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| Glossary items appear in blue the first time they appear in the text on any page.
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| Assessment | An estimate of a pupil's abilities, strengths, weaknesses and achievements.
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| Attainment Target |
All subject areas, eg. Maths, Science, History etc., have one or more Attainment Targets (ATs). These are the general areas of study in each subject. There are three ATs in English, four ATs in Maths and four ATs in Science.
English Attainment Targets:
Maths Attainment Targets:
Science Attainment Targets
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| Core Subjects |
In the National Curriculum the core subjects are English, Maths and Science. Welsh is a core subject in Welsh speaking schools. Only the core subjects are tested in the SATs tests.
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| DFEE | This is the Department for Education and Employment.
The DfEE is the government department that decides and determines the policies and procedures carried out in schools in England and Wales.
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| Group Moderation |
Group moderation is undertaken by a number of teachers from a cluster of schools. The teachers meet to check and regulate each other's marking system to make sure the marking system is fair and of the same standard.
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| GCSE | An abbreviation for the General Certificate of Secondary Education.
The majority of pupils take GCSE examinations in a number of subjects at the end of Key Stage 4. GCSEs are external exams set and marked by different exam boards around the country, eg. NEAB, SEG etc.
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| Key Stage | A Key Stage (KS) is a period of time in a pupil's compulsory school life that corresponds to school years. Each Key Stage lasts for two or more school years. There are four Key Stages and 11 school years between the ages of 5 - 16. The SATs take place at the end of KS1, KS2 and KS3.
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| Key Stage 1 | Pupil's in Years 1 and 2 are at Key Stage 1. (Infant pupils)
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| Key Stage 2 | Pupil's in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 are at Key Stage 2. (Junior pupils)
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| Key Stage 3 | Pupil's in Years 7, 8 and 9 are at Key Stage 3. (Lower Secondary pupils)
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| Key Stage 4 | Pupil's in Years 10 and 11 are at Key Stage 4. (Upper Secondary Pupils)
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| Levels | Each Attainment Target (AT) is divided into 8 levels. The levels describes what or how a pupil is studying to achieve an Attainment Target. The work becomes progressively more difficult and pupils are expected to achieve higher levels as they move through school. The levels for each attainment target are written down in the 'National Curriculum Orders' published by the DfEE. There is an additional level above level 8 for the most able pupils.
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| Moderation | This is a process for checking tests that have been marked in school rather than by an external examiner. It is done to make sure the marking is uniform, fair and of the same standard in all schools. The Moderation is carried out by a Moderator who works with teachers in a cluster of schools. The Moderator oversees the marking system used by teachers to ensure everyone is marking according to the approved national guidelines. He/she also acts as a guide if those marking the papers have any queries.
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| Moderator | A Moderator is a nominated representative appointed by the local authority or an exam board. Often, it is a teacher of many years' experience. The Moderator must have no personal connection with the schools he/she is moderating. The Moderator works with teachers in a cluster of schools to oversee the marking system used by schools for exams and tests. (See Moderation).
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| National Curriculum |
The National Curriculum is a compulsory curriculum, established by the government for all pupils of compulsory school age (5 - 16) in maintained schools, including grant-maintained and grant-maintained special schools. The curriculum covers all the subjects that are taught in school and suggests when and what should be covered within those subjects.
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| Qualifications and Curriculum Authority |
The QCA is a government organisation that promotes quality in education, training and assessment. It carries out studies, prepares assessment papers and produces a wide range of publications for parents and teachers.
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| SATs | Standard Assessment Tests are government tests designed to assess pupils in the three core subjects toward the end of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3.
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| Target | See Attainment Target
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