TO DO: Add maths, visual aids
& egs in text
Assessing Speaking and Listening
Introduction
Just like other areas of the curriculum, when assessing Speaking and
Listening we need to be clear about what it is we are assessing – find an
agreed criteria against which to assess and find efficient ways of noting
achievements.
Speaking and Listening underpins the whole curriculum and will therefore be
assessed in a number of situations across the curriculum or indeed outside of
the school day (homework clubs, hobby clubs, performance in assemblies,
etc).
We can collect evidence of achievement when:
 activities have been specifically set up to teach and assess Speaking
and Listening and the criteria for success are very clear and have been
shared with the children. For example, if a task asks children to give
instructions, then the criteria are likely to relate to the brevity and
clarity of the wording, the sequence in which the instructions are given
and the choice of appropriate vocabulary to convey technical
information;
 the planned activity includes substantial oral or group work, which may
be related to other aspects of English or another curriculum area. This
could include group work in the literacy hour. The task should include
explicit instructions about the nature of the talk expected, such as the
roles group members should take, the phasing of the work so there are
times built in for planning, recapping, agreeing action, reviewing
progress and any particular demands in term of vocabulary and
grammar;
 a contribution is recognised as excellent or significant for a particular
child incidental or spontaneous opportunities arise during a range of
learning contexts whether they are child initiated, teacher directed or
adult led.
Sometimes the social dimensions of talk can provide difficulties because we
have to recognise the oral achievements of the child who only speaks
confidently to the teacher on a one to one basis and the child who is verbose
in all situations.
What are the key features of effective assessment in speaking and listening ?
Be clear about what is being assessed. It is not the accent or dialect that is
being assessed, the length of the contribution, the opinion expressed or their
confidence and leadership qualities. But it is:
 the effectiveness of their talk, including adaptation to purpose, context
and audience;
 a contribution that shows positive and flexible work in groups;
 a contribution that builds on that of others – showing evidence of
listening and responding
 clarity in communicating, including the use of reason, clear sequencing
of ideas and the use of standard English.
What does our plan look like for assessment in school?
Agree, in school, how you will assess Speaking and Listening. You might
include the following:
 encouraging children to assess and evaluate their own and each
other’s performance;
 systematically collect tangible evidence of talk in the form of group
observation sheets, video and audio recordings, written logs and
diaries;
 summarising achievement; for example, at the end of a term or year,
in order to provide information to help plan for progression in the most
appropriate way;
 standardising assessments by visiting each other’s classrooms and
discussing performance, both within school and using the QCA
Exemplification on CD ROM, English: Speaking and Listening
(QCA/02/898)
What about making and recording assessments?
The evidence can take different forms:
 notes made by the teacher or other adults as the activity is happening
or soon after;
 notes made by the children in talk logs, group observations, notes for
talk and reflections on them;
 some taped work, for example when the task is to produce a radio
broadcast.
Recording could be in different forms – but it needs to be clear, succinct and
accessible. The easiest method might be a lose leaf folder that contains a
page for each child (see example in Speaking and Listening Handbook).
Speaking and Listening working party
The following assessment materials were created by a group of Dudley
teachers concerned that there should be some practical help with the
assessment of Speaking and Listening in schools.
The Pupil Self Assessment sheets transfer the Speaking and Listening
objectives for each year group into pupil speak targets. Each of the four
strands of Speaking and Listening (speaking, listening, group discussion and
interaction and drama) has a separate sheet and the ‘steps’ refer to the year
group in which the objective is found. Year 1 is therefore Step 1 and so on.
These sheets are flexible, can be adapted and used in a number of contexts
across the curriculum. Children should be encouraged to identify how
confident they are against each step independently. However, this skill will
initially need to be taught. Teaching assistants could be used to sit with small
groups to support children through this process.
Schools can choose to use the sheets in any way they wish:
 putting the grids on to A5 and making a booklet to accompany the
child through school;
 combining these statements with the ‘Step into Writing’ materials to
make an English assessment book;
 displaying the statements as posters in class when a Speaking and
Listening assessment is taking place.
The materials also include a formal Speaking and Listening record sheet
working alongside the child speak steps, the four strands overview and a set
of visual aids to support each strand.