Do teachers end up constantly teaching to the test? How do you mitigate against this and ensure there is still a real joy to learning outside of tests?

The starting point for all teaching and learning at Chesterton is knowledge.  Subject teachers work together to identify the knowledge and skills they believe students have a right to have within their subject field and design schemes of learning around that.  Assessments are used to evaluate the teaching and learning that is taking place and to ascertain the extent to which individual students are accessing the knowledge which teachers have identified as important.  The information gained from assessments allows teachers to plan going forwards at whole class and individual level.  Assessments are a checking tool, the knowledge and skills identified by subject specialists are the goal. 

• What does the term assessment mean at Chesterton?
• How often do assessments take place?
• Why do you do such regular assessments?
• Does Chesterton do more tests than other schools?
• Do teachers end up constantly teaching to the test? How do you mitigate against this and ensure there is still a real joy to learning outside of tests?
• How do I know what tests my child has upcoming? How do I understand which of these tests are significant in terms of feeding into end of year grades or summative assessments?
• Do you expect my child to prepare for a test e.g. by doing extra revision? Do teachers provide revision sessions and questions?
• What support does Chesterton offer to help learners manage test-related stress and anxiety? How can I support as a parent?
• What is the provision for assessments for learners with additional needs?
• Are there instances when parents can request their child doesn’t take a test?
• Are students moved down a set as a result of not doing well in an assessment? Conversely are they moved up if they do well?
• How do parents receive information about the outcome of individual assessments? How are results of assessments stored, for how long and who has access to the results?
• Can you clarify what Chesterton’s approach has been to teacher-assessed grades for GCSEs and whether you see this as a permanent change moving forwards? If so, what impact does this have on mock tests etc. in Years 10 & 11?