MEASURING PROGRESSION
At Sladewood Academy, we are committed to ensuring every pupil reaches their full potential across all aspects of their education. Our approach celebrates individual achievement and recognises progress in academic, social, emotional, and personal development.
Each pupil has personalised targets set through their Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which are reviewed and refined in collaboration with teachers, parents, carers, and professionals. Targets are set for core subjects (English, Maths, PSHE) and on our learning to learn areas, with children encouraged and supported to understand and engage with their own learning goals.
Progress is tracked and celebrated through Earwig, our digital assessment platform. This system allows teachers to capture, annotate, and assess pupil learning using photos, videos, and written feedback. Pupils’ achievements are recorded against clear criteria, showing whether they are emerging, developing, or secure in specific skills.
Our assessment model is built around the principle that progress is personal — we recognise and celebrate small steps of development as significant achievements within our pupils’ individual learning journeys. (Please see below our assessment frameworks for all subjects across the school)
ASSESSMENT
Sladewood Academy uses a bespoke assessment system designed around each child’s strengths, needs, and learning pathway. We focus on developing functional, transferable skills that prepare children for adulthood and future opportunities.
Assessment is ongoing and purposeful. Teachers use data from Earwig, classroom observations, and practical tasks to inform planning and next steps in teaching. Progress is measured through our key pathways:
- Learning to Learn Pathway – focusing on foundational learning, communication, and independence skills.
- Subject-Specific Pathway – tracking attainment in English, Maths, PSHE, and other curriculum areas.
- EHCP Outcomes – monitored termly with evidence uploaded weekly, showing progress towards individual goals.
- Thrive Assessments – completed four times a year to monitor and support pupils’ emotional and social wellbeing.
We apply colour-coded grading within Earwig to show how pupils are progressing:
- Purple – Entering – beginning to develop skills with adult support
- Orange – Developing – growing independence and confidence
- Green – Secure – consistently demonstrating skills across contexts
Teachers use this information to plan next steps, identify gaps, and celebrate progress.
Our assessment and feedback practices are aligned with the FiSH principles – Friendly, Specific, and Helpful – ensuring that all feedback supports learning, motivation, and self-reflection.
At the start of each academic year, teachers set aspirational, personalised targets for every pupil across all subject areas, ensuring that goals are both challenging and achievable based on prior attainment and individual potential. Progress towards these targets is reviewed throughout the year, allowing staff to celebrate achievements and adjust support where needed. Alongside this, we use a benchmarking system to provide a clear standard for performance comparison, helping us to identify strengths, address areas for development, and continuously drive improvement across the school.
MONITORING & EVALUATION
We continuously monitor and evaluate teaching, learning, and assessment to ensure that every child can achieve the highest level of personal success.
- Teachers and support staff record and review evidence of progress weekly.
- Subject leaders conduct moderation and sampling to ensure consistency and fairness across the school
- Senior leaders hold termly progress meetings to analyse data and ensure interventions are in place for any child not meeting expected progress.
- External moderation with partner schools and governors supports accuracy and accountability.
This ongoing review process allows us to make informed decisions about curriculum planning and teaching strategies, ensuring that learning remains engaging, relevant, and effective.
STATUTORY ASSESSMENT
As a specialist setting, our pupils have a wide range of learning needs. Where appropriate, pupils will be entered for statutory national assessments such as:
- Reception Baseline Assessment
- Phonics Screening (Years 1 & 2)
- Reading and Spelling Scaled Scores
These results are considered alongside pupils’ individual progress within their personalised curriculum and EHCP outcomes.
REPORTING
We maintain close communication with parents and carers throughout the year to ensure they are fully informed about their child’s progress.
- Daily learning updates– these are sent out via dojo and highlight what the class is working on.
- Two annual Learning Conversations provide detailed updates on progress and next steps. Within these parents and carers are provided an assessment map for their child which highlights their progress academically, behaviourally, their attendance, their ability to attend to learning, their views on school, and the children social and emotional development.
- Annual reports summarise achievements in all subject areas and include teacher and senior leader comments.
- EHCP review meetings provide a formal opportunity to discuss progress towards individual outcomes.
- Earwig– we will be opening up earwig to parents so they can see the specific progress their children are making within learning and parents are then able to add achievements at home
Celebrating Achievement
Achievement at Sladewood Academy is celebrated throughout the year in many ways, including:
- Celebration assemblies, where pupils receive awards and certificates for effort, kindness, and achievement.
- Recognition of personal milestones, such as improved confidence, communication, or independence.
- Use of dashboard – within our Grid system we use dashboard to develop the children ability to celebrate themselves and to self-advocate for what they like and find challenging
- Community and inter-school events, where pupils represent Sladewood and share their successes beyond the classroom.
Every child’s progress — whether academic, social, or emotional — is valued and celebrated as part of their individual journey.
Summary
Our assessment, feedback, and monitoring practices at Sladewood Academy reflect our belief that every child can thrive when their learning journey is understood, supported, and celebrated. Through consistent use of Earwig, clear communication with families, and our FiSH feedback approach, we ensure that assessment is meaningful, motivational, and central to high-quality teaching and learning
Government's School Performance Tables