P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

Portfolio of

moderated examples

of pupils’ work:P scales and early levels

of the national

curriculum.

SLD Outreach Support Service in partnership with Quality and Improvement Service

P scales Portfolio

Introduction

From September 2007, teacher assessment of P (performance) scales to measure attainment for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) who are working below National Curriculum became a statutory part of National Curriculum assessment.

The use of P scales is central to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and North Yorkshire’s aspirations to recognise the attainment of those children who are working below level 1. Better understanding and communication of the performance of these pupils, particularly those with complex needs / SLD, will allow their progress to be tracked and monitored alongside their peers.

What are P scales?

The P scales are differentiated performance criteria. They outline attainment for pupils working below level 1 of the national curriculum and describe some of the important skills, knowledge and understanding that pupils may gain from the programmes of study of the national curriculum.

An assessment tool recommended by the DCSF. The P scales assess only selected parts of the programmes of study. P scales use eight performance levels to illustrate the learning that leads to national

curriculum level 1. Progress of pupils with special educational needs can be described using a series of

statements ranging from P Level 1 (P1) through to P Level 8 (P8). Of the eight P levels, the first three (P1, P2, P3) are common to all subjects. These are

particularly relevant for pupils working at very early levels. P Levels 4 – 8 are subject specific and lead into the national curriculum level

descriptions. P scales are designed to be used in the same way as national curriculum levels and are

best-fit level indicators. They are differentiated assessment criteria, not a curriculum. There are ‘P’ scales for each subject in the national curriculum, (including Personal,

Social and Health Education and Citizenship) and for Religious Education.

How should the P scales be used?

P scales are for use with pupils with special educational needs, who are working below the national curriculum attainment levels.

Staff can use the P scales in the same way as the national curriculum descriptors. This means that the P scales have a number of functions in both mainstream and special schools.

P scales support summative assessment enabling staff to make and record judgments about pupils’ attainment at the end of a year or Key Stage.

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

They can be used to track individual pupil’s linear progress towards subject specific attainment at national curriculum level 1 and beyond.

They can be used to look for patterns in the attainment of pupils. They provide information for school managers setting targets for whole school

improvement. They can be used to describe the achievements of pupils with SEN more fully. They can help in identifying the next steps and in setting more meaningful targets. When interpreting the P scales it is important to be flexible. Pupils with special needs

show their attainment in highly individual ways. Lateral progression is best shown through annotation of work and the levels of

engagement.

Who should be assessed using the P scales?

P scales should only be used for pupils between 5 and 16 who have learning difficulties and are working below level 1.

By the end of year 1 all pupils working below level 1 should be assessed using the P scales.

Many pupils with learning difficulties typically have uneven or spiky profiles across subject, in different aspects of subjects or in different contexts. They may be working within national curriculum levels in certain subjects.

Advice in relation to children whose attainments are not reflected in the Foundation Stage Profile scales:“The first three items in each of the scales in the Foundation Stage Profile relate to attainment where children are working towards the early learning goals. Where it is not possible to record assessments in relation to items 1 – 3 of the profile scales, attainment at the end of the foundation stage could be recorded in an appropriate alternative way” (e.g. P scales). Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage QCA

When is it not appropriate to use the P scales?

P scales should not be used as a label to describe pupils. They are not designed to be used for targets for individual pupils. The broad, subject

focused nature of the P scale level descriptors means that they do not make good short term targets for addressing the individual needs of particular pupils.

They are not appropriate for use with children who do not have SEN even if they are working below National Curriculum level 1, for example some children with EAL. Staff working with children who use English as an additional language should refer to EAL performance indicators (Language in Common, QCA 2000).

The P scales are not designed to be used as a crude performance indicator for making staff or schools accountable for effectiveness.

P scales are not designed to be used for detailed formative assessment. They are not designed to be used to define curriculum content or as a detailed, step by

step curriculum.

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

P scales are not designed to assess child development or SEN. There are other tools for that purpose

There is no such thing as a ‘P6 child’. That child may be P7 in some areas and P 5 in others.

