Information for Parents
Key Stages 1 and 2
Statutory Assessment Arrangements
The Curriculum and Learning
The Northern Ireland Curriculum (Primary) includes:
• Foundation Stage:
• Key Stage 1:
• Key Stage 2:
Years 1 and 2
Years 3 and 4
Years 5, 6 and 7.
It sets out:
• Areas of Learning
• Cross-Curricular Skills
• Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities.
The Curriculum and Learning
The six Areas of Learning are:
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Language and Literacy
Mathematics and Numeracy
The Arts
The World Around Us
Personal Development and Mutual Understanding
Physical Education.
The Curriculum and Learning
Children engage in active learning contexts
across all areas of the curriculum to develop:
• Cross-Curricular Skills
• Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities.
The Curriculum and Learning
The three Cross-Curricular Skills are:
• Communication
• Talking and Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Using Mathematics
• Using ICT.
The Curriculum and Learning
The Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities are:
Thinking Skills
• Managing Information
• Thinking, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
• Being Creative
Personal Capabilities
• Working with Others
• Self-Management.
Assessment
To improve your child’s learning, we need to know:
• what stage they are at in their learning
• how well they are doing
• how we can help them do better.
Assessment
Teachers will assess your child’s progress in different ways,
for example:
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classroom observation
discussion and asking questions
classwork
homework
class tests
assessment activities.
Assessment
Your child will be assessed each year in:
• the Areas of Learning
• the Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities and
• the Cross-Curricular Skills.
Assessing the Cross-Curricular Skills
In Years 3–7, schools must use the Levels of Progression
for assessing and reporting pupils’ progress.
In Year 4 and Year 7, the numerical level your child has
achieved will be reported to you (not yet required for Using ICT).
Assessment of the
Cross-Curricular Skills
The Levels of Progression:
• apply to Communication, Using Mathematics and
Using ICT
• range from Level 1 to Level 5 in Key Stages 1 and 2
• describe what ‘pupils can’ do
• indicate the knowledge, understanding and skills your
child needs to demonstrate to achieve each level.
See www.nicurriculum.org.uk
Levels of Progression
Reading Level 2
Assessment of the
Cross-Curricular Skills
Teachers assess your child’s progress in an ongoing way
through:
• classroom observation
• discussion and asking questions
• monitoring their work and progress.
This helps them understand:
• the level at which your child is working
• how best to help your child improve their learning.
End of Key Stage Assessment
At the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, teachers will decide the
level your child has achieved in each skill, based on:
• their knowledge of your child
• assessment information they have gathered and
• your child’s performance in planned
assessment activities/tasks.
Range of Levels for the
Cross-Curricular Skills
The Levels through the Key Stages
Key Stage
1
1 (Years 3–4)
2 (Years 5–7)
3 (Years 8–10)
Levels of Progression
2
3
4
5
6
7
Expected Levels for the
Cross-Curricular Skills
Expected Levels at the End of Each Key Stage
End of Key Stage 1 (Year 4)
Level 2
End of Key Stage 2 (Year 7)
End of Key Stage 3 (Year 10)
Level 4
Level 5
Expected Levels for the
Cross-Curricular Skills
Expected Levels at the End of Each Key Stage
End of Key Stage 1 (Year 4)
End of Key Stage 2 (Year 7)
End of Key Stage 3 (Year 10)
Level 2
Level 4
Level 5
There is also:
‘a very clear expectation that individual pupils
should progress at least one level between each
Key Stage.’
(Department of Education, May 2010)
Levels of Progression and
Levels of Attainment
Note
The Levels of Progression replace Levels of Attainment.
The new levels place greater emphasis on skills
(not only knowledge and understanding) –
so they are expected to be more challenging.
Quality Assurance and
Quality Control
The Moderation Process
This will involve:
• teachers in each school working together to agree
standards
• schools providing samples of pupil work to CCEA for
external moderation.
Annual Reports
The Annual Report will give you information about your
child's progress in every aspect of the curriculum.
In Years 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6
Annual Reports will include a comment only about progress
in Communication, Using Mathematics and Using ICT.
In Years 4 and 7
The Annual Report will include a numerical level and
a teacher’s comment:
• for Communication and Using Mathematics (from 2012/13)
• for Using ICT (from a date to be decided).
Annual Reports
For pupils in Years 4 and 7
The Annual Report will tell you the percentage of pupils in
your school who:
• attained each level
• attained the expected level or above
• are working towards the expected level
• are exempt from assessment.