ASSESSMENT
POLICYSUMMERHILL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Summerhill Assessment Policy

At Summerhill we believe that assessment is integral to all teaching and learning. The main
objective of assessment is to provide feedback on the learning process to inform planning, reflect
on the effectiveness of teaching and guide learners .
Summerhill teachers use a balanced variety of strategies and tools to assess, record and report onlearning. We believe that teachers, learners and parents should have a clear understanding of allassessment practices and expectations. Learners are expected to be actively engaged in and takeownership of their learning with the support of timely and meaningful feedback from teacher-led
and peer assessments and self reflection.
Assessment in our school’s curriculum is subdivided into three closely related areas.
● Monitoring -how we discover what the students know and have learned.
● Documenting -how we choose to collect and analyse data.
● Reporting -how we choose to communicate information.
Principles of Assessment
The key principles of assessment are outlined below and form the principles ofassessment at Summerhill.
● Assessment is integral to planning, teaching and learning.
● The assessment system, practices and expectations are clearly communicated to andunderstood by teachers, students and parents● There is a balance between formative and summative assessment● Opportunities for peer assessment and self-reflection are planned for● Students’ current understandings and experiences are assessed before embarking
on new learning.
● Students are provided with effective and timely feedback to guide future learning● Reporting to parents is regular and meaningful.
● Assessment data is gathered and analysed by teachers to provide information about theteaching and learning, and the needs of individual students.
● Assessment is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum.
● Assessments take into account a variety of learning styles, multiple intelligences and abilities
including cultural contexts

Assessment Practices at Summerhill> Monitoring Learning (Formative Assessment)
Formative assessment represents the process of gathering, analyzing, interpreting and using
evidence to improve student learning. It is integrated into the curriculum and woven into the dailylearning process and is an integral part of instruction. It provides teachers and students withinformation about current understandings and how learning is progressing. It helps the teacher toplan the next stage of learning and promotes learning by providing students with regular andfrequent feedback. This helps learners to improve knowledge and understanding, to foster
enthusiasm for learning, to engage in thoughtful reflection, to develop the capacity forself-assessment, and to recognize the criteria for success.
We do this by using a range of strategies and tools including:● Observations● Anecdotal notes● Photo documentation● Student work
● Group and individual discussions● Self-assessment and reflection● Peer-assessment● Open-ended projects● Checklists● Rubrics> Documenting Learning
Teachers use a variety of strategies and tools to collect data and document learning as a means toassess student understanding, show process and evidence of progress in learning.
Documentation of learning includes:● Photographs● Student work samples● Written observations● Checklists● Student portfolio● Records of student conversations, comments explanations and hypotheses● Annotated pieces of student work● Videos> Reporting on LearningReporting is a summary of the formative assessments conducted over a period of learning. At
Summerhill, this includes communicating what students know, understand and can do. It
describes the progress of students’ learning, identifies areas for growth, and contributes to theefficacy of the programme. Reporting involves parents, students and teachers and occurs throughconferences, portfolios and reports.
Assessment without feedback is merely judgment; feedback is the component of assessment thatlets us interpret the judgment and improve our work. Reporting is perhaps the most public aspectof a school’s assessment policy, and as such needs careful consideration in order to provide clear
information that is useful to students and parents. Reporting may take many forms including
conferences and written reports.
Effective reporting should:● Involve parents● Reflect what the school community values● Be comprehensive, honest, fair and credible● Be clear and understandable to all parties● Allow teachers to incorporate what they learn during the reporting process into their
future teaching and assessment practice.
Reporting at Summerhill includes the following:
Progress Report
This is a general report written by the teacher within the first six weeks of school. Itcommunicates the social and emotional experiences of the child and describes how the child has
transitioned into their new class.
Term Reports
These are formal reports written at the end of each term to inform parents about the learningthat has occurred for their child during the reporting period with a focus on all developmentalareas.

Portfolios
Schools have a responsibility to show evidence of student learning. As an example, portfolios
are one method of collecting and storing information that can be used to document and assessstudent progress and achievement.
A portfolio is a record of students’ involvement in learning which is designed todemonstrate growth, higher-order thinking, creativity, assessment strategies and reflection.
A portfolio is a celebration of an active mind at work. It provides a picture of each student’s
progress and development over a period of time both as individual and group learners. It enables
students to reflect with teachers, parents and peers in order to identify their strengths and growth
as well as areas for improvement, and then to set individual goals and establish teaching andlearning plans. Making the PYP Happen: A curriculum framework for international schools 2009.
P50
Portfolios at Summerhill are digital and are in the form of Seesaw for students aged 1-6Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences occur twice in the school year, after the progress report and again
after the first term formal report. For K4 and K5, the second conference is a three-way
conference where the student joins his/her parents and teacher. The purpose of these meetings
are for the teacher, parent and student to share and reflect on the learning, understand theschool curriculum and to collaborate in setting goals to achieve these goals.
Unit / Project Work celebrations
Throughout the year, Summerhill parents are invited to celebrate the learning that is happening.
This is a time when children share their work and experiences with their families.

References: Making the PYP Happen: A Curriculum Framework for International Primary
Education

Acknowledgements: Aoba-Japan International School
Adopted: December 2017
Last Reviewed: August 2023