Recognising achievement, profiling and reporting resource
1. Introduction
This resource aims to bring together the range of material
to support practitioners in developing their understanding
of Recognising Achievement, Profiling and Reporting in the
context of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). It includes:
•
presentations on key messages in Recognising
Achievement, Profiling and Reporting
•
a range of support materials on Recognising Achievement, Profiling and Reporting
•
recent NAR exemplars
•
links to pertinent guidance materials from Education Scotland
•
direct links to Glow 'Watch Again' videos of related Glow Meets
•
support and findings from research relating to Recognising Achievement, Profiling and
Reporting
2. Key messages
Find core documents and support materials that focus on the purpose, process and importance of
Recognising Achievement, Profiling and Reporting in Curriculum for Excellence.
Assessment
1. Is integral to learning and teaching
a. involves all stakeholders, most importantly the learner
b. is ongoing, periodic, at times of transition
2. Builds capacity in practitioners to make professional judgements underpinned by
professional dialogue
a. assessment requires a variety of approaches generating a body of quality evidence
b. assessment and moderation are integral to each other
3. Is holistic and informative
a. has many purposes, the most important of which is to support the learner journey
b. goes beyond KU alone to include skills, attributes and capabilities
Building the Curriculum series
The Building the Curriculum series provides advice,
guidance and policy for different aspects of Curriculum for
Excellence. Of particular relevance for assessment are:
•
Building the Curriculum 3: A framework for learning
and teaching
Building the Curriculum 3 (2008) recognises the
importance of providing opportunities for
achievement in a range of contexts in and out of
school.
•
Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work
Building the Curriculum 4 (2009) sets out key messages about how children and young people
develop and apply skills. It also provides guidance on skills for learning, life and work for CfE to
ensure the development of these skills is integrated and embedded in learning and teaching
practice.
•
Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment
Building the Curriculum 5 (2011) provides guidance for all teaching staff on assessment
approaches for Curriculum for Excellence. It sets out the following key messages of BtC5:
principles of assessment, standards and expectations, ensuring consistency, CPD and support,
reporting to parents, informing self-evaluation for improvement and monitoring standards
over time.
•
Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment: Recognising achievement, profiling
and reporting
Recognising achievement, profiling and reporting are all integral elements of Curriculum for
Excellence. This guidance provides advice on developing common approaches to these which
relate closely to the processes of learning and teaching.
•
Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment: Reporting
Building the Curriculum 5: Reporting (June 2010) provides staff with advice on reporting to
parents including information on reporting on progress within a level.
Learner Dialogue and Profiling
This presentation shares key messages about learner dialogue and outlines how we can support
learners to reflect on their learning. Throughout the presentation there are suggestions for activities
that could be used in CPD sessions and there are reflective questions that can be used with
practitioners and senior managers.
NAR Flowchart and instructions
The NAR flowchart provides a structured approach to planning
effective learning, teaching, moderation and assessment.
PDF file: NAR flowchart (136 KB)
PDF file: NAR flowchart (Gaelic) (677 KB)
PDF file: Using the NAR flowchart (584 KB)
PPT file: NAR flowchart step by step breakdown (507 KB)
Assessment for Learning – embedding and extending
This background paper is not about describing once again functional aspects of assessment for
learning. It is not a ‘how to do it’ guide. Instead, it recognises that many participants are likely to
have come to the Assessment is for Learning (AifL) programme through formative assessment and
attempts to present a rationale and context in which assessment for learning can be both embedded
as effective classroom assessment in its own right and also extended to articulate with the other two
strands of AifL: assessment as learning and assessment of learning.
Getting it Right for Every Child
Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) is the foundation for work with all children and young
people, including adult services where parents are involved. It builds on universal health and
education services, and is embedded in the developing early years and youth frameworks.
The GIRFEC values and principles include ‘Putting the child at the centre’.
Full information can be found on the Scottish Government’s website.
Tackling Bureaucracy
A working group was set up to tackle concerns over unnecessary bureaucracy associated with the
implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. The working group’s report states that ‘Professional
dialogue is key to improving learning.’ There is reference to reporting systems and the current action
plans are outlined.
