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Reading: making a level judgement

Use these steps to formalise your assessments of pupils' reading into level judgements.

You will need:

  • evidence of the pupil's reading that shows most independence
  • other evidence about the pupil as a reader, for example notes on plans, the pupil's own reflections, your own recollections of classroom interactions
  • a copy of the assessment guidelines for the level borderline that is your starting point.

Step 1 Making best fit judgements


Draw on what you know about the pupil's reading to decide whether it best fits the criteria for the lower level or higher level within each AF on the guidelines.

A best fit does not mean that the pupil fulfils every aspect of the criteria for an AF.

  • If you find you cannot make a judgement in any AF, enter a tick (tick) in the box for 'insufficient evidence' (IE). Recording insufficient evidence has implications for planning.
  • If there is some evidence, but not in your judgement enough to warrant highlighting of any of the criteria, tick (tick) the below the level (BL) box for the AF.
  • When you are confident which criteria are the best fit, highlight them.

 

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Step 2 Working through the assessment focuses


For pupils at the level 1/2 and 2/3 borderline start with AF1.

Enter a tick (tick) in the box in the cell that relates most closely to the pupil's reading in AF1.

For pupils at level 3 and above, AF1 is assumed. Start with AF2.

Enter a tick (tick) in the box that relates most closely to the pupil's reading in AF2.

For all pupils, repeat the process for AF3-7.

For each AF in turn, decide whether what you know about the pupil's reading best fits the criteria above or below the line. Enter a tick (tick) in the box that relates most closely to the pupil's reading in the AF.

 

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Step 3 Making an overall level judgement


For level 2:

  • '2s' in AF1 and AF2, and
  • some level 2 highlighting in AF3.

For level 3:

  • '3s' for AF2 and AF3, and
  • level 3 for at least one other AF.

For level 4:

  • '4s' for AF2 and AF3, and
  • level 4 for at least one other AF.

For level 5:

  • '5s' for any four AF's, provided there is level 4 in AF3.

 

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Step 4 Refining your judgement


Look across the AFs and decide whether the level is Low, Secure or High:

  • Low, if there is highlighting above and below the line or the evidence is thin
  • Secure, if across the AFs, the criteria for the level are mostly highlighted
  • High, if across the AFs, all criteria for the level highlighted.

Enter a tick (tick) in the box that relates most closely to the pupil's reading overall.