Rank Order Assessment

We are constantly looking for ways to help students achieve amazing outcomes and to boost motivation.  Other high-performing schools and academies, including many within United Learning, cite providing students and parents with rank order information as one of the most effective ways to do this.  Initial concerns are always about potentially demotivating those who appear lower in the list.  When these concerns are overcome, rank order proves to be a useful and effective piece of information to know.  It transcends the constant changes in education labelling and puts understanding achievement firmly back in the hand of students and parents.  To be clear: this information already exists.  What we are going to do is make it available to parents, carers and students themselves.  When we have visited schools that use rank order, far from being demotivating in any way, students describe how they are constantly trying to improve on their own previous position in the year.

At all times we will be offering wrap-around support to students to improve from whichever position they find themselves in and we believe this approach adheres closely to our values of Respect, Determination and Ambition. 

Whereas Rank Order Assessment is based on mid-year and end of year assessments, students will also experience daily formative assessment opportunities across the school. Formative assessment refers to a wide variety of methods that teachers use to monitor pupil progress and adapt their teaching and learning strategies accordingly. Formative assessment is happening all of the time and therefore misunderstandings or misconceptions can be picked up and addressed quickly and long before the rank order assessments that take place mid-year and end of year.

Thank you, as always, for your support as parents and carers as we strive to be really ambitious for our young people.

Frequently Asked Questions

This approach will raise issues and possibly concerns in some minds.  This is a process that other schools have gone through and we have answers to many of the questions that may arise.  We have therefore prepared a ‘Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)’ page on our website: Please click here to view >>>

Support and Guidance

Support and guidance guides are available in the useful downloads box below.