Although some pupils in KS1 may be still working on areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum, because it is developmentally more appropriate for them, teachers should use the FS Profile and Stepping Stones / Early Learning Goals until the end of Reception and then make the transition during Year 1 so that they are in a position to report a P scale level by the end of Year 1.

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

ASSESSMENT TOOLS – PIVATS, PACE and B-SQUARED

Schools may use one of the following, commercially available resources, which expand on the P scale statements and/or provide assessment tasks.

PIVATS - Performance Indicators for Value Added Target Setting

PIVATS is an extended version of the revised P scales Each P level is further differentiated into five small steps

(or ‘Can do’) Performance indicators and include NC level 1C to level 4.

Each step carries a numerical points score which means data can be submitted for further analysis

PACE - P Scale Assessment of the National Curriculum from Equals’

PACE includes assessment tasks for each of the P level descriptors in English, Maths, Science and PSHE and Citizenship

Teachers can use these to assess pupils’ progress.

B-Squared

B Squared assessment files breakdown the P Levels and the National Curriculum from levels 1 to 5 into small steps in English, Maths, Science and all other NC subjects.

Due to the ‘best fit’ nature of P scales assessment is not an exact science. Some mainstream schools with only 1 or 2 pupils working below level 1 will need guidance on how to make reliable assessments through observation, set tasks and keeping some annotated evidence. However, teachers’ judgements are important and a note about an observed piece of learning may be sufficient, it does not always need to be a photograph. Evidence kept should be manageable.

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

Schools need to address how lateral progression should be recorded for some pupils. It is important that parents are aware of how their child is making progress if they are not following the vertical route.

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

Guidance on making ‘best fit’ judgements

Staff should use their professional judgement to decide which P level descriptor offers the best fit for a pupil’s performance according to the evidence gathered. Staff will need to work together to review their perspectives and decide whether a pupil’s performance, taken as a whole over a year or key stage, has been ‘more P5 than P4 or P6’. Considering pupils’ work against elements of the levels above and below a proposed level is an effective way of clarifying a best fit judgement.

Staff should make best fit judgements on the basis of normal, every day teaching and learning processes. There is no need for testing or setting up special assessment tasks or activities.

Flexibility in using the P scales

Best fit judgements are based on: The teachers knowledge of the learner

An awareness of the contexts in which the learning takes place

Consideration of a variety of different forms of evidence gathered over time.

Staff should not make judgements about levels on the basis of a single piece of work or any single item of evidence. However, pupils do not need to repeat responses that are regarded by staff as secure (by performing a given skill 5 times over, for example).

A pupil does not necessarily have to demonstrate every element in a level descriptor or demonstrate an element a certain number of times in order to be awarded a given level.

For some learners, it may be appropriate to ignore elements of a descriptor to acknowledge the impact of particular impairments. When making best fit judgements, staff will need to take account of:

Pupils ages and prior attainments

Levels of support, modelling or prompting pupils receive

The effects of the barriers to learning experienced by pupils

The examples of activities and responses in the P scales are illustrative rather than prescriptive. Staff can be confident that it is acceptable to look for alternative but equivalent learning.

Learning in relation to the P scales will often be interactive and this should be acknowledged when judgements are made.

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

Staff development activities can help staff to gain the experience they need to balance contextual factors when making best fit judgements.

Considering the following factors can help staff arrive at best fit judgements about levels of attainment:

Context and environment Involvement of peers and staff Aids and adaptations Physical and cognitive support.

The key task in each category is to decide whether the contextual factors change the nature (and perhaps the level) of the pupils responses, or merely enabled the pupil to participate.

Using the P Scales, QCA, 2005

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

A framework for recognising attainment

The framework below can help teachers recognise attainment below level 1 of the National Curriculum. It describes possible changes in individual pupils’ responses and behaviour as their early perceptions of experiences and their increasing involvement in the learning process develop into areas of knowledge, skills and understanding. The development of internal learning processes, for example, thinking skills, is shown by degrees of attention, discrimination and participation in experiences and activities.

Encounter Pupils are present during an experience or activity without anyobvious learning outcome, although for some pupils, for example, those who withhold their attention or their presence from many situations, their willingness to tolerate a shared activity may, in itself, be significant.

