sixth form as follows:

The definitions and guidelines for the Sixth Form are identical to those in the main school, with the following additions:

File Check

The file check involves a review of student files against set criteria (some whole-school, some subject specific) and a Pass / Fail judgment.

For more detailed information, see our school policy.