Our Ref

Our Ref.SC/ep Please ask for : Sue Cosson Adviser (Assessment)

Direct Dialling: (01603) 433276 ext.138
4^th January, 2000

To: Headteachers of Norfolk LEA Maintained First, First & Middle, Infant, Primary

and Special Schools to be audited by cluster in 2000

Dear Headteacher,
Re: Key Stage 1 Audit 2000

Thank you very much for returning the pink form giving information about Year 2 pupils and staff. The purpose of this letter is to give you further information about the audit arrangements for 2000, knowing that you have now received the 2000 Key Stage 1 Assessment and Reporting Booklet from QCA, giving details of statutory requirements for assessment and the Key Stage 1 audit.
A. Cluster arrangements

You will also be aware from my letter of 13^th September that your school is to be audited as part of the cluster group four-year rolling programme.

Cluster group: No. will consist of:

___________ will be the audit moderator for the cluster.

S/he will contact you by 11^th February to give details of the dates and venues of the cluster group audit meetings. The first of these will take place towards the end of this term. The second, in the vast majority of cases, will take place in the week beginning 5^th June 2000.

The cluster group audit will consist of two meetings, one in the late spring term and the other in the summer term, when the assessments have been completed (probably w/b 5th June). The arrangements for the cluster group audit meetings are as follows:
First Meeting (Spring Term)

to discuss issues concerned with the administration and marking of the tasks and tests,

in order to help secure consistent standards of administration;

to discuss issues related to the assessment of non-narrative writing, using examples of children’s work. Teachers are asked to bring two pieces of writing (2 copies of each). This could be:

letter writing

instructions

information writing

a book review

play writing etc

to discuss any issues related to teacher assessment, particularly following the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. Teachers may wish to bring samples of work that they would like to discuss.

Second Meeting (w/b 5th June)

to verify the marking of the tasks and tests

If more than one teacher from your school will be attending the meetings, please let your moderator know so that appropriate arrangements can be made for tea/coffee etc.

Please note there are no centrally held funds for supply cover for these meetings. A specific standards fund grant for Key Stage 1 assessment was devolved to all schools in 1999/2000 and it is anticipated that this will be the case again in 2000/2001.

B. Administration of tasks/tests

In addition to the requirement to verify the levels awarded in the standard tasks and tests, the LEA is also required to consider the administration of the tasks and tests. As it is clearly impractical to visit all schools to watch them being carried out, audit-moderators will visit one school in each cluster to watch either the maths test or the writing task taking place. Your moderator will contact you well in advance if s/he needs to make a visit.

As in previous years, serious concerns about administration or marking will be followed by a visit to the school.

C. Headteacher’s Declaration

As in 1999, QCA will be supplying a proforma for headteachers to sign to confirm that the assessments have been carried out according to the handbook instructions. The proforma will be included with the test materials. It must be sent to the LEA with the OMR forms.

This process has been planned to meet the DfEE and QCA requirements on LEAs for audit moderation. These requirements are detailed in the 2000 Assessment and Reporting Arrangements Booklet.

D. Issues arising from 1999 assessments

While in the great majority of schools the assessments were carried out properly and marked accurately, I would like to draw your attention to the following issues arising from the 1999 assessments and ask you to assure yourself that all is in order in your school:

Teachers were sometimes unclear about requirements for entry for the tasks and tests in reading and spelling.

Levels awarded in the writing task were sometimes inaccurate.

Teachers who had not attended any training were sometimes unaware of changes to requirements.

In some cases the administration of the tests was inappropriate, with not enough attention given to the guidance in the teachers’ handbooks

In some schools there were considerable clerical errors in marking.

The marking of non-literal answers in the reading comprehension tests was not always accurate.

If you or your Year 2 teachers have any queries about the interpretation of the instructions given in the Teachers’ Handbook, please do not hesitate to contact me for clarification.
The blue copy of this letter is for your Year 2 teacher(s).

If you have any further queries, please contact Sue Cosson via Elizabeth Philpot on (01603) 433276 or (01603) 701020 (Assessment/Audit Moderation Helpline).

Yours sincerely,

Sue Cosson

Adviser (Assessment)

Enc.