How to Make
Accurate Teacher
Assessments in
Writing
2014-15
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What writing can be included as evidence for teacher
assessments?
1. Evidence should be taken from the whole of Year 6 using a range of writing that
includes both fiction and non-fiction forms presented in a variety of ways and for
a range of purposes and audiences, including ‘rough’ work and ‘finished’
examples.
2. Plan for writing opportunities and cross curricular links ensuring that the
writing evidence has been written outside of guided teaching time. So if you
are teaching persuasive writing in your Literacy lessons, allow for a time gap of a
week or so before asking the pupils to write a persuasive text that might be
used for evidence.
3. Collect At least 4 pieces of writing per child across the curriculum and genres.
This does not mean that every child has to have the same writing evidence. For
example: for non-fiction reports choose or allow the children to choose the topic
that will interest them: science, animals, geographical. For narrative, some
children may write an adventure story whilst others choose mystery or sci-fi. This
is a more personalised approach and allows for greater engagement.
4. If you have planned for a particular piece of writing to be used as possible
evidence but it does not showcase the pupil’s writing ability then disregard it.
Equally, if you are marking pupils’ books and identify a great example of their
writing then this can be used so long you annotate on the piece what support, if
any, was given.
5. All writing that is being used as evidence should be levelled dated and the level
of support annotated.
Independence in writing
Your external moderators will expect to see examples of pupils’ independent writing,
as well as work supported through direct modelling, use of prompts, or guided group
work. Clearest evidence for independence is likely to come from writing which is
cross curricular and / or which requires pupils to make decisions about audience,
purpose or form. Moderators must be clear about the amount of support a pupil has
received in completing a particular piece of writing.
There must be evidence of independent writing in order to be secure in a level.
DfE guidance 2014
Useful contact details:
[email protected]
[email protected]
National curriculum assessments helpline:
Telephone: 0300 303 3013
Email: [email protected]
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The main text types include:
Text type
Example
Recount
A sequential retelling of events, eg a
diary entry, newspaper report, factual
story based on people or events.
Procedure or instruction
Guides the reader by stating how to do
or make something, or how to take care
of something, eg a guide to taming a
dragon, a set of instructions for playing
a game of tag rugby.
Narrative Stories
Generally a fictitious story although may
be based on fact. Can be written in
different genres, eg traditional tale,
adventure, science fiction, historical,
ghost.
Report
Describes what something is or was like
and provides information about it, eg an
informative leaflet, a report on a school
project, a letter, a news report.
Explanation
Explains how or why something
happens or works. Is usually organised
logically
and/or
sequentially,
eg
presentation slides to explain how a
bicycle works, a written outcome of a
science experiment.
Argument and persuasion
Presents opinion and points of view
which may be biased or balanced, eg a
letter to persuade or protest, a book
review, a speech, a play script.
Poetry
For example to entertain, to reflect, to
convey information, to tell a story, to
share knowledge or to pass on cultural
heritage.
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DfE guidance for LA teacher assessment KS2 moderation, exemplifications
and ARA guidance is available:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-assessment-andreporting-arrangements-ara
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-guidance-for-teacherassessment-moderation--2/overview-of-the-moderation-process--6
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/3644
26/KS2_modn_rqmts_effective_practice_for_LAs.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/3637
39/KS2_modn_rqmts_effective_practice_for_schools.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-teacher-assessmentwriting-exemplification-levels-4-6
LA Writing Moderation Visits:
Local authorities are responsible for moderating teacher assessment judgements in
at least 25 per cent of maintained schools in the area. We must also moderate any
academies that have chosen to be part of our arrangements. External moderation is
statutory. It gives confidence that schools’ teacher assessment judgements are
accurate and consistent with national standards. All maintained schools and
academies will receive a local authority moderation visit at least once every four
years.
We have a team of moderators in the authority that are able to offer support to Year
6 teachers in terms of collecting evidence, planning for writing opportunities and
making accurate level judgements. If you would like a visit from our moderators
during the year, please do contact Mary Ellinger.
Local authorities must notify schools of the dates for moderation visits during the
final week of the spring term. Moderation visits must be completed by the end of the
summer term.
