Assessment 

Our Assessment Approach: Supporting Student Progress Through Evidence and Insight

At our school, assessment is used purposefully to support teaching and improve student learning. We gather a range of data to build a clear picture of each child’s progress, strengths, and next steps. Our approach combines formal assessment tools with everyday classroom practices that check for understanding and inform teaching.

Key Elements of Our Assessment Practice

• Progressive Achievement Tests (PATs)
  PATs are nationally normed assessments used to track achievement and progress in reading comprehension, mathematics, and listening. We use these once a year to gain standardised insights into how our students are performing in relation to national benchmarks and their peers.
  
  

• DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)
  DIBELS is used to assess foundational literacy skills, particularly in the early years. It helps us monitor phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension over time, and allows us to identify students who may need early intervention.
  
  

• Mathematics Curriculum Snapshots
  These teacher-designed checks align with the New Zealand Curriculum and help us capture each student’s stage of development across key strands. Snapshots provide timely data that support planning, groupings, and the identification of gaps in understanding.
  
  

• Classroom Assessment
  Teachers gather evidence daily through:

  • Observations,  

  • Exit slips.

  • Student work samples

  • Quick Checks

  • Guided practice tasks

These low-stakes tools help track learning in real time and allow for responsive teaching.

• Assessment for Learning (AfL) Practices
  Our teaching includes strategies that empower students to understand their own learning, including:

  • Clear learning intentions and success criteria

  • Regular use of feedback and feedforward

  • Peer and self-assessment

  • Discussions that support metacognition and reflection
    
    

• Checking for Understanding
  Teachers actively check for understanding throughout lessons using questioning, mini whiteboards, visual signals, and student talk. These practices allow us to adjust instruction instantly and ensure no learner is left behind.
  
  

Purposeful, Timely and Actionable

Our assessment systems are not used in isolation – they are part of a cycle of teaching and learning. The information gathered is used to:

• Inform teaching decisions

• Adapt programmes to meet learner needs

• Track and report progress

• Communicate clearly with students and whānau

• Identify students who need additional support or extension

This balanced approach ensures that assessment supports progress for every learner and upholds our commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.