Information for parents of pupils in year 10
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 year 10
Pupils in year 10 (form 3) will be formally assessed in English, mathematics and science by their teachers and through tests. In Irish medium schools pupils will also be assessed in Irish.
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.
Tests
Short tests will be set and marked by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). They will be based on the work your child has been doing in class in English, and Irish if appropriate, mathematics and science and will be held in your childs school.
There will be two test papers in each subject and an extension paper in science. There will also be a mental mathematics test. The English tests will take place on 2 May 2006, mathematics and mental mathematics on 4 May 2006 and science on 3 May 2006. In Irish medium schools the Irish tests will take place on 5 May 2006. The English tests have a common paper for all pupils. The tests for mathematics, science and Irish will be set at different levels of difficulty. Your childs teacher will decide the difficulty of tests your child will take, depending on the level at which he or she is working close to the time. None of the papers will last longer than 1¼ hours.
As these tests cannot be retaken, parents should avoid arranging holidays or any other activity which would mean that their son or daughter could not take the tests.
Results
The results of both teacher assessment and tests will be reported to you. 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 in year 10 who has moderate learning difficulties or who is working below level 3 of the 8 level scale will be assessed by his or her teacher but will not be required to take the tests.
A child who has a statement of special educational needs because of a physical disability will be assessed in the same way as a child who does not have a statement. Special arrangements are available to accommodate a range of special needs; some of these arrangements require permission from CCEA.
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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