Assessment and Homework
Assessment and Homework
Formal Assessments and Reporting to Parents and Carers
Across the academic year, each year group has two formal assessment windows, one during the mid-point of the year and one at the end of the year. Parents and carers are informed of these assessment periods in advance.
Following each assessment window, families receive a report outlining the student’s assessment results, the year-group average and a Learner Engagement Grade. Alongside these reports, each year group has one Parents’ Evening during the academic year, providing an opportunity to discuss progress, engagement and next steps.
For students in Years 7–10 and Year 12, assessments are predominantly completed in normal lessons. Where appropriate, some core end of year 10 assessments take place under more formal examination conditions to help students develop confidence and familiarity with the examination environment. Year 12 end-of-year assessments are completed in the examination hall.
Students in Years 11 and 13 complete two formal practice examination windows during the academic year. These are designed to mirror the conditions and expectations of the final examinations as closely as possible.
By experiencing the routines, timings and expectations of formal examinations in advance, students develop familiarity, confidence and effective examination habits. Practice examinations also provide valuable information about students’ strengths and areas for development, helping teachers and students to target revision and preparation so that they are well equipped for success in their final examinations.
In Class Assessment
At Ravens Wood School, assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. Our Review–Plan–Teach (RPT) approach combines ongoing formative assessment with a structured summative review process, ensuring that assessment leads directly to responsive teaching and improved student outcomes.
Formative Review Plan Teach
Our approach to assessment is based on Review–Plan–Teach (RPT), a continuous cycle of responsive teaching. Teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding through questioning, discussion, retrieval activities, book checks and observation. This allows misconceptions and gaps in knowledge to be identified quickly.
Teachers use this assessment information to plan and adapt the next steps in learning, which may include reteaching concepts, modelling examples, providing additional scaffolding or increasing challenge. Pupils then act on feedback immediately, improving and refining their work, often using green pen to make their learning visible.
Assessment is therefore ongoing and purposeful, enabling teachers to respond to pupils’ needs in the moment and ensuring that feedback leads directly to improved understanding and progress.
Summative RPT
Summative RPT takes place once per half term for every class and includes formal assessed work where appropriate. Teachers review students’ exercise books and a specific piece of written work to identify strengths, misconceptions, gaps in learning and patterns across the class. Rather than involving red-pen marking, the review is used to inform the next stage of teaching.
Teachers then plan and deliver targeted follow-up learning, addressing common misconceptions, reteaching key concepts and adapting teaching or intervention where required. Students respond by correcting errors, improving or redrafting work and completing green-pen improvement activities.
Together, formative and summative RPT create a continuous Review → Plan → Teach → Improve cycle. This ensures that assessment is purposeful: teachers act on what it tells them, students act on feedback, misconceptions are systematically addressed, and progress becomes visible over time.
Supporting students to revise
We encourage all students to continually reflect on, revisit and develop their learning. Alongside homework and ongoing classroom activities, we provide students with clear resources to support effective and independent revision.
For students in Years 7–10, each subject produces a Revision 25 resource: a carefully selected set of 25 questions covering key knowledge and understanding. These provide students with an accessible starting point for revision, helping them identify what they know, recognise gaps in their understanding and focus their next steps in learning.
Homework
At Ravens Wood School, homework plays an important role in reinforcing classroom learning, developing independent study habits and supporting long-term progress. Homework is set regularly, linked to the curriculum and reviewed in lessons, with students given opportunities to respond to feedback and improve their work.
All students and parents/carers have access to the Satchel One app, where homework tasks, instructions and deadlines can be viewed. We encourage families to check Satchel One regularly to support positive routines and timely completion of homework. If you experience any issues accessing or using Satchel One, please contact your child’s Head of Year.
Homework expectations increase appropriately as students progress through the school, preparing them for greater independence and the demands of examinations and further study.
For further information, including expectations for each year group and the support available, please see our RWS Homework Policy – A Guide for Parents.
