Association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment
Leading in learning through Assessment
President: Juliet Sizmur
(AaiaPresident@aaia.org.uk)
Vice-President: Ben Fuller
www.aaia.org.uk
www.facebook.com/aaiauk
www.twitter.com/aaiauk
(AaiaVicepresident@aaia.org.uk)
Secretary: Pauline Cue (AaiaSecretary@aaia.org.uk)
Treasurer: Mike Viner (AaiaTreasurer@aaia.org.uk)
Membership Secretary: Jenny Short
(AaiaMembership@aaia.org.uk)
Communications Officer: David Bartlett
(AaiaCommunicationsOfficer@aaia.org.uk)
AAIA Regional Meeting 15/12/2014 - Minutes
Present: Ben Fuller (Herts), John Crowley (Norfolk), Mandy Lowe (Norfolk), Steve Turp (Suffolk),
Jacqui Cant (Suffolk), Dani Wade (Southend), Pauline Cue (Independent), Liz Depper (Independent),
Diane Small (Cambridgeshire), Lois Diamond (Cambridgeshire), Maggie Dutton (Cambridgeshire),
Denise Knight (Greenways Federation), Peter McCarthy (Independent), Marie Reynolds (Luton)
Apologies received from: Sue Swaffield, Theresa Pierce, Jane Downes
1. Dates for the year and arrangements for inter-LA moderation sessions
Dates as follows:
15/12 - AAIA business meeting (booked for whole day)
20/01/2015 – Inter-LA Moderator Training Day (10am-3pm) – up to 50 delegates
03/02 - EYFS inter-LA moderation (10am-3pm) – up to 40 delegates
03/03 - KS1 inter-LA moderation (10am-3pm) - strict limit of 30 delegates
24/03 - KS2 writing inter-LA moderation (10am-3pm) strict limit of 30 delegates
29/06 - AAIA business meeting (booked for whole day)
Potentially 12 LAs might wish to send delegates to inter-LA meetings (Essex, Herts, Central Beds,
Bedford Borough, Bucks, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Peterborough, Luton, Milton Keynes,
Southend) – therefore initial allocation of just 3 per LA for KS1 and KS2 sessions, 4 per LA for EYFS.
2. Consultation on KS1 & 2 Performance Descriptors
Excellent discussion on the draft response to the consultation that other AAIA regions had already
contributed to. We came up with a number of additional points that we wished to make.
BF to collate and send to David Bartlett, who will submit AAIA response.
Individuals, LAs and schools also encouraged to submit their own responses.
3. Reception baseline test – any updates? – list of providers end of Jan, schools sign up by March?
End of January is when we expect to see the list of providers. Schools then have only 2 months to
decide which baseline to adopt. LA representatives would like to be able to encourage their schools
to adopt a particular baseline, but there is not much time to consider them. We will add a look at
potential Reception Baseline options to the agenda for regional EYFSP moderation meeting (3rd Feb).
Important to consider issues such as child-friendliness, appropriateness to EAL etc.
A number of schools within LAs represented had been trialling different approaches.
It is understood that if a particular baseline does not have sufficient take-up it will not be used.
Unknown issues include whether a school can change baseline year on year, or is it a commitment
for a certain number of years, different prices of different options, weighting of different assessment
focuses, expectations of LAs to moderate – how will that work if different approaches in use?
It was felt it would be useful if Liz Depper could put some of our questions and concerns to Will
Emms of STA. Also felt it would be a good idea if Executive could talk to John McRoberts about it. BF
to ask around Exec about possibility of inviting JM to next Exec meeting.
If colleagues review different approaches, we will share these around the group.
4. Any points for Liz Depper to raise with STA
See above.
Also, the fact that the ARA is no longer one document, but a series of web pages, makes it very
unwieldy to use.
(Dani Wade will send to BF a collated document of all the aspects of the ARA to forward around the
group.)
5. Ofsted – new framework, experiences of inspections this term
Inspections this term have included an ‘Evidence gathering’ process, on how far down the line
schools are with adopting a new approach to assessment. Great focus on seeing progress within
children’s written work.
6. “Life Beyond Levels” – sharing good practice
Discussion of the extent to which different LAs have offered guidance to their schools. BF shared
information on the Herts approach. Keen to emphasise that an approach to tracking is not the same
as an approach to assessment. Useful article from Dylan Wiliam that appeared on the Teach Primary
website:
Whilst members are all in agreement that we need to focus schools’ attention on formative
assessment, we are very well aware that schools need to be able to effectively demonstrate their
pupils’ attainment and progress. For schools that have been judged Requires Improvement or
Inadequate, this is essential.
7. AAIA Publications review
BF to forward Word doc of Guidance for Assessment Leaders in Secondary schools to Steve Turp
BF to forward Using Assessment to Enhance Learning to John Crowley and Mandy Lowe.
8. Succession planning
BF prepared to continue as Regional Rep this year (as well as the Vice President role) but if elected
President will need to hand over the role of regional rep.
Dates for the year
15/12 - AAIA business meeting (booked for whole day)
20/01/2015 – Inter-LA Moderator Training Day (10am-3pm) – up to 50
03/02 - EYFS inter-LA moderation (10am-3pm) – discussion of Exceeding across ELGs (the GLD ELGs)
Norfolk (1 set), Herts?, Sally Thorpe Bucks?,
03/03 - KS1 inter-LA moderation (10am-3pm) - only Byron room available, which means we would
have a strict limit of 30 – Herts, Norfolk,
24/03 - KS2 writing inter-LA moderation (10am-3pm) – Suffolk, Norfolk, Herts
29/06 - AAIA business meeting (booked for whole day)