Guidance on using English language assessments
This section offers guidance on using the national assessments for English language. Click on any of the questions below to be provided with an answer.
Reading
- What is the scope of the reading assessments?
- What preparations are necessary prior to using the reading assessments?
- How should the reading assessments be used with pupils?
- How are National Assessments in reading marked?
- What are the reading assessments like?
Writing
- What is the scope of the writing assessments?
- Extended writing
- How should the extended writing tasks at Levels A-E be used?
- How should the extended writing task at Level F be used?
- What support can be given to pupils for Extended Writing?
- How should the extended writing be marked?
- Where can I find the criteria for assessing pupils' extended writing?
- What are extended writing tasks like?
- Writer’s craft
What is the scope of the reading assessments?
A National Assessment in Reading at Levels A to F comprises two units, one based on a Narrative/Personal text and one on an Information text.
The units for each genre at each level will be selected automatically from the assessment bank. Schools will only be required to choose the level of assessment needed.
A reading assessment will consist of a passage and associated questions which cover a range of reading skills appropriate to the particular level.
The two units should be taken within as short a period of time as is practical eg. within 1-2 weeks.
What preparations are necessary prior to using the reading assessments?
- You should familiarise yourself thoroughly with all aspects of the reading unit.
- Decide how best to introduce the unit, using your discretion as to the length and nature of the introduction and preparation period for the unit.
- Assemble everything you will need, including a supply of pencils/pens and rubbers.
- Make sure all the units are complete.
- Make sure that the furniture in the classroom is arranged to give every pupil in the group the best chance to work individually, without feeling stressed or crowded. Otherwise everything should be as normal as possible, including any word-lists or aids usually displayed on the walls. NB Dictionaries must not be used during a reading assessment.
How should the reading assessments be used with pupils?
- Introduce the unit in the preferred way.
- Help the pupils to find their way through the layout of the unit, passage and questions.
- Go through the procedures for answering, doing examples where provided.
- Answer any questions about procedure.
- Satisfy yourself that everyone knows what to do. Emphasise that the pupils should do their own work, not looking at the work of others, and that they should read the passage and questions before writing any answers. Remind them to use the passage to find, work out and check their answers.
- Stop a pupil when s/he has clearly done all that s/he can do. No absolute time limit is set.
Additional Considerations for Level A
Silent Reading
Ask the pupils to read the passage on their own. Make it clear that they can ask for help if they are stuck, but that they should try to do as much as they can on their own.
Oral Support
Support should be given to pupils to encourage them to engage with the text.
Questioning should be used to support the pupil. Normal teaching strategies may be used to help pupils engage with words, phrases etc.
It should be remembered that Level A is awarded on the basis of a pupil’s reading and understanding of the original passage.
How are National Assessments in reading marked?
Marking will usually be carried out by the class teacher, using the marking key supplied. Follow the marking key closely. Parts of answers which are bracketed are optional, and need not be included by the pupil for the mark to be awarded. If an answer is not included on the marking key, but you consider it to be correct according to the passage, award a mark at your discretion. Spelling and handwriting are not assessed. Similarly, if the method of answering is wrong, but the answer itself is right, award the mark. Award only whole marks; there are no half marks.
In general terms, pupils will need to answer two-thirds or more of the questions correctly in each unit to show that they are secure at the level. The threshold for each unit at the different levels is given in the following table.
|
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
|
Total marks |
21 |
24 |
24 |
27 |
30 |
30 |
|
Threshold score |
14 |
16 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
20 |
However, the threshold score should not be applied mechanistically (see 1.8 above).
- Pupils who answer two-thirds or more of the questions correctly in each unit.
Such pupils have clearly demonstrated that they are secure at the level.
- Pupils who answer around two-thirds of the questions correctly in each unit.
It is possible that a pupil may be one or even two marks short of the threshold for one of the units. If the teacher has sound evidence from classwork that the pupil has been working consistently at the level then this score can be taken as confirmation that the pupil is secure at the level. If the evidence from classwork is not entirely sound, the teacher may decide to re-assess the pupil (see below). If a pupil is one or two marks short of the threshold in both units then the teacher will probably want to use an additional unit even if there is sound evidence from classwork that the pupil has been working consistently at the level. See below for use of additional units.
- Pupils who do not meet the minimum requirement set out above
Such pupils are not working confidently and consistently at the level. Some may require only a little more time and support to be considered secure at the level. However, those who answered fewer than half the questions correctly will require more teaching and development of their skills before they attempt another National Assessment.
