Assessment Framework

Introduction
This document outlines the purpose, nature and management of assessment for learning within Fleet
Tutors. The aim of the document is to give a clear outline of the way assessment is used as a tool to
track learner progress, inform planning and to raise standards.

Assessment for learning is a key part of teaching and learning. It is the process of seeking and
interpreting evidence to decide where the learners are in their knowledge and understanding. With
this information the tutor can plan the next step towards further progress and implement the best
methods to achieve success.

Purposes of Assessment for Learning

Assessment follows clearly stated learning objective and identifies the success of the teaching and
learning process and areas for improvement as follows:
• as an integral part of establishing a learner’s strengths and areas of improvement
• to inform lesson planning towards relevant learning objectives
• to inform learner progress and achievement for reporting purposes
• as an integral part of raising teaching standards.

Assessment for Learning within Fleet Tutors

Within Fleet Tutors the assessment process is as follows:
• Establishing assessment: to assess a learner’s needs and identify an appropriate tutor
• Initial assessment: to assess the stage at which a learner is working. This assessment is made
by learner stage rather than learner age
• Diagnostic assessment: to provide detailed information about individual learner strengths
and areas of improvement
• Formative assessments: to provide information for the tutor to plan each next step in the
learner’s learning and subsequently shared with the learner to support them in identifying
their own next steps
• Summative assessments: to provide a snapshot of each learner’s achievement as evidence
for interim or final reporting to relevant institution, parent, authority, etc.
• Evaluative: to allow Fleet Tutors, education institutions and individual tutors to evaluate how
effective the teaching has been.

Accuracy and consistency of assessments and levelling judgements

The accuracy and consistency of tutor judgements regarding levels, grades and standards are key if
decisions are to be given credence. Fleet Tutors endeavours to ensure all assessments are fair and
accurate to support learner learning and progress.

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 1. Establishing assessment
It is important to acquire as much information and background as possible to be able to identify an
appropriate tutor for each learner. This is particularly important in the case of SEND learners. The
information may be gathered through documentation or verbally, but it will need to be recorded and
passed on to the tutor to ensure the tutor is suitably prepared.

2. Initial Assessment
Regardless of the quality of the information available, an Initial Assessment will be needed to support
and verify that information, and to support the tutor’s initial professional judgements. The Initial
Assessment is to establish the stage, level, grade, potential, etc. of a learner or group of learners at a
specific point in their learning journey. There are clear benefits to Initial Assessments, but the
limitations will also need to be acknowledged in some cases.

Benefits and limitations to Initial Assessments

Benefits to Initial Assessments Limitations to Initial Assessments

Information is quantifiable in the form of scores All tests reflect learner performance at a
and levels. specific point in time which may be affected by
non-cognitive factors.
Results put individuals and groups of learners Some assessments measure potential which
into context of peer groups nationally and does not necessarily convert into achievement.
internationally.
Standardised assessments allow progress to be Some learners with Special Educational Needs
tracked efficiently and objectively over time. may be unable to access the test despite
ability.
Standardised tests offer a way to plan Test conditions may disadvantage some
intervention and assess the impact of that learners who may perform at a higher level in
intervention. other situations.
Information from standardised tests can be Learners with very high ability can possibly
interpreted and applied to inform and improve exceed the ‘ceiling’ of the test and information
teaching and learning strategies and is not helpful when tailoring their teaching and
methodologies. learning programmes.

Fleet Tutors provide Initial Assessments for maths and English which are designed for “age rather than
stage”. The Initial Assessment is used to establish a starting point for all future progress for learning
reporting. The mark scheme for the Initial Assessments are rigorously applied to ensure reliability and
credibility, and the results recorded so that progress is clear and measurable. The Initial Assessment
could be used as a Diagnostic Assessment as appropriate.