The moderation visits will be made by at least two LA moderators. All moderators
will have completed and passed a Levelling Test to be able to part of the KS2
Moderation Team. Mary Ellinger, Schools Partnership Adviser, heads this team.
Visits take place at an agreed time and within the school day, with all year 6
teachers released for the visit
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If your school is selected, these are the key points that you will need to be aware of:
Before the visit:
 On receipt of your letter informing you that you will be moderated, schools
will need to submit a ranked list of their Y6 pupils, by class, together with
their current Teacher Assessment levels in writing to Mary Ellinger. If
available, the pupils’ writing test results should also be submitted.
 Fill in and return the form entitled Description of Current Practice (enclosed in
the Moderator Notebook.)
 In preparation for the visit, ensure that there will be a quiet space available
for the moderators to review evidence and talk to the Y6 teachers.
 Assemble the children’s exercise books and other evidence of their writing, in
whatever format it is routinely kept. Please note there is NO requirement for
schools to prepare portfolios or separate out individual pupils’ work if it is not
normally stored in this way.
 You will be sent information on the LA appeals process.
During the visit:
 The moderators will discuss with the Y6 teachers which children’s work will
be moderated. Moderators will normally want to see work from pupils working
at the full range of levels, (2-6). Teachers may find it useful to discuss the
work of pupils who have, for example, made good or poor progress over the
year, or those who are borderline between levels. Normally, moderators
would expect to look at the work of at least 15% across the cohort or in
the case of a single class, a minimum of 5 pupils. The final sample
selection will rest with the LA external moderators.
 The writing that is provided by teachers as evidence should be collected from
a range of genres and from across the curriculum areas.
All writing should be levelled in order for it to be moderated.
 Moderators will discuss pupils’ work with the Y6 teachers, and give feedback
to Headteachers or senior leaders on strengths and any concerns they may
have. If necessary, they will recommend how teacher assessments should
be changed, and explain the appeals procedure.
 Whole school assessment processes are evaluated during the professional
discussion.
 All level 6 writing must be externally moderated, either during a
moderation visit or at an LA moderation session in May.
After the visit:
 Moderators will provide brief written feedback to schools.
 Mary Ellinger must be notified of any teacher assessments that have been
changed by the school following a moderation visit. For example if a
moderation team agreed that a child was writing at Level 3 but then later felt
they had sufficient evidence for a Level 4.
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Useful KS2 Assessment dates:
As advertised, we will be running Year 6 Levelling Writing sessions for Y6 teachers
to moderate writing with their colleagues. There will be LA moderators attending
every session:
All sessions run from 3.45 ‘til 5.00pm
Tuesday 27th January 2015
St Nicolas Primary,
Locks Hill, Portslade, BN41 2LA,
Monday 9th March
Hove Park Secondary,
2015
Valley Campus, Lower Hangleton
Also to include information on:
Way, Hove, BN3 8AA
 KS3 marking and assessing
writing
 increased focus on GPS
 New-style GCSE's for
students.
Tuesday 28th April
Bevendean Primary,
2015
Heath Hill Ave, Brighton, BN2 4JP,
If you would like to book a place on any of these sessions, please email
[email protected]
We will also be holding four writing moderation sessions at Westdene Teaching
School in May to ensure teachers are feeling confident that their judgements are
accurate. Teachers will need to contact Joyti Azad to book a place on their
preferred session:
Monday 18th May 2015
AM: 9.00am - 12.00pm
Tuesday 19th May 2015
AM: 9.00am - 12.00pm
PM: 1.00 – 4.00pm
PM: 1.00 – 4.00pm
SATs week: 11th -14th May 2015
Monday 11th May
Levels 3-5 English reading test
Level 6 English reading test
Tuesday 12th May
Levels 3-5 English grammar, punctuation and
spelling test
Level 6 English grammar, punctuation and spelling
test
Wednesday 13th May
Levels 3-5 mental maths test
Levels 3-5 maths paper 1
No level 6 tests timetables for this day
th
Thursday 14 May
Levels 3-5 maths paper 2
Level 6 maths paper 1
Level 6 maths paper 2
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