Information for parents of pupils in years 4 and 7
Assessment of pupils
The purpose of assessment is to let teachers know what pupils know, understand and can do and to let you, as parents, know how your child is progressing at school.
Formal assessment of pupils in years 4 and 7
Pupils in years 4 (P4) and 7 (P7) will be formally assessed in English and mathematics by their teachers and the results of these assessments will be reported to you as part of the annual school report.
In Irish speaking schools year 4 pupils will be assessed in Irish and mathematics by their teachers and year 7 pupils in Irish, English and mathematics, also by their teachers.
Teacher assessment
Teachers assess pupils work as part of their day to day teaching. They observe how pupils carry out various classroom activities, they mark their work and, from time to time, they set short classroom tests to judge what progress children are making in a subject. This helps teachers to plan what to teach next and lets them know if any pupils need extra help.
In addition to these normal classroom assessments, teachers are required to use two Assessment Units in English, mathematics and Irish (where appropriate) to help confirm their judgement of the level at which your child is working in these subjects.
What are Assessment Units?
Assessment Units are short, informal tasks supplied by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). Teachers can choose, from a wide selection of Units, the most appropriate ones to confirm their classroom assessments of each pupil. The Units will be used as part of normal classroom work and your child may not even be aware when a Unit has been used.
At least two Assessment Units will be used in each subject between 1 January 2006 and 5 May 2006. These will be marked by your childs teacher to help him or her arrive at a judgement of the level at which your child is working.
Results
The results of the teachers assessment of your child will be reported to you at the end of the school year. Further information, from CCEA, explaining what the results mean in each subject will be sent to you at the time the results are issued.
Assessment of pupils with special needs
If your child has a statement of special educational needs because of severe learning difficulties, he or she is not required to take part in formal assessments.
A child who has a statement of special educational needs because of a physical disability or because of moderate learning difficulties will be assessed in the same way as a child who does not have a statement.
If you need this information in other formats such as in Braille, on audio cassette or in large type use the contact us button on the bar above and ask for Curriculum and Qualification Branch.
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