Teaching and Learning

Middle School

Assessments and Reporting

Middle School

Sophie Berry
Dean of Teaching and Learning - Middle School

Middle School

Brad Tyrrell

Reporting

The Middle School reports your son’s academic progress with Continuous Reporting. This type of reporting refers to providing timely, quality feedback comments for all summative assessments through Seqta Engage. Comments focus on strengths and areas that need improvement in relation to the related criteria for that assessment.

This is complemented by Semester 1 and 2 reports, and student, parent, and teacher interviews. Information in semester reports is based on the expectations of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and the Western Australian Curriculum.

Parent Teacher Student Interviews

In Semester 1, the Parent and Teacher interviews for Years 6, 7 and 8  have a pastoral care focus. We aim to answer the question, ‘How is my son settling into the year?’.

Following Semester 1 reporting, the boys spend time in class analysing their reports and formulating goals and strategies for the coming semester. All families in Years 6, 7 and 8 are then invited to attend Student Led Goal Setting Conferences with the homeroom teacher, where your son will share the goals he has committed to for second semester.

Assessment Schedules

The assessment schedules for Years 6, 7 and 8 can be found here.  Please note that given dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances and you should refer to Seqta Engage for the exact dates of upcoming assessments.

Assessment Overview Autumn 2019  (please scroll through to find the year group of relevance to you)

FAQs

Why do you do Continuous Reporting?

Continuous reporting is strongly supported by research as evidenced by a meta-analysis which found, “the most effective forms of feedback provide cues or reinforcement to the learner, are in the form of video, audio or computer-assisted instruction feedback, or relate feedback to goals.” (Hattie, 2009). The availability of timely, quality feedback is acknowledged to be one of the most significant determinants of success for learners. A reporting system that provides continuous feedback online will allow students to act on feedback immediately to inform future learning.

What are the benefits of Continuous Reporting?
  • Timely feedback – feedback and results are provided online within a defined period after a key task is completed and assessed.
  • Feedback informs the boys about what needs to be done in order to reach higher levels, giving them agency in their learning.
  • Feedback is specific to an individual student’s progress and learning.
  • Parents can view results and comments for key assessments at the same time as their child, receiving information in ‘real time’ rather than at two points within a year. This provides parents with the ability to identify and support action toward improvement prior to the next assessment.
  • Access online anywhere, anytime, via Seqta Learn and Seqta Engage.
  • Improved student wellbeing as the assessment schedule is no longer driven by semester reporting deadlines.
  • Structured reflection is built into the process to allow students to develop their self-management and reflective skills. This is one of the major goals of an International Baccalaureate education.
When will my son receive his Continuous Reporting feedback?

Within 2 weeks of the assessment being completed.

What format does Continuous Reporting take?

Continuous reporting feedback can be given in a variety of modes and teachers may choose these according to the task or their preference.  Comments can be typed on Seqta Engage, embedded in a digital document assessment, or attached as an audio or audio/visual file.

What will my son receive as feedback?

Comments must address the following points:

  1. What went well
  2. At least one area for improvement
  3. Strategies to achieve this
  4. Information regarding his attitude and effort in learning
How are parents notified that feedback is available?

Once marks and feedback are released on Seqta Engage, the system automatically sends a notification to you 2 days later.

How can I access my son's Semester Reports?

Your son’s Semester reports can be downloaded from Seqta Engage. For assistance, please see the following link https://ask.plcscotch.wa.edu.au/faq/101086

What is Academic Excellence?

Your son is awarded a semester grade for each subject, to a maximum grade score of 7. Each semester, certificates of Academic Excellence are awarded to the Year 7 and 8 boys who achieve 30 grade points or higher across five MYP subjects. This is an outstanding achievement and demonstrates a high level of commitment and engagement with their studies across the curriculum.

Who should I contact if I have concerns about my son's report?

The best person to contact is the subject teacher who wrote the report. If the concern is about the overall academic performance,  your son’s homeroom teacher is the best first contact.

How does the Middle School report on the Approaches to Learning skills in Semester Reports?

For each unit of work, your son’s teachers have selected an ATL skill that will support his success in the summative tasks.  This skill is explicitly taught in the classroom and your son will then apply this new skill to his learning.  Our teachers will assess your son’s performance of that particular ATL skill and will report on his progress in the Semester Reports.  The 4 levels of achievement (Novice, Learner, Practitioner, and Leader) give an indication of how well your son has performed each ATL skill, from the Novice who is able of observe the skill, through to a Leader who can teach others how to use the skill accurately.