Securing teacher assessment at
Key Stage 2/3 Information Meeting for Cluster
Contacts
28 June 2011 – Llandudno
29 June 2011 – Cardiff
30 June 2011 - Swansea
The English Team:
• Chief Moderator – Elan Davies
• Deputy Chief Moderators:
Eileen Jones
and
Helen Bowen
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ENGLISH: Programme for the session
 Welcome to the meeting

Setting a context: cluster moderation as part of ensuring
consistency in teacher assessment at KS2 and KS3
 Feedback from the pilot:

Summary of the outcomes and key messages
 Model for national implementation:

Timeframe and key dates

Requirements for clusters’ sample evidence

Nature of moderators’ feedback
 Supporting cluster moderation:

What makes a good learner profile? Examples of good practice
and guidance materials
Cluster Moderation:
Statutory Requirements
Standardising at KS2-KS3: ENGLISH
(School)
• Standardisation involves a process of using samples of
the work of the same learner or of different learners to
enable teachers to reach agreement on levels of
attainment by confirming a shared understanding of
the characteristics of a level.
• Materials collated for standardisation purposes ... are
described as the school, department or cluster
standardisation portfolio which is used as a reference
source of evidence.
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Moderating at KS2-KS3: ENGLISH
(School and Cluster)
• Moderation at the end of a key stage,
where a ‘best-fit’ judgement on an
individual learner’s level of attainment is
made.
• This is exemplified through ‘a range of
work of an individual learner, a learner
profile ... to assist judgements to be made
at the end of a key stage, through
moderation’.
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Making ‘best-fit’ judgements:
‘... to recognise progress within a key stage, best-fit judgements could use the
features of adjacent level descriptions to indicate whether a learner is working
at the lower end, securely within, or at the top end of a broad National
Curriculum Outcome/Level. Typically, a learner at the lower end of an
Outcome/Level shows mainly characteristics of that Outcome/Level across a
range of work, but may still have some characteristics of the previous
Outcome/Level in some aspects of the work. A learner securely within the
Outcome/Level demonstrates the characteristics of that Outcome/Level across
a range of work. A learner at the top end of an Outcome/Level demonstrates
clearly characteristics of that Outcome/Level across a range of work with
some examples of characteristics of the next Outcome/Level. Special schools
and mainstream schools can use such best-fit judgements to share information
about individual learners, within and across schools.
At the end of a key stage, learners’ attainment must be reported in terms of
the most appropriate whole Outcome/Level. All attainment at the lower end,
securely within or at the top of an Outcome/Level should be recorded as being
at that level.’
[Ref. ‘Making the most of assessment’, page7 8]
The Moderation Process:
Cluster and External Moderation
Learner profile
for Cluster
Moderation
process
Selected learner
profiles for external
moderation
KS2-3 Moderation Pilot: Feedback
Clusters were asked to submit the following
evidence:
• four end of key stage learner profiles
representing two NC levels - Levels 4 and 5:
- one Level 4 learner profile from KS2 and one
from KS3; and
- one Level 5 learner profile from KS2 and one
from KS3.
- External moderation was focused on lower end
and top end of level learner profiles.
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Evidence for English: Pilot Guidance
asked that ...
• Each learner profile contain evidence
for all 3 attainment targets, (Oracy,
Reading and Writing) taken from the
Programme of Study for English
(Skills and Range) to demonstrate
the level characteristics of
Curriculum 2008.
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Further pilot guidance:
• Oracy evidence can be provided in audio/audio-visual format or as
secondary evidence through teacher commentary on the task and learner
performance. This evidence should come from normal classroom practice.
• In order to demonstrate performance across the Range, reading and
writing evidence should include literary and non-literary evidence (see
Programme of Study for further guidance).
• Where the same evidence is used to demonstrate performance in more
than one attainment target, e.g. oral assessment of reading evidence used
to support both reading and oracy attainment, commentary should refer
to both ATs.
• It is important for moderation that relevant resources/stimulus materials
and/or frameworks for work in each attainment target are included with
the sample. In relation to reading, copies of texts should be included, e.g.
copy of a poem, leaflet, extract from prose text etc.
Further pilot guidance:
• Each learner profile must include
teacher/cluster commentary:
• To demonstrate the cluster’s understanding of
the level descriptions
• In summary form for each profile to explain
the cluster’s best-fit judgement of lower end of
top end of the relevant level.
PILOT FINDINGS: To build on current best practice at
KS2 and KS3 clusters should ensure that ...
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
they demonstrate evidence of moderating learner profiles rather than standardising
individual pieces of work;
learner profiles include evidence for each attainment target. As noted in the guidance
and exemplified during the pilot’s information meetings, secondary evidence through
teacher commentary for Oracy is appropriate;