3. Guidance papers
CfE Briefing papers
The papers below have relevance to recognising achievement, profiling and reporting:
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 1: Broad General Education in secondary schools
This Briefing raises some key issues which secondary schools should be considering as they plan to
develop their provision for the broad general education at the S1 to S3 stages. There is particular
reference to the S3 profile within section 4 of this paper.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 2: Assessing progress and achievement in the 3-15
Broad General Education
This briefing paper explores how teachers are developing suitable, joined-up ways of assessing
progress and achievement which underpin high-quality learning in the broad general education.
Section 4 of this paper states the importance of learner involvement in tracking progress using the
profiling and reporting processes.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 3: Profiling and the S3 profile
This briefing takes an in-depth look at profiling. It discusses how to manage the process of
profiling, what a profile is, who it is for, what should be in it and the main differences between the
S3 profile and a report to parents. It also emphasises the importance of effective quality assurance
and moderation procedures as part of the profiling process.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 5: Personalised Learning
This briefing explores the practical implications for staff, learners and parents of personalised
learning which resumes a degree of choice and a stronger role for the learner in making decisions.
Section 4 is relevant in considering the profiling process.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 6: Progression from the Broad General Education to
the senior phase part 1
This Curriculum for Excellence briefing explores the pivotal role of the S3 experience. On page 3
under the question ‘How will we ensure S3 provides a valued culmination to learning in some
areas?’ there is reference to the profiling process.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 7: Progression from the Broad General Education to
the senior phase part 2
This briefing explores the importance of learning in the senior phase, which will continue to be
active, engaging and enterprising, building directly on the broad general education to ensure all
learners are prepared well for lifelong learning, further study and employment. See section 2 for
information about achievement.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 8: Progression from the Broad General Education to
the senior phase part 3
This document explores the ways in which schools are changing the curriculum at the senior phase
and how they are building progressively on the 3-15 broad general education. It focuses on
achievement pathways - the description of an individual's successes, awards and qualifications as
they progress in their learning.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 10: The role of Community Learning and Development
(CLD) and partnership working
This briefing explores the important contribution that CLD is making to CfE outcomes for learners
through partnership working in educational establishments and communities. Section 2 has
particular relevance to profiling.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 11: Planning for Learning Part 1: Through the Broad
General Education
This briefing explores emerging practice in planning for learning through the Broad General
Education (BGE) in the early years, primary and secondary S1-S3 stages. Section 2e refers to
planning across the whole curriculum, including opportunities for personal achievement.
Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 12: Planning for Learning part 2: Further learning,
training and employment beyond age 16
This briefing explores the importance of effective and realistic planning as young people progress
in learning or training beyond the end of compulsory education. It highlights the importance of
supporting all young people to manage their initial transition beyond age 16, and subsequent
transitions towards and into work. This paper is helpful in considering achievement pathways.
See the full set of CfE Briefing papers, designed to provide practitioners with information and
advice to support their implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.
Journey to Excellence Improvement guides
The Journey to Excellence website provides examples of excellence in
Scottish education and other children's services. A series of improvement
guides provide information on the differences between a good school and
one that is excellent under each of five broad areas.
There are a number of guides, specifically in the Learning and Teaching section that may be useful in
reflecting on and developing approaches to recognising achievement, profiling and reporting.
•
Using assessment to support learning
•
assessing progress and achievement
•
monitoring, recording and tracking success
•
recognising achievement
•
profiling success in achieving outcomes of learning
•
reporting on success in achieving outcomes
Education Scotland Inspection advice note 2013-14
This advice note supports colleagues involved in pre-school, school and learning community
inspections from August 2013.
It takes account of progress with Curriculum for Excellence in centres, schools and learning
communities. It sets out an adjustment in expectations, in line with national implementation
expectations, for HM Inspectors' evaluation of QI 5.1 (Curriculum) and QI 5.9 (Improvement through
self-evaluation).
To assists schools with their implementation, the Advice Note also emphasises aspects of practice
where further improvement is needed. This includes ensuring that approaches to planning, tracking,
recording and reporting are as streamlined and effective as possible and not overly bureaucratic or
time-consuming. There is also a greater emphasis on planning for progression, coherence and
improving curriculum transitions.