When a pupil’s performance in the National Assessments does not provide conclusive evidence that the pupil is working securely at the expected level (see above), then the teacher may decide to use an additional assessment. Re-assessment should only take place once difficulties have been identified and addressed.
Within the National Assessment bank there is a facility for requesting a single assessment unit – normally the unit in which the pupil’s performance has been weakest. If the pupil reaches the minimum requirement in the additional assessment, this will be taken as evidence that the pupil is secure at the level.
What are the reading assessments like?
Examples of reading assessments are provided.
- My Old School is an example of a reading task at Level A.
- The Cat is an example of a reading task at Level B.
- RNLI is an example of a reading task at Level C.
- RNLI in Word
- Related RNLI marking scheme in Word
- RNLI in PDF
- Related RNLI marking scheme in PDF
- RNLI in Word
- Julilly is an example of a task at Level D
- Taste of the Highlands is an example of a task at Level E
- Rocket Attack is an example of a reading task at Level F.
What is the scope of the writing assessments?
National Assessment in Writing at Levels A to E comprises three pieces of writing:
- an extended piece of writing arising from class work – an imaginative story, for example
- an extended piece of writing based on a task randomly selected from the assessment bank and of a genre different from the writing done as part of class work
- a writer’s craft task – a shorter, more focused piece of writing – randomly selected from the assessment bank.
National Assessment in Writing at Level F comprises two pieces of extended writing related to the strand Writing about Texts and a shorter writer’s craft task.
How should the extended writing tasks at Levels A-E be used?
For both pieces of extended writing, introduce the task in a manner which will stimulate interest and activate prior knowledge. Ensure that the pupils are given the appropriate support for the Level (see Levels of Support below).
The two extended pieces of writing will be assessed using the well-established national criteria for 5-14 writing. The writer’s craft task will be assessed using a set of criteria derived from the national criteria.
- Make sure that pupils understand the audience and purpose of their piece of writing and that they are fully aware of the criteria to be used to assess their writing.
- Distribute the task sheets and ask the pupils to write their names and the date on the front cover.
- Direct the pupils to the Planning Page. Pupils may use the Planning Page provided or take responsibility for their own planning. Remind the pupils to make brief notes on the Planning Page. They do not need to write sentences. Remind them that the Planning Page is for their own use, and will not be assessed.
- Allow time at the end of the unit for pupils to check their work. Pupils may use a dictionary, thesaurus and/or word bank to check their spelling.
- Answer questions only on procedure.
There is no set time limit for pupils. It is expected that each piece of writing should be completed within approximately 120 minutes, not necessarily consecutively or on the same day.
How should the extended writing task at Level F be used?
At Level F, both extended pieces of writing relate to the strand Writing about texts.
The pupil should first complete the class-based extended writing task relating to the strand Writing about Texts . The Level F writing package should then be downloaded from the item bank. The package will contain a sheet detailing four extended writing tasks relating to Writing about Texts and one shorter writer’s craft task.
Pupils are asked to select one of the extended writing tasks to complete. Pupils may choose the task to which they would prefer to respond. The class/group do not all have to undertake the same task. However, the task chosen must be different from the class-based task.
Pupils may refer to a copy of their chosen text during the assessment, but they may not refer to any written work undertaken as part of the study of the text or for revision purposes.
- Discuss the different purposes of writing about texts and the structure of a written response to a text.
- Discuss the techniques familiar to the pupils with regard to writing about texts, such as note-taking and presenting evidence.
- Ensure pupils have a full knowledge of the appropriate criteria used to assess their writing.
- Ask pupils to choose one of the tasks, advising which one of the four tasks may not be selected.
- Ask pupils to write their names, the date and the title and author of their chosen text at the top of the first page. Ensure subsequent pages can be identified.
Pupils are likely to write between 500 and 600 words. Although there is no set time limit, it is envisaged that the task will be completed within approximately 160 minutes, not necessarily in a single session or on the same day.
What support can be given to pupils?
Pupils working at Level A should be given help with the choice of language, content, planning and layout.
Pupils working at Levels B and C should be made aware of suitable choice of language, content, planning and layout.
Pupils working at Levels D, E and F should take responsibility for planning, choice of language, content and layout. Any bullet points provided in planning sheets are for guidance only; pupils may prefer to devise their own plans
How should the extended writing be marked?
The class teacher should usually carry out marking, but other arrangements are at the discretion of the Head Teacher or Principal Teacher. The Criteria for the different writing tasks will be downloaded along with the tasks and guidance for teachers. Pupils must achieve a minimum standard in all three pieces of writing to confirm that a level has been achieved.
