Category Archives: Assessment

Choosing your brick wall

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Dan

I have been exploring an issue with a friend recently. It is to do with how we respond to the demands by Ofsted and schools for 4 levels of progress through KS3 and beyond. The problem for me is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, gcse, Key Stage 3, Ofsted, transition | Leave a comment

Profoundly wrong

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Dan

To leave art and design (the arts) out of the e-bac is profoundly wrong. It is a long standing truism that if you want to know what is valued in education, look at what is assessed. It is facile to … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, gcse, Key Stage 4 | Leave a comment

Scaffolding peer assessment

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Dan

I spent a day in an art department last week (a departmental review) which was really interesting and it was good to spend time with committed teachers. It was intriguing to note, and reflect on, the (school policy) opportunities for … Continue reading →

Posted in Animation, Assessment, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 | Leave a comment

Let’s not make the same mistake again

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Dan

Actually it’s not really very complicated. Put simply, we should not have let the recording and reporting part of ARR (Assessment, Recording and Reporting) distort the assessment bit. It’s the tail wagging the dog and it was, and is, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Key Stage 3, levels | 4 Comments

When in doubt, reform the examination system.

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Dan

‘Mr Speaker – after years of drift, decline and dumbing down, at last we are reforming our examination system to compete with the world’s best.’ With these words Mr Gove introduces his radical reforms of our examination system. To be … Continue reading →

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Farewell to all that

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Dan

Today the government have announced the demise of levels, which was not unexpected. Mr Gove’s letter to the expert panel is also not unexpected in its extravagant rhetoric and assertion which stands in for reasoned argument. It is unlikely that … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Key Stage 3, levels, primary | Leave a comment

Assessment Paper for iPads

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Dan

I have just finished my first iBook. Well, its more of an iPaper really, because it is a rewriting of an earlier paper on assessment and target setting. It started as an exercise to try out iBook Author but became … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, IT, Key Stage 4 | 1 Comment

Making a Mark: with luck.

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Dan

I am just reading Making a Mark (HMI March 2012) which is the latest report about art education in England by my old friend and colleague Ian (otherwise known as HMI). Click here for a copy. It is so overwhelmingly sensible … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Creativity, Just Stuff, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Ofsted, primary | Leave a comment

Key Stage 3 Assessment – levels 1 and 2 updated

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Dan

Last year I worked with QCDA on a programme to develop exemplar materials for assessment in art in KS3 (levels 3-7). The programme was also related to the programme to extend APP (Assessing Pupil Progress) in the core subjects. Basically … Continue reading →

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Animation by students for students

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Dan

Really good evening at the ‘Bucks Animation Festival’ last night. It was held at Bucks New University in High Wycombe and was organised by students at Chalfonts Community College as part of their Creative and Media Diploma. It was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Animation, Assessment, primary | Leave a comment