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Assessment and Reporting

Our assessment approach is designed to ensure that assessment is embedded to the curriculum and teaching, rather thanbeingan isolated or data driven process. It has a focus on curriculum led assessment, responsive teaching and adaptation and a meaningful use of data to improve learning.

In order to do this, our assessments are used to identify gaps in knowledge and skills, not just mistakes, inform teaching in real time and is used to constantly evaluate how well the curriculum is being learnt.

This reflects strong evidence that formative assessment and responsive teaching have a significant impact on pupil outcomes.

Assessment Structure

Click on the headings below to view our assessment structure.

Baseline Assessments

Students complete baseline assessments in English and mathematics when joining Bacon’s College in Year 7. These enable accurate setting and early identification any needs of interventions. Outcomes are also used to inform teaching, curriculum sequencing and targeted support. 

Summative Assessment 

Years 7–10 are involved in two formal assessment points each year (mid-year and end of year). Year 11 and 13 are involved in two sets of Pre-Public Exams (PPEs) in HT2 and HT4. 

As summative assessments are used diagnostically and strategically, rather than retrospectively, the following takes place following each assessment point: 

  • Departments analyse performance at cohort, class, and individual level
  • Underperformance is identified early 
  • Setting is reviewed where appropriate 
  • Targeted intervention is implemented

Formative assessment and Feedback

Formative assessment is embedded in daily classroom practice through: 

  • Retrieval practice and low-stakes quizzing – both in our Do Nows and throughout lessons
  • Structured questioning and student discussion
  • Purposeful teacher circulation (informed by success routes), live marking and verbal feedback
  • Ongoing checks for understanding

The EEF highlights feedback as having high impact (+6 months progress) when it is specific, timely, and focused on improvement. 

Across the school, feedback: 

  • Focuses on the task and process
  • Provides clear next steps 
  • Enables pupils to improve during the learning process 

Curriculum Embedded Assessment Cycle 

Across all subjects, low-stakes assessments take place regularly, on yellow sheets with teacher feedback and subsequent student responses taking place on blue sheets.

This forms a consistent whole school model of:

Assess → Review → Reteach → Reapply → Reassess

This approach ensures that misconceptions are identified quickly, teaching is adapted to pupils needs, and learning gaps are systematically closed over time. This approach aligns with evidence informed strategies such as retrieval practice and frequent checking for understanding, which strengthen long term retention and learning.

Click on the image to view the model in detail.

Reporting Cycle

Reports are issued after each summative assessment point. Where possible, reports align with Parents’ Evenings to support consistent messaging between students, teachers and parents. Reports provide current attainment data, rank order and attitudinal data. Parents’ Evening takes place twice a year for Year 7, KS4 and KS5, and once a year for Years 8 and 9.

Reporting and Parents Evenings help support meaningful parental engagement, which studies show is associated with improved pupil outcomes (+4 months progress).

Use of Rank Order

Rank order is used across Key Stages 3 and 4 as one component of our reporting system, providing a clear and simple comparative measure of attainment. 

How it works: 

  • Students are ranked within subjects based on percentage outcomes
  • An average rank is calculated across subjects
  •  A change in rank is reported over time

In Key Stage 4, rank data is also used more visibly (e.g. in wall displays) to reinforce expectations, support exam readiness and promote academic ambition.

Comparative data (Rank Order) provides clarity and transparency for students and parents, allowing students to identify their relative performance within a cohort. Used appropriately, it supports accountability, aspiration, and self-awareness. It does not replace teacher assessment or professional judgement and is used as a diagnostic indicator, not a sole measure of progress. This ensures alignment our emphasis of feedback and improvement over purely comparative measures. 

Assessment at Bacon’s College is part of normal classroom practise. It supports high quality teaching and is used to improve outcomes for all our learners.

How We Learn

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