Examples of highly effective practice
These materials illustrate some of the features of highly effective practice noted during visits to
schools and centres by HM Inspectors. Within them there is reference to aspects of Recognising
Achievement, Profiling and Reporting.
Q.I. 1.1 Improvements in performance
Q.I. 2.1 Learners’ experiences
Q.I. 5.1 The Curriculum
Q.I. 5.3 Meeting learning needs
Q.I. 5.9 Improvement through self-evaluation
4. Recognising achievement
Achievement is defined in Building the Curriculum 5 as relating to progress in all aspects of each
child’s or young person’s planned learning. Achievement covers learning within curriculum areas
and interdisciplinary learning, including recognition through qualifications, but it is much wider
than that. It includes achievement in other areas within the life of the school and outside the
school – sometimes referred to as wider achievement.
Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment: Recognising achievement, profiling and
reporting (p.8)
This diagram from Building the Curriculum
5: A framework for assessment:
Recognising achievement, profiling and
reporting (p.7) shows the close links
between recognising achievement,
profiling and reporting.
Gaining recognition for their achievements and the skills for learning, skills for life and skills for
work that are developed through them, benefits all young people. It can increase their confidence,
raise their aspirations, improve their motivation for learning and keep them engaged in education.
In addition, the process of planning, recording and recognising achievements can help young
people to reflect on their learning and development, valuable for being able to express themselves
in applications or interviews with employers, colleges or universities.
As well as planning how they can give young people greater opportunities for achievement,
schools, colleges and other education providers should be looking at how young people’s
achievements beyond formal qualifications might be recognised.
Range of achievement
•
hobbies and interests (e.g. participation in a sport)
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youth work
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volunteering
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caring for a relative
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activities they undertake in the life of the school e.g. Eco Schools, Buddying
•
recognised awards or programmes
Through these activities they develop important skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work
that can be of real value to them as they grow up. We need to recognise the full range of
achievements and help children and young people understand the skills they have. It is important
that they are able to demonstrate and describe these skills to others and build on these skills.
How is achievement being recognised?
Learners’ achievements are being recognised in a number of ways - for example through the use
of certificates, diaries, school notice boards, online portfolios and award ceremonies.
This section contains NAR projects which give some practical examples of how schools have
developed their approaches to recognising achievement. The links below lead straight to the NAR
login page and after entering your Glow login details, you will be taken directly to the appropriate
NAR project.
Brucehill EE and CC: Recognising achievement
This exemplar from Brucehill Early Education and Childcare Centre illustrates the experiences of
three children as they learn to recognise their achievements and share them with others. The
project developed parental partnership in recognising and celebrating achievement.
Reflection at Stenness Primary School
This exemplar from Stenness Primary School documents how the learners used learner blogs to
reflect on the curricular activities and evaluate their learning and achievements.
Kirkliston Nursery: Recognising achievement
In this exemplar Kirkliston Nursery School exemplifies its approach to recognising children’s
achievement. This includes sharing of targets with parents, ‘Cosy Conversations’, skilled
questioning and an ‘Achievement Tree’.
Recognising achievement at Queensferry Primary School
In this exemplar three learners use diaries to help them recognise achievement, build on their
achievements and involve parents in recognising achievement at home.
Amazing Things
Download a copy of the third edition of 'Amazing Things 3 - A guide to the Youth Awards in
Scotland' from the Awards Network website. It celebrates the great wealth of opportunity offered
by awards in one publication.
The guide identifies the importance of recognising young people's achievements and the
contribution the awards make to the development of improved skills and education for the
workforce.
SQA’s Awards
There are a number of Awards and other qualifications from SCQF levels 1 to 6 which are suitable
for a wide range of learners.
You can find out more on the SQA website .
Open Badges
Open Badges have the potential to allow learners to display and share their achievements. The
digital platform allows this to be done at each stage of the learner journey.
Find out more on the Open Badges website and on the Jisc blog .