Here is some guidance on how to use the criteria to mark extended writing for Levels A-F
- Read the assessment piece as a whole ensuring that it is appropriate to the demands of the task. Form an initial judgement.
- Using the criteria specific to the particular assessment unit, check the individual statements in the appropriate level column.
- If the writing meets all the criteria, the pupil has achieved the expected level.
- If the writing does not meet all the criterion statements at the expected level, it is still possible to achieve the expected level.
- Where only one criterion (ie. one bullet point) is not achieved on either side, or even on both sides of the bold line, the writing has achieved the level.
- If, however, two criterion statements (ie. two bullet points) are not met on any one side of the bold line, the writing has not achieved the level.
- Where a pupil has a specific learning difficulty and an Individualised Educational Programme has been drawn up, the spelling criteria need not apply. A level of achievement should be given with an indication that spelling has not been assessed,
A pupil who does not reach the expected level on one of the tasks should be re-assessed using an additional task of the same genre from the bank. Re-assessment should only take place once difficulties have been identified and addressed.
Pupils who do not meet the minimum requirement in extended writing for Level F may repeat the same task using a different text or choose a different task
Where can I find the criteria for assessing pupils' extended writing?
Both pieces of extended writing are assessed using the same criteria as were used for assessing National Tests. When you download a writing assessment , the writing criteria appropriate to your extended writing task will be generated automatically. If you would like a complete set of the national criteria for assessing writing, please click on the relevant link below.
What are the extended writing tasks like?
Examples of extended writing assessments are provided.
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The Party - An extended writing task at Level A.
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My Favourite Place - An extended writing task at Levels B/C.
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Report on School Grounds - An extended writing task at Levels D/E.
- Report on School Grounds in Word
- Report on School Grounds in PDF
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An extended writing task at Level F.
What is the writer’s craft task?
The purpose of this task is to allow pupils to show, in writing, their understanding of the writer’s craft at the relevant level. The writer’s craft task relates to the strand within the outcome of Reading, Reading to reflect on the writer’s ideas and craft (National Guidelines, English Language 5-14, pages 16 and 17). These tasks involve pupils in responding to a piece of text through discussion with the teacher, and then continuing the text using the features of the original as a model.
How should the writer’s craft task be used?
Introduce the task as described below. Ensure that the pupils are given the appropriate support for the level (see Levels of Support above). Make sure that pupils understand the purpose of their piece of writing and that they are fully aware of the criteria to be used to assess their writing.
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Read aloud the starter text (pupils working at the upper levels may prefer to read the text silently) and ask pupils to identify some of the features particular to the kind of writing eg. horror, science fiction, comedy.
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Through questioning, establish involvement with the text eg. Who are the characters? What is happening? Where is the story taking place?
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Through further questioning appropriate to the level, identify features of the writer’s style ie. the choice of language, content, sentence structure, punctuation and tone, used to tell the story.
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Ask the group for a few suggestions as to what might happen next. Give pupils a short time to think alone and / or to share thoughts in pairs / groups. They may make notes if they want to.
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Pupils working at Levels A and B may suggest a few words with which to make a word bank on the board. Do not write sentences.
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Tell them that they are going to write the next part of the story in the same style as the writer. Tell the pupils to pay close attention to how the writer has told the story so far, and remind pupils of the suggestions they made about the style in the earlier discussion.
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Reinforce that they are not being asked to finish the story, or to bring it to any conclusion. This is a short piece of writing.
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Encourage pupils to look at the passage again before they start to write.
What support can be given to pupils?
Pupils working at Level A should be given help with the choice of language and content.
Pupils working at Levels B and C should be made aware of suitable choice of language, content, sentence structure and punctuation.
Pupils working at Levels D - F should take responsibility for choice of language, content, sentence structure and punctuation
How should the writer’s craft task be marked?
Refer to Criteria for Marking Writer’s Craft document (PDF version). Read the piece of writing, ideally more than once. A pupil needs to be able to fulfil most of the description for a particular level for the level to be awarded. If there is a problem with spelling or punctuation, for example, a level may still be achieved. If there is more than one weakness, however, it cannot be said that the pupil is confidently working at that level.
A pupil who does not reach the expected level should be re-assessed using an additional writer’s craft task from the bank. Re-assessment should only take place once difficulties have been identified and addressed.
What are the writer's craft tasks like?
Examples of writer's craft assessments are provided.
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Danny - an example at Levels D/E