At St Cuthbert Mayne School, assessment plays an important role in helping every student make excellent progress. Through regular assessments and feedback, we monitor students' achievements, recognise their strengths and identify areas where further support may be needed.

Progress Checks

We use regular Progress Checks to assess and monitor students' progress throughout the academic year. The information below explains the grades used in Progress Reports and feedback to parents and carers.

Working Grades – Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9)

Working grades are based on standardised or moderated pieces of work and/or assessments. They provide an indication of each student's current level of achievement in a subject.

Grades are reported using the following scale, based on Age Related Expectations:

• Emerging

• Developing

• Secure

• Greater Depth

Age Related Expectations indicate the standard students are expected to achieve to be on track for a passing grade in that subject at GCSE. For Year 9 students, reports for option subjects will also indicate whether a subject is considered a suitable choice for GCSE study.

Key Stages 4 and 5 (Years 10, 11, 12 and 13)

Students in Years 10 to 13 are assessed each term against the relevant qualification criteria:

• GCSE: Grades 9–1

• GCE A Level: Grades A*–E

• Vocational qualifications: Grades D2*–P1

Each student is also given an Achievable Aspirational Target for every subject, set by their class teacher.

Working Grades – Key Stages 4 and 5 (Years 10, 11, 12 and 13)

Working grades are based on standardised or moderated pieces of work and/or assessments. They provide the best indication of a student's current level of achievement in each subject.

Grades are reported using the relevant GCSE 9–1, GCE A*–E or BTEC grading criteria set by each subject.

Where appropriate, grades are shown as a whole grade with a + or – to provide a more detailed indication of the student's current performance.

Forecast Grades – Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11)

A forecast grade is the grade a teacher believes a student is likely to achieve at the end of Year 11.

This is based on the teacher's professional judgement and takes into account:

• The student's current working grade

• Their effort grade

• Their current performance and the typical progression of students in that subject

Forecast grades are also reported as fine grades, using a + or – alongside the whole GCSE grade to show how securely a student is working at that level. This does not apply to U grades.

For example, a forecast grade of 6 may be reported as:

Forecast Grades – Vocational Subjects

For subjects offering the newer generation of BTEC qualifications, which can be awarded at Level 1 or Level 2, the following grading system applies.

This includes BTEC PE, BTEC Business and OCR Nationals ICT.

Forecast Grades - Key Stage 5 (Years 12 and 13)

At Key Stage 5, forecast grades indicate the grade a teacher believes a student is likely to achieve at the end of their A Level (A2), BTEC or Cambridge Technical Level 3 studies.

These grades are based on the teacher's professional judgement and the student's current performance.

For A Levels, forecast grades are reported as fine grades, using a + or – alongside the A*–E grade to indicate how securely the student is working at that level. This does not apply to U grades.

For BTEC and Cambridge Technical courses, the following grades are used:

• D* – Distinction*

• D – Distinction

• M – Merit

• P – Pass

Effort Grades – All Year Groups

Alongside academic progress, we also assess students' effort and attitude towards learning. Effort grades help students and parents understand how their approach to learning is supporting their progress and where improvements may be needed.

Our aim is to ensure that students and their families have a clear understanding of their progress, the grades they receive and the steps they can take to continue improving.