Skills Development Scotland
The My World of Work tool developed by Skills Development Scotland, as part of its Career
Management Service, supports learners in identifying their strengths and recognising their
achievements as they prepare for the transition to positive, sustained destinations.
Why recognise achievement?
Recognising achievement is an integral part of Curriculum for Excellence. Gaining recognition
for a range of achievement and for the skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work that
are developed through this achievement, benefits all children and young people. The reasons
for recognising learners’ achievements include:
•
to increase self-esteem, improve motivation and keep young people engaged in learning
•
to encourage young people to reflect on their learning – where they are and where they
want to go – and help them to articulate the skills gained, in discussion with other learning
partners and in interviews with potential employers, colleges or higher education
•
to help deliver the aims, values and purposes of Curriculum for Excellence – in which
planning opportunities for achievement is an integral part of the curriculum.
Building the Curriculum 5: Recognising achievement, profiling and reporting (p.8)
Insight
The Scottish Government and its partners are developing a new online tool to help analyse,
compare and improve the learning and teaching of pupils in the senior phase. This benchmarking
tool will be made available to all teaching staff in secondary schools, local authorities and
Education Scotland and will enable them to recognise areas of success, as well as identify where
improvements can be made.
More information can be found on the Scottish Government website.
You can also read more about the 'Insight' on the Engage for Scotland blog.
5. Profiling
3-18 Profiling
Profiling increases self-esteem, improves motivation, and
thereby improves learning. In so doing, it is integral to the
overall Curriculum for Excellence aims of raising
attainment, reducing the achievement gap and preparing
for the future.
Profiling means that learners will be engaged in regular,
on-going discussions with staff about their progress. This
should be a continuous process for all learners from 3 to
18 and is integral to the production of a profile - a
'snapshot' of progress in learning and achievement.
Key features of the profiling process:
•
the focus remains on improving outcomes for young people through appropriately
supported discussions
•
the relationship with an adult who knows the student
•
regular dialogue between learners and practitioners should help each learner to evaluate
her/his own achievements
•
the process of profiling can be a powerful motivating influence giving individuals a real
sense of personal ownership of their own learning
•
most young people are likely to need guidance to develop their skills in bringing together
the learner statement.
A profile of a learner’s best achievements will be produced at P7 and S3. Profiles may be produced
at other points to meet the needs of a learner, as decided by the learner, school or education
authority.
There will be an on-going process of dialogue and reflection for all learners from 3 to 18. The
information drawn together through this process will enable profiles to be produced whenever
required to inform the next stages of learning.
Building the Curriculum 5: A Framework for assessment: Recognising achievement, profiling and
reporting (p.4)
The development of profiles has been happening in schools since the introduction of guidance in
2010: CfE Building the Curriculum 5: recognising achievement, profiling and reporting. The profile
can be developed at any stage at school but has been developed at the key points of transition of
P7 (school year 2011/12) and S3 (school year 2012/13). The process of profiling is now
developing from early years through to the Senior Phase. It continues to be led by the learner and
at the later stages has an emphasis on thinking about the skills required and the links with
statements needed, for example, for applying for work or a personal statement for higher or
further education.
What is a profile?
The learner has ownership of the profile and it contains the information that they choose
to share with others.
It is the culmination of an ongoing profiling process which supports learners in developing their
awareness and understanding of their own learning and resulting successes.
The process of profiling can be a powerful motivating influence for a young person, encouraging
each individual to achieve their best. It can help to give individuals a real sense of personal
ownership of their own learning and achievements, promote their understanding of their own skill
development and enhance a range of skills, including literacy, and other attributes and capabilities.
A profile will include a learner statement and is likely to include a reliable profile of achievement in
literacy and numeracy and information about progress in key aspects of health and wellbeing. As
skills in profiling develop, profiles will reflect achievements across all curriculum areas, perhaps
drawing on school arrangements for monitoring and tracking in each area, alongside other
personal achievements and include those which stem from learning experiences outwith school.
For some, these may include sporting or cultural successes and skills and attributes developed
through experiences in the community. For others, it may be other skills, attributes and
capabilities as appropriate to the individual, including any where significant gain has taken place.
