Recording and Return of Statutory and Other Assessment Information

Timeline
In order to ensure that the data is available at the right time, both for the LEA and for others, the 2005 deadlines for returning data are as follows:

These submission dates take into account the deadlines by which the different parts of the statutory assessment process have to be completed and the expected dates when the relevant data will be available to schools. They have also been chosen to ensure that schools can spread the work involved and, if necessary, make arrangements for the allocation of additional hours for administrative staff or the employment of temporary staff to enter the results and effect the transfers.

Transfer Information 2005
This year's information and guidance about the transfer of pupil information between schools in 2005 will be available on Esinet from the start of the summer term. The guidance gives full details of the arrangements, which are broadly the same as last year.

Recording and Transfer of Assessment Data
We are continuing to develop the use of information technology for the recording and transfer of assessment data to the LEA. Most schools are now using Phoenix Gold to store, analyse, publish and transfer this data, and this should help with the transfer of information between schools. It will also facilitate the production of reports for parents and make the transfer of assessment information to the Management Information Centre (MIC), and to QCA, easier and more efficient in order to further reduce the administrative burden on schools and their staff.

Key Stage 2 Test Results (and QCA Optional Tests Results)
There is, again, no requirement to submit Key Stage 2 Test results or QCA Optional Test results to the MIC. However, it is important that your Key Stage 2 Test results are recorded in your Phoenix Gold system at the earliest possible opportunity for:

(a) producing statutory reports for parents
(b) transferring pupil information between schools
(c) electronic transfer to your pupil tracking system (eg. AssessIT, PAT)

Key Stage 2 Teacher Assessments including ICT
Schools' use of the s2s service to transfer Key Stage 2 Teacher Assessments to QCA worked well in 2004 and no change to this process is proposed for 2005. The submission of Teacher Assessments for ICT at the end of Key Stage 2 is again required as part of our response to our last Ofsted inspection. As last year, once you have entered the ICT TA Levels into Phoenix Gold, they will automatically be included in your KS2 Teacher Assessments file submitted by s2s. You may notice that the date required, 23rd June, is earlier than the NAA deadline. This is for two reasons, firstly to spread the workload for schools having to submit KS1 and KS2 data, and secondly because MIC have to ensure that all the schools' files are submitted before the NAA deadline.

Key Stage 1
As you will know, there are some changes to reporting end of Key Stage 1 assessments this year (for details please refer to the Assessment and Reporting Arrangements 2005 booklet). Although the statutory requirement is for you to report just Teacher Assessments, you will need to keep a record of your Test Results in Phoenix Gold and these will be included in the file you submit to MIC. (Detailed guidance notes will be available from ICT Solutions.)

P-Scales
DfES is asking schools to provide P-Scales with their Key Stage 1 results this year, on a voluntary basis. P-Scales are likely to be most appropriate for children assessed at Level W at the end of Key Stage 1. The Level W will still be recorded for the child (in addition to the P-Scale) and must be included in the return. The next Phoenix Gold upgrade will facilitate the recording of this P-Scale data and your KS1 data submission will automatically include any P-Scales that have been recorded in your Phoenix Gold system. Guidance will be provided on the ICT Solutions website.

Foundation Stage Profile
Use of the electronic version of the Foundation Stage Profile facilitates the smooth transfer of data into Phoenix Gold, and also has many other benefits for heads and teachers. It enables them to analyse the data for their own pupils - including progression charts from entry to the end of the foundation stage, comparisons between boys and girls, and identifying strengths across the six areas of learning. The DfES has provided an updated version of the Foundation Stage e-Profile software, together with User Manual Version 2. These can be downloaded free from http://schoolsportal.suffolkcc.gov.uk/schools/FSP

Summary
We continue to believe that there are significant benefits in ensuring that all assessments are entered in Phoenix and transferred electronically, wherever possible. This approach means that schools build up a common repository for assessment data. It provides an efficient method of tracking and reporting pupil progress - using, for example AssessIt or PAT - and facilitates the production of school reports which comply fully with statutory requirements. Our discussions with schools indicate that there continues to be broad support for this approach although it is widely acknowledged that both we and schools will continue to need to modify and develop our working practice, year on year.

Further detailed information about the actual process of transferring of the data will be made available to schools in due course. There is already a wide range of help and support for Phoenix Gold on the ICT Solutions web site at http://ictsolutions.norfolk.gov.uk or via the Help Desk on 0845 303 3003.

If you have questions about the arrangements or need further advice or support please contact one of the officers named below who will be pleased to try and help you.