Curriculum Assessment

At Silverwood, assessment is an ongoing process, which enables us to celebrate the wide range of successes of our pupils. Regular assessment and monitoring enables the smallest steps of progress to be captured and celebrated with the pupils themselves and their families, which is an important part of their development.

The main aim of our assessment system is to enhance learning, and inform both pupils and staff of next steps for groups of pupils and individuals. We have developed an assessment system that builds on skills, strengths and interests of our pupils. As well as highlighting what a pupil is able to do, we are able to identify gaps within knowledge and understanding, to guide planning and enable those gaps to be filled. The regular use of good quality assessment also helps identify any barriers to learning and ensure the necessary support is put in place in a timely manner to encourage pupils to achieve their best.
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We use different types of assessment depending on the needs of the learner and stages of development. 

Pupils in Early Years are assessed using the EYFS framework, adapted to suit our pupils, through the assessment tool Evidence for Learning.

Pupils following the pre-formal and semi-formal pathway are assessed against Silverwood Branches (our bespoke assessment system), also via Evidence for Learning. There are five Branches, one for each curriculum area, allowing achievements to be captured at a range of levels as pupils do not always progress in a linear manner.

Pupils following the formal pathway are assessed in subject areas, using Progression Steps within the BSquared assessment package. Alongside Progression Steps, pupils in Key Stage 4 access nationally recognised qualifications and awards at Entry Level.

Pupils following the Preparing for Adulthood pathway through the Post-16 curriculum continue to work on key literacy, numeracy and life skills. They also access nationally recognised qualifications and awards at Entry Level.
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All pupils at Silverwood School have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP).  Progress towards the outcomes in the EHCP are monitored, discussed and reported at the annual review.  In order to inform this process, each pupil has up to 8 targets across the four areas of the EHCP which are reviewed 3 times a year.  These are targets which are personalised to each pupil and may also link to the curriculum if this is deemed appropriate.  These targets will be assessed using Evidence for Learning; a tool which will also enable us to gather evidence towards the targets.