Assessment Opportunities
Introduction
Every year since it came into existence, Ofsted decrees RE to be the worst assessed subject within the primary school curriculum. While my experiences within schools would lead me to agree with the awarding of this accolade, I would suggest that underlying it is another more worrying title that helps to throw some light on the first. This title is that of 'the least taught subject in the primary curriculum'. It follows that if teachers aren't teaching RE, then what have they got to assess?
When I published the Primary Vision scheme of work in 2000, my overwhelming desire was to provide over-worked teachers in Stockport and beyond with a source of high-quality lesson plans. In assembling the scheme, I was very conscious of the issues of continuity and progression. In my opinion, primary RE lacked challenge and, as a consequence, was deemed by both teachers and children to be boring.
I wanted to make RE as demanding as any of the core subjects within the primary curriculum. However, I chose to avoid explicit mention of assessment. This, I now realize, was an oversight on my behalf, (as teaching and assessment are inextricably linked) and one which I hope to redress by incorporating into each unit of work a set of assessment opportunities.
These assessment opportunities are based on the National Expectations in RE and although these have been widely criticized as being overly ambitious, I have not chosen, as some SACREs have, to modify them, but only to make them refer specifically to the content of the Primary Vision scheme.
As they are specifically linked to the activities within the units of work, these assessment opportunities should not add to the work of teachers. On the contrary, they should hopefully facilitate the teaching and reporting of RE. I believe that they are best employed as a summary at the end of a unit of work, or the end of a school year.
As a general rule within assessment of all subjects, a single piece of work is unlikely to justify the awarding of a particular level. This does not mean that teachers have to build up an RE portfolio for each child (although I do advocate the use of RE books), but that it is advisable to take a longer perspective on children's attainment in RE, for example, across the term or the year.
Foundation Stage
I have not chosen to include specific assessment opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage, but would refer Early Years Practitioners to the relevant sections of the Foundation Stage Curriculum and would invite them to be conscious of working towards Level 1 of the National Expectations in RE.
Key Stage 1
Assessment opportunities at Key Stage 1 are largely aimed at Levels 1 and 2, but for the sake of high-achievers, Level 3 is introduced in the second half of Year 2. It is hoped that by the end of KS1, most children will be operating at Level 2.
Key Stage 2
At Lower KS2, the assessment opportunities are focussed on Levels 2 and 3. While, at Upper KS2, it is not inconceivable that certain children might be operating at Level 2 or below, the constraints of time have meant that the assessment opportunities range from Levels 3 to 5. It is hoped that by the end of KS2, most children will be operating at Level 4.
