The tricky question of assessment at KS3

January 28, 2025

Hello Colleague

One of the ongoing conversations I’m having with colleagues relates to getting a handle on assessment at Key Stage 3.

While it’s important that we know how our young people are getting on, we also need to work out what the limits of assessment are.

There are no quick fixes!

We need to know whether students are making progress for a number of reasons:

  • As a matter of entitlement – have they encountered and engaged in the content and important ideas of the Key Stage 3 curriculum?

  • To check whether there are any gaps in their exposure to, engagement with and learning of the curriculum, so we can do something about it

  • To provide information to leaders, including governors and trustees about how pupils are getting on

  • To celebrate what young people have achieved!

In the first session, on Thursday 6th February 4-5pm I’ll be unpicking:

  • Some of the paradoxes of assessment

  • The difference between external and internally generated data

  • Why the data on a spreadsheet only tells part of the story

  • The role and impact of formative and summative assessment

  • Why we are better at making judgements than we think we are!

In the second session, on Wednesday 12th February 4-5pm 

  • I’ll walk through the range of ways we can gather information about whether our students have learnt the curriculum.

  • In other words, whether they have made progress!

  • The good news is that we are already doing some great work on this.

  • The bad news is that it doesn’t sit neatly on a spreadsheet!

The sessions are live and recorded on Thursday 6th February 4-5pm and Wednesday 12th February 4-5pm.

If you’d like to join the webinars and access the recordings, they are part of the annual subscription to Myatt & Co. If you or your school don’t already have an annual subscription, it’s easy to sign up here and you get access to the popular subject networks, and ongoing professional development. £150/free trial.

Register your interest here for the first session.

Until next time

Mary