Each young person, with appropriate support through dialogue with a member of staff, and from
discussions with their parents as appropriate, will provide a learner statement outlining their latest
and best achievement, in and out of school.
Above information taken from CfE Briefing Paper 3: Profiling and the S3 Profile.
PowerPoint presentation: Profiling 3-18
This presentation sets the context for profiling, outlines the purposes of profiling and the profile,
states some of the reported impact of profiling and gives some points for consideration when
thinking about profiling and profiles.
PowerPoint file: Profiling 3-18 (884 KB)
Skills in Practice
Many practitioners are using a taxonomy of thinking skills as they work towards developing
learners’ reflective dialogue.
See section 6 of this ‘Skills in Practice’ resource for further information
This resource has been designed for use by practitioners and local authority staff to help them
review and adapt their current approaches to developing skills for learning, life and work in the
context of Curriculum for Excellence.
A key aspect of the resource is to help facilitate reflection on planning for skills development, while
considering what progression, learning and teaching and assessment could look like in your
setting.
Emerging approaches to 3-18 profiling
The examples of profiling presented here show how the process is being developed in a range of
contexts for learners from 3-18. They should not be seen as either exhaustive or prescriptive, nor
are they intended to set or pre-empt policy. They represent current thinking within schools at the
time of publication and their authors may have subsequently reconsidered elements of the
process.
Oldmachar Academy
This exemplar illustrates approaches to profiling, including in the Senior Phase, which promote
learner ownership. It focuses on strategies such as the development of the language of profiling in
order to support the development of learner reflection and learner voice.
Buckie High School
This exemplar illustrates emerging approaches to profiling in the Senior Phase. It explains the
profiling processes being developed including links with local employers. It highlights the role of
the Senior Phase profile in supporting young people in the transition to positive destinations.
Drumblade Primary School
This exemplar illustrates how P7 learners became ambassadors of learning by sharing their
profiling experiences with learners, practitioners and parents in primary and secondary schools.
This resulted in a shared understanding of the profiling process within the network. In addition to
allowing learners to claim ownership and develop their own skills, the project also supported
transition links.
Arduthie Primary School
This exemplar illustrates how the use of Learning Journeys supports children from Early Years to
P7 in becoming more skilled in talking about their learning. This approach to profiling is built upon
focussed dialogue between learners and practitioners. It also encourages and supports parental
involvement in the process.
Denny High School
This exemplar illustrates how a secondary school is building on recent experience of profiling and
the S3 profile to develop approaches to profiling at all stages of the secondary school. There is a
focus on how learners are being supported in their understanding of their progress in learning and
skill development.
Inveralmond Community High School
This exemplar illustrates how a school cluster is working towards developing a robust and
consistent approach to profiling with a strong emphasis on meta-cognition. Engagement in
collegiate work across the cluster has included projects focussed on embedding wider achievement
within the profiling process and learning visits between primary and secondary schools.
Kemnay Academy
This exemplar illustrates approaches to profiling which support young people in understanding the
skills they have developed, their learning styles and achievements. It also demonstrates the
successful involvement of local employers in the process.
Midlothian Council
This exemplar illustrates how an education authority is supporting the implementation of profiling
and profiles in its schools. There is a strong emphasis on the profiling process. Its focus is an
innovative project which helped learners develop the language of learning.
Tomintoul Nursery
This exemplar illustrates an approach to profiling in the Early Years context which is rooted in the
self-evaluation and the nursery’s values, visions and aims. It explains how reflection on learning
has become a daily occurrence for the children.
P7 Profiles
There are a number of NAR projects which focus on P7 profiling and profiles. These can be found
by logging into NAR and entering ‘P7 profiles’ into the search box.
Profiling and the S3 Profile
This short film made by Speyside High School in Moray reflects the school’s approach to profiling
and the S3 profile.
