Assessment

The purpose of the Pupil Learning Record (PLR)

The purpose of the Pupil Learning Record (PLR) is to prompt discussion about learning and progress between parent/carer and child and between tutor/teacher and child.

How your child’s target grade is set

School performance in England and Wales is judged against criteria set using KS2 SATs information provided by Primary Schools. This is known as Baseline Data. A GCSE target grade is generated from your child’s KS2 SATs results in English and Mathematics. When League Tables are published annually, following public examinations, this is the data which is used to rank schools nationally. A similar methodology is used for judging school performance at A Level, with the target grade being generated from each student’s performance at GCSE. These grades appear on the PLR in the column headed GCSE (GCE) Target Grade.

Why your child’s target grade may be raised

At Kingsmead School we do not believe that a child’s performance is ‘fixed’ by this data. We strongly believe that our students can not only meet the target grade generated from Baseline Data but have the potential to surpass it. This is known as Value Added. For this reason you may see your child’s target grade rise during the course of their school career. For example, if, at the start of Year 10, your child has already reached the target grade generated by their Baseline Data, we shall raise the bar and set them a higher target to ensure that they continue to pursue excellence and achieve ‘beyond expectation’. We shall never lower your child’s target grade.

How is my child’s performance tracked?

In order to ensure that your child’s progress is tracked throughout his / her time at Kingsmead School we have created a series of Flight Paths. These identify, for each student, what expected progress looks like at key points throughout their academic career at Kingsmead.

EXAMPLE OF A SECTION OF A FLIGHT PATH

Your child’s starting point is designated by his / her Baseline Data. If your child is ‘on track’ I.e. where he / she should be on the Flight Path, this will show on the PLR Meeting (in yellow) . If your child is below where he / she is supposed to be on the Flight Path, this will show on the PLR as in Red. Where this is the case, your child’s teachers will be putting in place strategies to enable your child to close the gap between where he / she currently is and where he / she should be. These interventions may be put in place by a subject teacher or a form tutor, through Academic Mentoring, or both.

Are Flight Paths the same for all subjects?

Flight Paths differ from subject to subject. This is because rates of progression across different curriculum areas are different. A simple illustration of this might be that the starting point of the Flight Path for Science (a subject already studied at Primary School) would differ from that of Business Studies (a subject started in Year 9). The Flight Path for Business Studies would be significantly steeper, with students expected to make rapid progress over a shorter period of time.

Should you have any concerns about your child’s progress or have any further questions about what the PLR is telling you about your child’s progress, please contact the school directly to speak with your child’s Learning Director of Year in the first instance.

The following documents contain information for parents regarding termly Parent Learning Records (PLRs)