NB
The exception to the necessity of an Initial Assessment. When a learner is expected to take a
nationally recognised qualifications within any academic year (e.g. GCSE, A level, Functional Skills, etc.)
there will be verified, reliable and authentic data regarding a learner’s levels, grades, potential, etc. In
this case the tutor should go straight to a diagnostic assessment as outlined below. The learner would
not be expected to take the Initial Assessment. Results from a recent public examination, information
forwarded from a school or college, etc. would be considered as reliable and verified.
© Fleet Education Services Ltd 2019. This document must not be reproduced or distributed without prior written authorisation from Fleet Tutors.
 3. Diagnostic Assessment
Following the Initial Assessment, it is essential to pinpoint the strengths and areas for developments
of individual learners in order to create a personalised programme of study. The tutor will set the
diagnostic assessment to create a personalised programme of study which includes challenging, but
achievable targets.

By recording the diagnostic assessment results on the Baseline & Outcomes of the Fleet Tutors
Reporting Form, and repeating the Assessment within a specific time frame, progress towards filling
the gaps of knowledge and understanding can be measured. The information gained will also inform
the next block of teaching.

Diagnostic Assessments for nationally recognised qualifications – GCSE, Functional Skills, etc.
In the case of nationally recognised qualifications, the tutor should use past papers from the
appropriate exam board and mark these in strict accordance to the post-examination marking scheme.
This is to retain the national standard, credibility and ensure learner expectations are realistic.

4. Tutor Assessments: Formative Assessments and Summative Assessments

These assessments are part of a tutors’ toolkit and are ongoing. They are key methods of evaluating
learner progress and learning and the impact of the teaching.

Formative Assessment
Formative assessments are part of all lessons as building blocks to a learner’s knowledge and
understanding. They can be noted and/or recorded on the Sessions area of the Reporting Form in the
learning section as and when appropriate.

The aim of formative assessment is to monitor a learner’s progress and provide ongoing feedback
which is then used to inform the day by day/week by week teaching and learning. Formative
assessments help learners identify their strengths and areas for developments and target areas they
need to work on. They are also used to inform the tutors about where intervention, re-teaching or
revision is needed. Examples of formative assessments include:

• learner identifies the main point of the lesson in one or two sentences
• quick-fire Q&A sessions during a lesson or at the end of the lesson
• learner tells the tutor what they learned in the previous lesson
• marked workbooks with comments and corrections
• learner sums up what has been learned by the end of the lesson
• submission of draft project or coursework for marking and feedback
• submission of research proposal for early feedback

Summative Assessments
Summative assessments evaluate learner learning at the end of a taught block/topic/subject/unit
using an agreed standard or benchmark. This is recorded on the Baseline and Outcomes of the Fleet
Tutors Reporting Form. The examples below all have a standardized mark scheme or criteria against
which learners assessed:
SATs Mock exams Final exams
Project or coursework Dissertation
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 The table below demonstrates how the two assessments strategies differ

Formative assessment Summative assessment

1 Evaluation during the learning process Evaluation at the end of the learning process
2 Monitors and tracks understanding and knowledge Assigns grades/levels/awards
3 Improves learning through meaningful feed-back Evaluates achievement without comment
4 Takes place many times and in many different forms Summarizes the totality of the learning
over the course of a learning programme programme
5 A process A product

5. Evaluative Assessment
It is important to be able to assess the impact of tutor instruction and teaching. It is possible to
evaluate this in terms of learner progress through the assessment process and allows Fleet Tutors,
education institutions, individual tutors and other stakeholders to evaluate the effectiveness of the
teaching. By tracking the process from the Initial and/or the Diagnostic Assessments through to the
Summative Assessments and progress data, the quality of teaching is assured.

Target Setting
Following all assessments, it is useful to set targets and/or goals for students to work towards. Target
setting is a valuable tool to quantify progress and to motivate learners. All targets are set from the
outcome of each assessment. Targets should always be challenging yet achievable, and Fleet Tutors
involves learners in target setting at each stage of the process. The progress of learners is mapped
through appropriate lesson planning, and tutors ensure lesson planning builds firm foundations to
achieve staged targets.

© Fleet Education Services Ltd 2019. This document must not be reproduced or distributed without prior written authorisation from Fleet Tutors.