Learners’ Profiles
On Parentzone, you can find some examples of statements from learners’ profiles. These are
grouped as follows:
•
Learner statements
•
Achievement
•
Curriculum areas
•
Literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing
•
Skills development
GLOW watch again (Glow login required)
Eportfolios 2 - June 2013 (27 mins)
In this video, Jamie Petrie (Education Scotland) is joined by learners and a practitioner from St
Aidan’s High School. Learner’s Voice, Learning Dialogue and the benefits of using an E-Portfolio are
discussed. There is discussion about the organisation of working with E-Portfolios within a school
and how the learners are encouraged to profile their skills. Learners reflect on their own
experiences of using E-Portfolios, including use at home.
Profiling and the S3 profile - May 2013 (26 mins)
In this video, Sheila Quigley (Education Scotland) discusses the role of dialogue and wider
achievement in the profiling process and the S3 Profile.
Profiling - February 2013 (31 mins)
In this video, Sheila Quigley (Education Scotland) shares information about P7/S3 profiles and the
role of the profiling process. ‘Managing the profiling process’, ‘Who is the profile for?’ and ‘What
should the profile include?’ are key headings from the presentation. There is information about the
importance of reflecting on ‘wider achievement’ within the profiling process. Education Scotland
support for profiling is listed as part of the presentation.
6. Reporting
Purposes of reporting to parents
Building the Curriculum 5: A Framework for Assessment: Reporting provides staff with advice on
reporting to parents.
Some examples of practice in reporting are included within this document to illustrate approaches
staff might take to put the advice provided into practice. These examples are not definitive but are
provided to help staff as they begin to further develop their approaches.
Reporting has two main purposes. Firstly, it provides clear, positive and constructive feedback
about children's and young people's learning and progress, looking back on what has been
achieved against standards and expectations. Secondly, it creates an agenda for discussions
between learners and those teaching and supporting them about their next steps in learning.
BtC5 p13
Reporting comprises a range of activities including, for instance, written reports, children
presenting their learning to parents, parents’ consultation meetings and on-going oral discussions.
Staff should ensure that learners are involved in reporting activities in order to promote learners’
ownership of their learning. These on-going reporting activities are closely linked to learners’
reflection and dialogue about progress.
BtC5 p3
All involved in delivering teaching and learning should:
•
ensure that their planning, monitoring and reporting systems are fit-for-purpose. They
should be used in a way that maximises the time spent on teaching and learning, supports
professional dialogue and avoids unnecessary workload.
•
ensure that reporting formats reflect CfE in that they revolve around narrative reporting
rather than “tick box” approaches and that their approach is essentially holistic.
Curriculum for Excellence Working Group on Tackling Bureaucracy, 2013
What are the main differences between an S3 profile and a report to parents?
Profile
Written by the young person in partnership with the
school.
At P7 and S3, which are significant points of transition in
a learner’s education.
Provides information on successes in learning and a
reflective summary statement of achievements, including
achievements beyond school and other awards.
Provides a way for young people to explain and share
their achievements with a range of people, including
parents, teachers and, at future dates, ongoing education
staff and prospective employers.
Written and ongoing reporting to
parents
Written by teacher(s)/staff.
At least once per year.
Provides clear information and feedback
on a learner’s progress and how well
she/he is doing against agreed
expectations.
Provides an agenda for discussion
between learners and those teaching and
supporting them.
The learner has ownership of the profile and it contains
the information that they choose to share with others.
Contributes directly to the learning process by giving
each learner an important context for applying their
skills, including literacy.
Informs parents of what their child needs
to do to improve and suggests how
parents might help.
Young people do not usually provide
content directly for the report.
Table taken from CfE Briefing Paper 3: Profiling and the S3 profile.
Reporting to parents
Reporting is able to provide parents with regular information about their children's strengths and
development needs, an opportunity to discuss with their children their progress in different aspects
of the curriculum and a chance to give their views on their children's progress. It also allows staff
to respond, helping parents to understand how they can support their children to develop their
learning further. Learners themselves should be in a good position to contribute to discussions
about written reports and about their progress in learning at consultation meetings with parents.
Parents will get the regular information about their children's strengths, progress and
achievements to which they are entitled. They should be informed about any gaps in their
children's progress and ways that they can help. At later stages of education 3 to 18, and
especially in colleges, the immediate audience for reporting will be the learner. Other colleges,
higher education and employers will also be audiences for reports on learners' success.
