Assessment in Years 1-6: Sonar

At South Benfleet Primary School, teachers assess using ‘Sonar’: a tracking system which allows us to track pupils academic progress.

Reception

At the start of their academic year, all Reception pupils are assessed using the statutory Baseline Assessment as well as the school's own assessment.  At the end of Reception pupils are assessed against whether they have achieved a ‘Good Level of Development’ (GLD) at the end of the year. In order to do this, teachers assess each pupil’s level of development against the ‘Early Learning Goals’ and will indicate whether a child is: meeting the expected level of development, exceeding the expected level of development, or not yet reaching the expected level of development (‘emerging’). We make use of the secure ‘Tapestry’ online assessment system to share pupils progress and achievements.

Phonics Screening - Year 1

The Phonics Screening Check is a statutory assessment for all pupils in Year 1, designed to confirm whether individual pupils have learnt phonic decoding to the expected standard. Pupils who do not achieve the expected standard in Year 1 will receive support to improve their phonic decoding skills and will retake the check the following year. A workshop for Year 1 parents each year will provide detailed information relating to this assessment and on how you can support your child.

SATs - Years 2 and 6

Pupils in Years 2 and 6 are assessed through Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs) during the summer term to confirm whether individual pupils have achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Parent meetings in the spring term will provide detailed information relating to these assessments and on how you can support your child.

We want all children to achieve and fulfil their potential during their time at South Benfleet Primary School and be prepared for the next stage in their learning. Good attendance, punctuality and parental support with home learning are all crucial in ensuring that our pupils achieve their best possible outcomes.