Assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning cycle which promotes the depth of understanding of key learning skills. Rather than memorising facts, it is more important that pupils learn and understand concepts within any subject which can then be applied in different contexts, enabling learners to identify essential links between different situations and therefore develop/deepen their understanding of a wide range of phenomena. We use two key types of assessment:

• Formative assessment records development in progress, rather than completed development. It is an ongoing part of classroom activity, it is cumulative and provides information which informs teachers' future planning.
• Summative assessment summarises completed learning. This type of assessment usually takes place at the end of a period of teaching, such as at the end of a topic, the end of a year or the end of a key stage. This includes the statutory assessments at the end of EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

Assessment evidence can be found through a range of sources, which may include:

• teacher analyses of the work pupils have done
• interviews and discussions with pupils
• planned observations
• listening
• incidental observations
• pupils' self-assessment of work
• tests.