Standardised Testing and Support Strategy
Consciousness-based Education is a complete system of holistic education. Ensuring that every pupil is attaining appropriately according to their ability is an important component of the system. The school uses a programme of standardised testing (provided and developed by GL-assessment). This enables an assessment to be made of a pupil’s attainment relative to their ability, and how that pupil compares to a national sample of pupils of the same age.
Maharishi School’s standardised testing programme has five fundamental components assessing ability, attainment, and attitude:
● Cognitive Ability Tests (CAT) in four batteries of tests, verbal, quantitative, non-verbal, and spatial
(https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/assessments/cat4/)
● Progress Test in Mathematics (PTM)
(https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/assessments/progress-test-in-maths/)
● Progress Test in English (PTE)
(https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/assessments/progress-test-in-english/)
● Progress Test in Science (PTS)
(https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/assessments/progress-test-in-science/); and
● Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS)
(https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/assessments/pass/).
The tests are taken online.
All the tests of attainment and survey of attitude are taken annually by different year groups according to the test.
For the CAT, PTE and PTM tests the results are provided for both individuals and groups. These results are also used as part of the methodology for forecasting future performance.
The school also uses other online standardised tests to provide specialist insight into the needs of a pupil, where considered appropriate by the SENCo:
● Dyslexia Screener
(https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/assessments/products/dyslexia-screener-and-dyslexia-guidance/);
● Dyscalculia Screener
(https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/assessments/products/dyscalculia-screener-and-dyscalculia-guidance/).
Analysis and pupil support
Once the data has been generated it is analysed. The principal analysis uses the Year 7 CAT predictions with termly attainment.
In addition, other analyses are also carried out including attainment over time, and the progress and attainment of different groups. The results of these analyses are anonymised before being made available to the governing body for discussion (also done termly). Another set of analyses are prepared for teachers which identify individual pupils and are presented for discussion at the regular support meetings in both the primary and secondary phases.