Exam Information – Year 8
This page contains useful information about our assessment systems and qualifications that are relevant to your child in Year 8.
Assessment in Lessons
We regularly use assessment within lessons to ensure that our students are making progress at, and to inform our future teaching. This assessment may come in many different forms, such as essays, small tests, multiple choice questions or past paper problems.
Within each subject, teachers will use these regular assessments in lessons to check that students are progressing towards the relevant end points in their subject area.
Reviewing Progress
Up to four times a year each subject reports on student progress within their area. Staff judge students based on regular and recent assessment as follows:
Following assessment, students receive one of three judgements:
Any student who is marked as ‘D’ will receive a SMART target to help improve their progress.
Attitude To Learning (ATL)
We report on the ATL of every student at all four of our reporting points each year. Learners receive an ATL score from each individual subject.
A positive Attitude to Learning (ATL) plays a vital part in raising the outcomes for students at Horsforth School. We expect all learners at our School to achieve the maximum possible ATL, regardless of academic ability.
Each Horsforth Learner is judged on a scale of 1-6, with 4 being the minimum standard expected.
We report on the ATL of every student at our four reporting points each year. Learners receive an ATL score from each individual subject.
An average ATL of 5 or more will be rewarded with a ‘Fab 5’ extended lunch, where eligible students can enjoy an extra twenty minutes of lunch break with other Fab 5 learners.
Students who fall close to or below the minimum ATL expectation may be placed on an ATL report by either a Form Tutor, Year Co-ordinator, Pastoral and Behaviour Officer or a member of the Senior Leadership Team. An ATL report monitors the attitude to learning in each individual lesson to highlight areas where the learner may require support or intervention.
Progress Review information is available electronically if you download the SIMs Parent App here.
Attitude To Learning (ATL) Superstars
“RECOGNISING OUR STUDENTS WHO SET AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS”
We recognise the achievements of 20 students in each year group with the highest average ATL, and the 10 who improve the most, via our ‘ATL superstars initiative.
End of Year Exams
Each subject will create a suitable end of year assessment to test the knowledge, skills and understanding of students against the agreed criteria. For most subjects, this is likely to be an examination, in preparation for future linear examinations at Key Stages 4 and 5.
Key Exam and Assessment Dates
| End of year exams | TBC Please note that some exams will be sat in the exam hall, whilst others will be completed within students’ normal lessons. |
| Parents’ evening | 29th February 2024 |