Awareness Pupils appear to show awareness that something has happened and notice, fleetingly focus on or attend to an object, event or person, for example, by briefly interrupting a pattern of self-absorbed movement or vocalisation.

Attention and response

Pupils attend and begin to respond, often not consistently, to what is happening, for example, by showing signs of surprise, enjoyment, frustration or dissatisfaction, demonstrating the beginning of an ability to distinguish between different people, objects, events and places.

Engagement Pupils show more consistent attention to, and can tell the difference between, specific events in their surroundings, for example, by focused looking or listening; turning to locate objects, events or people; following moving objects and events through movements of their eyes, head or other body parts.

Participation Pupils engage in sharing, taking turns and the anticipation of familiar sequences of events, for example, by smiling, vocalising or showing other signs of excitement, although these responses may be supported by staff or other pupils.

Involvement Pupils actively strive to reach out, join in or comment in some way on the activity itself or on the actions or responses of the other pupils, for example, by making exploratory hand and arm movements, seeking eye contact with staff or other pupils, or by speaking, signing or gesturing.

Gaining skills Pupils gain, strengthen or make general use of their skills,and understanding knowledge, concepts or understanding that relate to theirexperience of the curriculum, for example, they can recognisethe features of an object and understand its relevance,significance and use.

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

Further information on P scales:

You can find out more by logging on to:

pscales@qca.org.uk

Planning, teaching and assessing the curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties www.nc.uk.net/ld/index.html

‘Supporting The Target Setting Process’ (revised March 2001. DfEE 0065/2001)

www.devon.gov.uk/dcs/speceduc/pscales/index.html

Equals: www.equals.co.uk

PIVATS: www.lancashire.gov.uk

B squared: www.bsquaredsen.co.uk

www.standards.dfes.gov.uk

Assessing Pupils Performance using the P levels, Buck D. and Davies V., 2001, David Fulton

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

Additional information: teaching children with severe learning difficulties

Useful websites

www.priorywoods.middlesbrough.sch.uk Loads of FREE interactive resources for developing Cause and Effect and early literacy and numeracy skills, e.g. BUGZ

www.equals.co.uk Schemes of work, Assessment tools, forum for teachers and training events

www.nc.uk.net/ld/index.html Planning, teaching and assessing the curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties – all subject areas

http://www.nc.uk.net/ld/dump/GG_ld.pdf General Guidelines – framework for recognising attainment

www.inclusive.co.uk Inclusive Technology – suppliers of software and equipment for children with disabilities, e.g. communication aids

www.mayer-johnson.com PCS Boardmaker symbols

www.widgit.com Writing with Symbols, Communicate in Print, SymWriter

www.cafamily.org.uk Information on medical conditions and syndromes

http://inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/csiehome.htm Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education

www.teacherstv.co.uk School Matters – Special Needs:Inclusion Singing and signing Working with a special school Speech and Language strategies Role of the SENCO A Multi-sensory approach Imagination on the Autistic Spectrum PE Changing the rules Inclusive Classroom – ICT Access the curriculum Teaching visually impaired pupils

BLANK PROFORMAP-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

Pupil: Name Age:

Year Group: Key Stage

Context: e.g. The lesson, the situation, what may have happened before, familiarity with task / staff, positioning, 1:1 or group work, setting/ environment, support required to stay on task etc

Level of Support: No help, gestural help, physical help, spoken help

Assessment: What did the pupil do? Include detailed qualitative statement linked to levels of engagement (above.

Level of Attainment: P-level or NC level.

Level Descriptor (highlight) Insert relevant descriptor

Assessor: Date:

Moderated P/NC Level: to be inserted after moderation

Moderated by: Date:

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008

Subject heading: sub section

Insert photo or link to piece of work

Level of Engagement Tick

Encounter

Awareness

Attention and response

Engagement

Participation

Involvement

Gaining skills and understanding

Moderated examples of pupils’ work:P scales and early levels of the national

curriculum.

P-Scales Portfolio June. 2008