ASSESSING CHILDREN’S PROGRESS IN ART AND DESIGN                                          

As with all creative subjects, there cannot be a definitive example of an absolute standard of attainment in art and design. In order to assess progress teachers have to work together to form a professional consensus. This should be done using agreed criteria which are understood by children and teachers against a range of examples showing different approaches and interpretations.

The National Curriculum Levels of Attainment provide us with the common framework and criteria. The aim of this project is to provide an opportunity for teachers to engage in this process.

The work on view has been selected and assessed by groups of teachers who considered it representative of the different levels. It is intended as a visual resource with brief contextual information.

Teachers are invited to view the work and discuss it in light of the National Curriculum statements. These should be read and understood by all staff. This may represent an INSET need and is best addressed through group assessment meetings when a selected range of children’s work can be discussed.

It is hoped this will help develop a shared language for discussing pupils` work and encourage continuity of teaching and learning within schools, departments and across Key Stages.

Self-assessment in the form of pupil observations, both written and oral should be used to support the assessment process and as an aid to learning.

Principles

Formative assessment opportunities can be found through:

·        Teacher observation while work is in progress;

·        Review and discussion of work in a sketchbook;

·        Group and individual discussion while work is in progress;

·        Pupil observations, both written and oral.

Summative assessment opportunities can be found when:

·        Final outcomes are reviewed and discussed;

·        Work is exhibited;

·        Work is selected for the pupils Record of Achievement or art folder either by the teacher or by the pupil;

·        Reports are compiled;

·        Pupil self-assessment schemes are written.

Framework

The levels of attainment statements describe the types and range of performance that the majority of pupils should characteristically demonstrate having been taught the relevant programme of study.  The descriptions are designed to help teacher’s judge the extent to which their pupils’ attainment relates to national expectations.  These should match the level of demand in other subjects.

Level 2 at the end of KS1

Level 4 at the end of KS2

Level 5/6 at the end of KS3

What counts as evidence?

·         Finished work, kept in an individual or group folder

·         Photographs of work that can not be kept or stored at school

·         Work in a sketchbook

·         Teacher observations and notes

·         Records of discussions with children

·         Children’s own observations – verbal, written, recorded

Whenever possible children’s work should be kept until the end of the year when it can be taken home with the annual report.  This will ensure that examples of individual children’s progress can be produced at any time during that period.

Evidence of the school policy and scheme of work in practice can be collected by keeping examples of actual or photographed work in a folder or computer file which illustrate:

·         The range of activities taking place throughout the school

·         Examples of the variety of responses achieved

·         Outstanding work used to inspire others

Principles of reporting

·         Use language which is clear and understandable to non-specialists

·         Use positive and supportive statements

·         Illustrate judgements by referring to individual pieces of children’s work

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