learner profiles for school and cluster moderation include a range of evidence for each
of the attainment targets. The evidence should sufficiently demonstrate the level
characteristics relevant to the learner profile (lower end/top end or securely within);
cluster commentary reflects the level characteristics demonstrated in the learner profile
and demonstrates the cluster’s overall best-fit judgement;
task setting reflects the Skills and Range of the 2008 English programme of study e.g. a
balance of non-literary and literary evidence for both Reading and Writing and evidence
of a range of Oracy tasks. This is essential to ensure that assessment reflects the
normal classroom practice relevant to the programme of study including the 2008 level
descriptions.*
cluster commentary includes contextual information for each task;
evidence includes resource/stimulus material where relevant.
Additional points of reference:
Chief Moderator Report
• *In some profiles ‘there was an over-reliance, particularly at KS3, for
clusters to use past SATs material as evidence for reading. Whilst
some had successfully made use of these to reflect more open tasks
using the SAT stimulus material, some were still evident of
test/examination conditions and therefore could not be considered
part of ‘normal classroom practice’. Use of more open and creative
activities often within the same profiles were actually a better
indicator of learner attainment. This aspect was reported on as part
of the previous KS3 external moderation exercise and should have
been acted on since then. As expected there were few examples of
standardised test results being used as part of the evidence for
Reading. Naturally where these arose cluster commentary
struggled to make any relevant links between the standard score
and characteristics of the level in question.’
Administration Guidance
Document: Please read carefully
Model for national Implementation:
General - Timeframe
2011
June
Autumn term
2012
Spring term:
30th March
4th May
April / May
By end of summer
term
Regional Information Meetings for primary/secondary cluster contacts:
Welsh First Language, 9.30am – 12.00pm:
20 June – Cardiff: Park Inn Hotel, Llanederyn.
21 June – Swansea: Liberty Stadium.
28 June – Llandudno: Venue Cymru.
Welsh Second Language, 9.30am – 12.00pm or 1.30pm – 4.00pm:
21 June – Swansea: Liberty Stadium.
22 June – Cardiff: Park Inn Hotel, Llanederyn.
28 June – Llandudno: Venue Cymru
English, 9.30am – 12.00pm or 1.30pm – 4.00pm:
28 June – Llandudno: Venue Cymru
29 June – Cardiff: Park Inn Hotel, Llanederyn.
30 June – Swansea: Liberty Stadium.
Nominated contact receives administrative pack for sending learner
profiles to WJEC
Deadline for providing cluster’s evidence to WJEC
 Welsh First Language and Welsh Second Language
 English
External moderation of sample evidence
Clusters’ learner profiles* and moderators’ reports returned to cluster
contact. Copies of the reports also sent to the local authority.
Model for national Implementation:
General - Requirements
• During the 2011/12 school year external moderation will focus on
securing an agreed and consistent approach in primary and secondary
schools to the assessment of oracy, reading and writing.
• All clusters are required to participate in 2011/12 by providing learner
profiles for two subjects - English and either Welsh First Language or
Welsh Second Language. For both subjects clusters will select four
learner profiles, Levels 4 and 5 identified from KS2, Year 6 and Levels 4
and 5 from KS3, Year 9.
• New for 2011/12 – Clusters will also be asked to provide the moderators
with details regarding the moderation process within their cluster.
• Copies of the reports will be provided to all schools within the cluster and
to the relevant local authority.
Cluster commentary, task information and
stimulus/context [1]:
• Each learner profile must also include agreed cluster
group commentary identifying a level for each
attainment target. Taken as a whole, the commentary
should clearly direct teachers within the cluster and
the external moderators to how the clusters’ agreed
best-fit judgement was arrived at. Therefore the
cluster should ensure that it also makes appropriate
reference to characteristics of adjacent levels shown in
the profile as appropriate. These commentaries should
be sufficiently detailed to convey the cluster’s
understanding of the level descriptions and agreed
best-fit judgements.
Cluster commentary, task information and
stimulus/context [2]:
• Cluster commentary can take a variety of forms
including, for example reference to teachers’ original
annotations on their learners’ work, bulleted points or
other succinct notes.
• An optional proforma for cluster commentaries will be
provided for each subject, and is available on the WJEC
website. Comments that already exist on learners’ work
or linked material do not need to be rewritten on the
proforma.
• It will not be possible to moderate profiles received
without cluster commentary or stimulus resource
materials.
Model for National Implementation:
ENGLISH GUIDANCE [1]
• Each learner profile must contain sufficient evidence
for all 3 attainment targets, (Oracy, Reading and
Writing) taken from the Programme of Study for
English (Skills and Range) to demonstrate the level
characteristics of Curriculum 2008.
Across the 3 Attainment Targets sufficient evidence
should be included to:
• Create a reliable and useful assessment resource for
the cluster; and
• Convey fully to the moderators the cluster's
understanding of the level requirements
Model for National Implementation:
ENGLISH GUIDANCE [2]
• Considering Sufficient Evidence:
The cluster group should satisfy itself that the
evidence (learner’s work, commentary, task
information and stimulus/context) is
‘sufficient’ to communicate its shared
understanding of national curriculum
standards. If this is the case, it should follow
that the information will also be sufficient for
the external moderators’ check and feedback.
Model for national Implementation:
ENGLISH GUIDANCE [3]
• Oracy evidence can be provided in audio/audiovisual format (see Annex 2) or as secondary
evidence through teacher commentary on the
task and learner performance. This evidence
should come from normal classroom practice
and/or ‘out of class’ work undertaken by learners.
If audio/audio-visual evidence is included it
should be made clear which learner is being
assessed and will need to be accompanied by
commentary on the task and learner
performance, this commentary could be written
or audio/audio-visual.
Model for national Implementation:
ENGLISH GUIDANCE [4]
• In order to demonstrate performance
across the Range: oracy evidence needs
to include speaking and listening
individually, in pairs and in groups in
order to present, talk and perform for a
variety of audiences. Reading and writing
evidence should include literary and
non-literary evidence (see Programme of
Study for further guidance).
Model for national Implementation:
ENGLISH GUIDANCE
• Where the same evidence is used to demonstrate
performance in more than one attainment target,
e.g. oral assessment of reading evidence used to
support both reading and oracy attainment,
commentary should refer to both ATs.
• It is important for moderation that relevant
resources/stimulus materials and/or frameworks
for work in each attainment target are included
with the sample. In relation to reading, copies of
texts should be included, e.g. a copy of a poem,
leaflet, extract from prose /text etc.
Model for national Implementation:
ENGLISH GUIDANCE
• Each learner profile must include teacher/cluster
commentary and should:
– provide relevant background and context/nature
– demonstrate the cluster’s understanding of the
relevant level descriptions
– in summary form for each attainment target
(Oracy Reading and Writing) explain the cluster’s
best-fit judgement with appropriate references to
adjacent levels.
Optional Commentary Sheet:
download from www.wjec.co.uk/keystage
Possible Evidence:
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Model for national Implementation:
ENGLISH
Cluster Moderation Process:
All cluster schools should play an active part in
deciding on best-fit by:
• identifying learner profiles for the cluster group to use as
a source of evidence.
• attending cluster group meetings to moderate selected
learner profiles
• agreeing the moderated outcomes and adopting the
cluster’s moderated learner profiles as benchmarks within
their individual schools.
• applying these benchmarks to future teacher assessment
and in particular to end of KS2/3 teacher assessment.
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Supporting cluster moderation: Process
download from
www.wjec.co.uk/keystage
Nature of Moderator Feedback :
Report Codes
CODES:
A
A(i)
Ua
N
Agree fully with cluster’s best-fit
judgement
Agree but with some issues as
noted in report
Unable to agree with cluster’s
best-fit judgement
No evidence received
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Nature of Moderator Feedback: Report
What makes a good learner
profile?
Exemplar Pilot
Profiles:
A, B, C and J
Additional Guidance:
• Additional Guidance Booklet: KS2-3
English
• Progress in English – characteristics of
Levels 3-6
• Guidance on drama as a response mode
for reading
• National Guidance Materials
Model for national Implementation:
ENGLISH GUIDANCE [4]
• In order to demonstrate performance
across the Range: oracy evidence needs
to include speaking and listening
individually, in pairs and in groups in
order to present, talk and perform for a
variety of audiences. Reading and writing
evidence should include literary and
non-literary evidence (see Programme of
Study for further guidance).
Cluster moderation: Considering
Levels 4 and 5
ORACY PoS:
Range 4.
speaking and listening
individually, in pairs,
in groups and as
members of a class
Cluster moderation: Considering
Levels 4 and 5
READING Levels:
• responding to literary
and non-literary texts
• locate and use ideas
and information on a
specific topic from more
than one printed
source and use them
effectively [L4] / retrieve
and collate information
from a range of sources
[L5].
Cluster moderation: Considering
Levels 4 and 5
WRITING PoS:
Skills 1. use the
characteristic features of
literary and non-literary
texts in their own writing,
adapting their style to suit
the audience and purpose
Model for national Implementation:
ENGLISH GUIDANCE Summary
• In addition to the learner’s work and
stimulus/resource materials, each learner profile
must include teacher/cluster commentary and
should:
– provide relevant background and context/nature
(for the tasks);
– demonstrate the cluster’s understanding of the
relevant level descriptions; and
– for each attainment target (Oracy Reading and
Writing), explain in summary form the cluster’s
best-fit judgement with appropriate references to
adjacent levels.
Supporting cluster moderation:
National Guidance
English Programme of Study and Guidance for Key Stages 2 and 3
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/curriculumassessment/
arevisedcurriculumforwales/nationalcurriculum/englishnc/?lang=en
http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publications/090109guidanceeng.pdf
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Moderator Recruitment: