Assessment Policy ( Art & Design)

The importance of Assessment

Assessment within the Art & Design department is a central tool in establishing
what can initially be discovered about the abilities and achievements of our
pupils and the extent of the knowledge, skills and understanding they have gone
on to develop. It is therefore important that this creates a reliable and accurate
base from which to establish targets so that any gap which might exist between
those targets and actual attainment can be closed, and advice for future courses
and career paths can be substantiated.
The main aim of the department is to promote learning at a high level,
encouraging pupils to fulfil their potential through working creatively, with high
level skills learned through projects which provide choice and challenge at all
appropriate levels. Each pupil is treated as an individual so that they can gain
enjoyment and satisfaction from their work which can stay with them at various
levels for the remainder of their lives. This not only applies to their Art & Design
work, but courses are also designed to promote skills in Literacy, ICT and high
order skills, as well as supporting Numeracy as applicable and Health &
Wellbeing.

What is work assessed against?

Courses in S1 S3 are set against the Experiences and Outcomes which

are central to Curriculum for Excellence. The specific content of courses
is set by the department, but skills and more general advice on activities
can be found within this document at the following web address:
www.educationscotland.gov.uk/.../all_experiences_outcomes_tcm4-5395...
Written work is marked against the criteria used within the English
department ( The Scottish Criterion Scale). Pupils will be aware of their
marks and also the specific writing targets which have resulted from each
piece of written work.

Individuals progress, S1 S3:

is tracked on Progression Framework documents which link to both the Expressive
Experiences and Outcomes and also the Significant Aspects of Learning the main areas of
focus being: creating; presenting & evaluating and appreciating.
These are covered as follows :

experimentation with a range of media and technologies( including

digital).
use of the Visual Elements ( ie. line, tone, colour) to create original ideas
in expressive and design work
development of observational and recording skills
the ability to collect a range of visual and non visual stimuli and then use
this to communicate ideas through 2D and 3D art and design work

the ability to work through a design brief either individually or with others
to create original and creative designs
the ability to analyse art & design processes, techniques and concepts;
make informed judgements and express considered opinions about the
pupils own work and that of others.

Individuals progress , S4 S6 is:

assessed against SQA marking schemes, descriptors and exemplars.

Involving pupils in Assessment

Pupils are often asked to assess the impact of their own work and in the
early days, need help in order to do this. Success criteria are established
at the onset and Learning Conversations which take place regularly
between pupils and most frequently between pupil and teacher, are an
essential part of learning and teaching.
Self and Peer Group Assessment become useful tools to aid improvement.
This must be a positive process, with the strengths being brought out first
and then one or two suggestions as to how to improve the work. Peer
Group Assessment needs to be managed with sensitivity by the teacher,
taking into account the abilities of the individual child and their age and
stage so that they see a positive way forward rather than feeling
discouraged in any way.
Targets set on the completion of a piece of work are recorded by the pupil
and are addressed in future work. Comments, targets and degree of
challenge are arrived at on an individual basis, allowing for the
considerable degree of differentiation which is built into the teaching of
individual pupils. This process begins in S1 and with time, pupils become
increasingly able to identify the strengths in their work, any points of
weakness and, most importantly, the way forward. This becomes a
particularly powerful tool as they move into the senior school and work
even more independently.

When does Assessment take place and what form does

it take?
Formative Assessment:
This is used all the time. As pupils work in class, there is regular discussion
with the teacher about their work the choices they have made; their
skills; use of technique and how to improve or solve particular problems.
Summative Assessment takes place as work is completed in the
manner of:

written feedback which is added to the work by the teacher, identifying

strengths in a very specific way, with one or two suggestions as to how the
work could be improved for future reference.
Progress is also assessed through :
direct observation of pupils performance in the classroom
Learning Conversations
tests and exams
external and internal assessment ( SQA), with unit work being internally
verified by a subject specialist at a neighbouring school.
The overall aim in both Formative and Summative assessment is that
through regular dialogue and written feedback, pupils become
practised in seeing their own work and diagnosing the strengths and
areas for development within it so that they can make decisions for
themselves which is the key to independent learning.

Assessment to improve teaching

In addition to its use in teaching the individual pupil, assessment is also a way of
measuring the success of individual lessons and then, entire courses. Clearly, if a
number of pupils have failed to grasp a skill or concept, then the lesson needs to
be reviewed and improved and the teacher will need to return to the content,
approaching it in a different way. Equally, there needs to exist a balance between
activities in order to advance pupils skills, with assessment therefore playing an
important part in deciding the structure of courses, which may need to vary from
one year to another, taking into account the needs of a particular year group.
In a sole teacher department, it is essential that standards are understood and
that assessment is consistent. This is supported and promoted by cross marking
with other local Secondary schools; marking for the SQA and then using this
knowledge to create standards within the department at the more junior end of
the school.

Assessment for whom?

to inform teaching staff; provide evidence for self evaluation and

departmental review and also support the learning and teaching process
to aid accurate Reporting in order that comments can be evidenced, and
parents/ guardians informed of their childs progress with advice for next
steps
pupils to recognise the needs and progress of the individual and thereby
raise attainment , achievement and confidence
for those who monitor the standard and quality of education at Mallaig
High School

Recording Assessment

Written feedback is added to completed work, identifying strengths and

how to improve it.
Pupils from S1- S3 keep a record of their targets as each major piece of
Practical work is completed. These are reviewed at points in the year to
check that they have been addressed and to see which have been
overtaken.
Pupils in S2 currently photograph and make digital copies of their work,
adding evaluative commentary based on Learning Conversations with the
teacher
At Advanced Higher, weekly review meetings are recorded
Copies of pupils Literacy targets (resulting from extended writing
produced in the department) are pasted into their planners.
Each term, grades are entered into Seemis for use by Pupil Support Staff
which allows them to track progress .
BGE - Pupils progress is recorded on Progression framework documents
There are twice yearly discussions centring on each year group ( or
sometimes individuals who we have identified as needing closer inspection
and support) which includes all staff, creating an overview of the progress
being made by pupils across the curriculum.
Pupils annual Reports are detailed and identify for both parents and pupils
the standard and strengths seen in a pupils work; how to improve and
advice for future course choices as appropriate.

What is done with information gained through

assessment?

It makes evident the pace of an individuals progress and any appropriate

action can be taken
It allows a diagnostic approach towards teaching the individual
It is used to inform and direct teaching within the department, including
design of the syllabus.
It supports Target setting.
It informs decisions with regard to appropriate levels of SQA entry.
Assessment also informs and supports decisions which have to be made at
points of transition, ie. S1 to S2 and S3 and beyond.
Knowledge based on assessment can be a useful contributor to short,
weekly whole staff meetings which are led by Pupil Support staff.
A number of Collaborative Time meetings are used for discussing the
progress of year groups and individual pupils.

How is the effectiveness of assessment evaluated?

By the degree of progression evidenced within pupils work

Through Learning Conversations and pupils feedback
Through the results of Internal & External Verification
Analysis of exam results against National, Highland and Virtual
Comparator standards
Comparing estimated grades against final results
Through teachers self evaluation

Use of our experience and professional judgement

Pupils engagement and the level of involvement in their own learning,
working towards targets and understanding and taking responsibility for
their next steps

CAT and SOSCA tests are used as an initial benchmark to indicate an individuals
academic potential. These inform our expectations and can be used when
reviewing a pupils progress as an indicator of whether or not they are
progressing at the expected level. These results can also suggest the most
effective assessment tools for the individual pupil.