Ealing subject leaders network assessment for learning project

Introduction by Robin Burks, teaching and learning consultant

Background
Project aim
Tasks
Participants
Contact

Background

The Ealing Subject Leaders Network Assessment for Learning project came about as a result of the termly Ealing high school history subject leaders meetings established in autumn 2003 (funded by the KS3 strategy). During these meetings, discussion arose time and again over the issue of making sense of assessment in KS3 history, and indeed how it could assist pupils at KS4.

There was general consensus that more could be done in KS3 for preparing pupils for the specific skills that they need for KS4. The need for some way of making progression in years 7-9 transparent and meaningful to pupils was recognised, and when the funding became available this was an area in which participants were keen to work.

It appears that similar discussions had been taking place in history departments throughout the country as the desire to put into practice the strategies for ‘Assessment for Learning’ gradually took hold. The month before our project was scheduled to take place, the June edition of ‘Teaching History’ entitled ‘ History without Levels’, devoted much of the magazine to many of the issues that we had been discussing. It provided some examples of good practice which became templates for our work.

I attended the 16th Schools History Project National Conference during the first weekend of July, and once again there was much discussion about effective Assessment for Learning (AfL) in history, and some very useful workshops related to this topic. Therefore we adapted and borrowed from both these sources, and I hope that I have acknowledged this fully below.

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Project aim

For history subject leaders to work together to plan Assessment for Learning activities and incorporate them into schemes of work:

To agree collectively a set of criteria by which assessments can be judged consistently throughout KS3 and KS4
To express those criteria in ways that pupils can clearly understand
To write or adapt assessments, and incorporate them into schemes of work, and, in doing so, provide opportunities for KS3 pupils to engage in self and peer assessment (and so help pupils help themselves to take their next steps in learning)
To map the assessments across KS3 and ensure that they address key skills in history and literacy, and provide opportunities for pupil progression
To deepen and embed participants’ understanding of the principles behind AfL, and particularly the formative use of summative assessment

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The tasks

The first task was to identify the historical skills which the assessments should address, and map our planned assessments over KS3 increasing the challenge from years 7-9, and in doing so make pupil progression explicit.

We tried to choose topics that already exist in most schemes of work so that schemes could be adapted relatively easily if the assessments were adopted. (Clearly, though, it would be possible to use the assessments that we developed as a template for developing them in other topics).

In addition, we looked at skills that are examined at KS4, and particularly in the Edexcel Modern World Syllabus (which many of the participants use), and where possible tried to create assessments that develop the same skills, using the same question style and language found in the exam paper.

Assessment topic	Historical skill
Battle of Hastings	Causation essay
King John	Interpretation essay
Medieval Medicine	Enquiry questions
Changes 1750-1900	Consequence/change essay or poster
Children in the Mills	Enquiry questions
Olaudah Enquiano - the middle passage	Enquiry essay
Civil rights	Consequence/change radio broadcast
Causes of WW1	Causation essay
The Atomic Bomb	Interpretation essay

We only had time to complete six assessments although three more are nearly complete, and should be available shortly. Three more need to be done in their entirety.

Historical skill	Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
Causation	Battle of Hastings	?	First World War
Interpretation	King John - good king or bad king?	?	The Atom Bomb - to be completed
Enquiry	Medieval Medicine	Children in the mills	Olaudah Equiano and the slave trade
Consequence/change	?	Changes 1750 - 1900 to be completed	Civil Rights - to be completed

There is some variation in style, construction, and in the amount of detail, and supporting documentation. However the assessments all follow some basic criteria:

a suggested lesson outline giving background and prior learning required for the assessment
a detailed mark scheme that is related directly and closely to the task set with examples of what pupils may write. The National Curriculum level descriptors were rejected as too vague and not fit for the task of individual assessment - a purpose for which they were not designed in the first place. However, some assessments do have a column which shows broadly the level a pupil may be working at for that particular assignment. (Use of these level descriptors is to be approached with caution)

Above all, these tasks are designed to help pupils take the next steps in their learning by providing them with clear and focused marking criteria so they can develop those skills that the assessment addresses. I have also included ‘Three and One’ marking policy (based on the work of Shirley Clark) which further encourages teachers to provide pupils with practical ways of improving their work whilst building pupil confidence in their own ability to improve.

The assessments may be used in a variety of ways that may be combined to promote AfL. For example, pupils could be given detailed instruction on how to approach the assessment by looking at previous work done by other pupils, or the teacher may model his or her own, prepared answer.

Pupils may attempt a draft answer for the assignment, and by looking at the mark scheme, peer and self assess their work. Alternatively, they may be given more generic guidance about to how to answer the particular style of assessment before completing it, and then spend time reviewing what they did well and how they can improve.

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Participants

My special thanks to all of the participants who worked hard to create /adapt the assessments:

Lynn Davies - Elthorne Park High
Lisa Donelan - Greenford High
Kate McClean – Drayton Manor High
Claire Pott – Northolt High
Nick Taylor – Acton High

I am grateful to the contributors to Teaching History, issue no:115, in particular Sally Burnham (Deacons School, Peterborough), Geraint Brown (Cottenham Village College, Cambridgeshire), Andrew Wrenn (History Advisor, Cambridgeshire), and Simon Harrison (AST at Swanmore College of Technology) for providing assessments upon which ours are based. Also the work on AfL of Jamie Byrom (Advisor for History with Devon Curriculum Services), and Shirley Clarke’s work on Three and One marking ( 2001, Hodder and Stoughton).

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Contact:

Robin Burks
Teaching and learning consultant for Ealing LA
Tel: (020) 8825 7612
Email: rburks@ealing.gov.uk

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