At Parkgate, we understand that assessment is crucial for understanding students' progress across both core subjects (like English, maths, and science) and foundation subjects (such as art, geography, and history). It helps teachers identify strengths, address gaps in learning, and tailor instruction to meet individual needs, ensuring a well-rounded education that supports both academic and personal growth. Regular assessment fosters a supportive environment where children can thrive and build a strong foundation for future learning.

Core Subject assessment

At Parkgate, assessing core subjects like English, maths, and science is focused on both formative and summative methods. Teachers use ongoing assessments, such as observations, quizzes, and class activities, to track progress and provide immediate feedback. This approach helps identify areas for improvement while supporting continuous learning. Summative assessments, like tests or projects, offer a clearer picture of students’ overall understanding, guiding future teaching and ensuring mastery of key concepts.

Foundation Subject assessment

Assessing foundation subjects at Parkgate involves a more flexible approach, focusing on both skills development and knowledge acquisition. Teachers use a combination of observation, project-based tasks, and practical activities to assess students' understanding in our foundation subjects. This approach allows for a holistic view of a child’s progress, encouraging creativity and critical thinking while ensuring a well-rounded education.

At Parkgate, teachers record assessments on a piece of software called Sonar Tracker. This allows the data to be analysed at an individual, class or whole school level to inform teaching approaches, evaluate pupil progress and determine pupil attainment. 

Sonar Tracker is more than a collection of tools to collect, collate, and share assessment data; it is an integral part of the assessment process. The suite:

• Enables better outcomes for pupils.
• Improves the identification of pupils that are falling behind.
• Actively helps with the process of managing and making use of assessment data.

Sonar Tracker has been built using the combined expertise, experience, and educational history of the teams behind the market-leading Target Tracker, OTrack, Classroom Monitor and Pupil Asset products.