BtC5 p42
Parents are looking for reports that give a clear, rounded personalised summary of their child’s
learning and progress. They want good quality conversations with teachers that feel personal and
specific to their child. The paperwork needs to support this rather than becoming an end in itself.
Report card formats and other arrangements for reporting should avoid jargon and “tick box”
approaches such as covering each and every Experience and Outcome.
Curriculum for Excellence Working Group on Tackling Bureaucracy, 2013
Reporting on progress and achieving a level
Reporting on the development and learning of children and young people will take account of their
achievements in different contexts and settings, including across curriculum areas, the life and
ethos of the school and learning outwith the school, including in the wider community.
Learners should be encouraged and supported to be involved in deciding what evidence may be
drawn upon and how to gather this irrespective of where learning takes place. Staff will work with
learners to summarise the evidence for reporting to parents and others while helping the young
person to maintain ownership of his or her learning.
Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment: (p.42)
Reporting is based upon assessment of progress. Assessment takes place as part of on-going
learning, periodically, and at points of transition. Assessment involves learners and staff regularly
gathering, reflecting on and evaluating evidence of learning to describe learners’ progress and to
identify steps for raising their standards of achievement. Such practice underpins the approach to
reporting developed in Building the Curriculum 5:
From time to time teachers also take stock of their learners’ progress and achievements in order to
be able to plan ahead and to record and report on progress.
Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment: Recognising achievement, profiling and
reporting (p.15)
Building the Curriculum 5 notes that for learners to
demonstrate that their progress is secure and that
they have achieved a level, they will need
opportunities to show that they:
•
have achieved a breadth of learning across
the experiences and outcomes for an aspect
of the Curriculum
•
can respond to the level of challenge set out in the experiences and outcomes and are
moving forward to more challenging learning in some aspects
•
can apply what they have learned in new and unfamiliar situations.
The focus is no longer on ‘how fast’ learners progress and achieve the levels since this can lead to
superficial approaches to learning. Reflecting the principles of Curriculum for Excellence, progress
is now defined in terms of ‘how much’ and ‘how well’ as well as of learners’ rate of progress. This
approach will promote greater breadth and depth of learning including a greater focus on the
secure development of skills and knowledge. It acknowledges that children and young people
progress and achieve in different ways and at different rates. Where a young person does not
achieve a level in all aspects that will not be a barrier to them working at the next level in certain
aspects of a curriculum area. For example in Literacy and English a young person could be working
at level 3 in reading and writing but still be working at level 2 in listening and talking. He or she
may not be considered to have achieved level 2 but still be working at level 3 in some aspects of
his or her learning.
Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment: Recognising achievement, profiling and
reporting (p.16)
PowerPoint file: Key Assessment – reporting
This presentation begins by setting the scene in the context of Building the Curriculum 5,
highlights the key messages of assessment and includes information about how to report on
progress.
PowerPoint file: Key Assessment - Reporting (348 KB)
Monitoring and tracking progress and achievement in the broad general
education
To support the reporting process, it may be helpful to refer to the resources on the Assessing
progress and achievement professional learning resource.
7. NAR
This section contains recent NAR projects which focus on profiling. They include projects carried
out within and across Gaelic, early years, primary and secondary establishments as well as those
meeting the needs of learners with additional support needs. The links below lead straight to the
NAR login page and after entering your Glow login details, you will be taken directly to the
appropriate NAR project. Please note that there are additional projects in the Recognising
Achievement section of this resource.
Early years – profiling
Red Kite Nursery (June 2013)
The use of learning walls was developed as an intrinsic part of planning for and reviewing learning
at regular intervals. The focus was to empower learners in planning for and reviewing their
learning, enabling them to identify learning to capture for the learning wall, whilst putting in place
systems for the ongoing evaluation of our learning walls by all stakeholders.
