Target Setting Policy
Target Setting Policy
1.1 In Magor School we are committed to giving all our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards. Target setting is the means by which we identify specific and measurable goals that help to improve the standards achieved by all our children. Targets may relate to individual children, groups of children within classes or whole cohorts of children
2 Rationale for target setting
2.1 Target setting is a significant strategy in our school for improving the achievement of children. It will only be effective if we remember that the child is at the heart of the process. The targets that we set are challenging, but realistic, and take into account each child?s starting point for learning.
2.2 We involve the children in the target setting process and, wherever possible, negotiate and encourage them to set targets for themselves. Regular feedback from teachers makes children aware of how they can improve their work and achieve their target. Target setting for our children means that they have to make decisions about their own learning. This helps children learn more effectively by making clear what it is that they need to do next in order to improve.
2.3 We inform parents about the target setting process and the targets for their children. They have regular opportunities to talk about their child?s progress towards his or her target. This helps parents identify the ways in which they can support their child with work and encouragement at home.
3 Aims and objectives
3.1 In our school the targets:
· challenge all children to do better;
· take into account each child?s starting point for learning;
· encourage children to regularly discuss and review their progress with teachers;
· involve parents in their child?s learning;
· help governors to agree priorities for the school improvement plan;
· lead to focused teaching and learning;
· help us to make judgements about how well our school is doing when compared to all schools and similar schools.
4 Process of target setting
4.1 When children join our school, we make an assessment of their learning within the first term of their schooling, using the LEA?s Baseline Assessment Scheme. We use the outcomes of these assessments to identify strengths and areas for improvement in individual children and groups of children in the cohort. The LEA comparative data allows us to identify the expected level of achievement of these children at the end of Key Stage 1 in the national tests. We record this on our pupil profiling system.
4.2 At the end of each year, the child?s class teacher forecasts the National Curriculum level that s/he expects each child to reach at the end of that key stage. In Key Stage 1 this will be for reading, writing and mathematics. In Key Stage 2 this will be for English, mathematics and science. We base this forecast upon the current performance of the child, upon assessment and other data, and the teacher?s own knowledge of the child?s rate of progress during the year. The teacher then considers what the child could achieve when given an appropriate challenge.
4.3 Before agreeing and finalising them, we discuss the draft targets with the governing body and the LEA. The governing body fully accepts that the targets that we set are based on the current attainment of each cohort of children. We do not necessarily expect targets to improve year on year. They must reflect the ability of each cohort and carry an appropriate level of challenge.
4.5 Governors publish the finalised targets in English and mathematics for eleven year-olds in their annual report to parents. This gives details of the percentage of children who will achieve Level 4 or above in the national tests.
4.6 Teachers use the targets set for each child to develop classroom activities that are designed to enable children to meet their targets. Teachers? planning will take account of this when identifying work for different groups of children.
4.7 We offer children termly opportunities to review their progress with their teacher. This progress forms part of the discussion that teachers have each term with parents.
4.8 We produce a statement about each child?s progress towards his or her targets as part of the child?s annual report.
5 Target setting data
5.1 In our school we use a range of information to support the target setting process. We expect teachers to be familiar with:
· the Autumn Package (national comparative data);
· the school?s PANDA (Performance and Assessment Report);
· the LEA?s School Information File (local comparative data);
· national tests for seven and eleven year olds;
· optional national tests for Years 3, 4 and 5;
· LEA Baseline Assessment Scheme.
6 Target setting across the curriculum
6.1 In our school we set a range of different types of targets. We have a statutory obligation to set targets for our children?s performance in the national tests at age 11 in English and Mathematics. We set targets for these subjects in each year of Key Stage 2. We also set targets for science in each year of Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1 we set targets in reading, writing and mathematics for each year.
6.2 Teachers set curriculum targets for English in each class. These targets often relate to the objectives of the National Literacy Strategy. Children in Key Stage 2 have their own English targets. The children write these targets on the inside cover of their English exercise books. They ask the teacher to review it when they have the evidence to show that they have met the target.