Primary – profiling
Ardler Primary School (June 2013)
This quality marked exemplar documents how Ardler Primary School in Dundee has used the work
done on helping learners recognise their skills and strengths to produce an e-portfolio as the
vehicle for the production of a P7 profile. The case study highlights the process the school went
through in order to help their learners understand what they learn and why they learn. The case
study is accompanied by a wealth of appendices showing every stage of the process.
P7 Caritas
St Luke’s and St Matthew’s RC Primary School (June 2013)
The focus of this quality marked exemplar was on continuing and developing the Primary 7 profile
while encouraging the children to incorporate a faith based aspect. Learners took part in a number
of discussions and activities to support them in reflecting on Faith Learning, Faith Reflection and
Faith Witness.
Secondary S3 – profiling
Barrhead High School (December 2012)
In this quality marked exemplar the school’s Pastoral Care team oversaw the implementation of
profiles using the Glow e-portfolio tool.
Secondary/ASN/S4 learners
Stevenson College ( December 2011)
This exemplar illustrates young people experiencing the broad general education at Stevenson
College. The young people are encouraged to reflect on their progress so that they can take more
responsibility for their learning.
ASN – profiling
Cumbernauld High School (June 2013)
In this exemplar, a language and communication support centre works with senior pupils to
develop a post school transition profile. With support from ENABLE, staff and pupils work together
to develop the language of skills and reflective dialogue and to identify school based and wider
achievements to be captured in a profile. This exemplar focuses on encouraging pupils to recognise
and understand their own achievements and to see the progress they have made in their journey
through school.
Gaelic – profiling
Glasgow Gaelic School: S3 Profiling
In this exemplar the school developed its approaches to using learning logs to record and reflect
on learning and skills development. They identified time for learner dialogue and piloted using eportfolios with GLOW.
Quicklinks on the NAR home page
Link to:
•
S3 profiles
•
E-portfolios
Reporting
Blairmore Nursery (December 2011)
This exemplar illustrates one approach that can be used to help young children develop early
literacy skills and to report on progress and achievement to parents and others.
Glenwood Nursery (December 2012)
In this exemplar Glenwood Nursery School illustrates a coherent approach to recognising
achievement, profiling and reporting.
8. Research and international perspectives
Assessment at transition report
The Assessment at Transition report was commissioned by the Scottish Government and
undertaken by the University of Glasgow. The project set out to explore how shared
understandings of the purposes and potential of assessment at transition between primary and
secondary might be developed most effectively.
The PDF file: 'Assessment at Transition - executive summary 2012' is available for download from
the Glasgow University website.
A copy of the full report can be obtained by contacting Susan Kelly, University of Glasgow.
In addition, see the video of Louise Hayward, Professor of Assessment and Innovation at the
University of Glasgow School of Education, presenting the report’s key themes to Glasgow City
Council secondary practitioners.
Of particular relevance to recognising achievement, profiling and reporting, information about the
following begins around 33:18 minutes into this video:
•
Planning successful primary to secondary progression
•
Recognising and describing progress with and without reference to levels
•
Promoting and supporting teachers’ professionalism in relation to curriculum, learning and
teaching, and assessment.
Synergies for Better Learning
A major Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study entitled
‘Synergies for Better Learning’ looks in depth at evaluation and assessment practice across the
globe and makes a number of recommendations. In particular, the importance of teacher-based
assessment and the development of practitioners’ professionalism is addressed in Chapter 4
entitled Student Assessment: Putting the learner at the centre.
Within page 13 of the summary document, 'Placing the student at the centre’ (available on the
same page as the full document) may be helpful when considering aspects of recognising
achievement, profiling and reporting.
To become lifelong learners, students need to be able to assess their own progress, make
adjustments to their understandings and take control of their own learning.
Summary of (OECD) study entitled 'Synergies for Better Learning'
Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce Interim report
Available on the Scottish Government website, this Interim report from the Commission for
Developing Scotland's Young Workforce contains 12 recommendations following extensive
consultations with leading figures in education and business.
The report focuses on significantly enhancing Scotland's vocational education to achieve the same
acclaimed status as that enjoyed by Scotland's higher education sector.
There is also a focus on the importance of business and industry working with schools and colleges
as a key factor in ensuring young people are more prepared for employment and better informed
in career choice.