St Michael’s House Special National School Skerries
Policy for Assessment and Recording
Aims:
To monitor student’s progress and acknowledge achievements and to increase motivation.
To evaluate teaching objectives and approaches.
To show to parents and to assist them in helping their child to achieve personal goals.
To provide evidence of work done.
To acknowledge and celebrate achievements.
To share information with other relevant professionals.
To guide plans for future learning.
Current practice for assessment:
A holistic view is taken when assessing pupils. With assessment we aim to answer the following in order to gain an understanding of the pupil,
- What is the students preferred way of learning?
- How best does he /she process information
- How does he/she communicate his/her needs?
- How can we integrate new experiences for this student with their prior learning?
- How can we improve his/her ability to remember and anticipate what is important to him/her?
- What approaches does he/she take to problem solve situations?
- How does the student form attachments and interact socially?
The following are the assessment methods currently used:
Formal assessments by psychologist or other multi-disciplinary team member.
Through IEP with Parents /Guardians
Observation sheets
Teacher designed check-lists ie CAT tools
Meetings with multi-disciplinary team
Assessments are carried out both formally and informally by the class teachers and members of the clinical multi-disciplinary team.
IEPs are carried out in the first term by teachers and Parents and supported by the Principal and the clinical team where necessary.
IEPs are reviewed in the final term with teachers and Parents/Guardians.
When required the school psychologist will complete a formal assessment.
All students starting the school are require to have a psychological assessment.
All students leaving the school to progress to adult services will have a transition passport made up of clinical assessments and reports from teachers as well as any other necessary reports.
Informal assessments take the shape of observations and communications with Parents/ Guardians teachers, members of the multi-disciplinary team SNAs and any other relevant professionals.
Record Keeping:
Teachers keep fortnightly and monthly class plans to record the students objectives, work and progress in all areas of the curriculum .As the levels in the class may vary greatly objectives may be individualised where necessary.
The IEPS record the strength and needs of the students and identify goals for each child.
The school hold monthly case conferences with the multi-disciplinary team and all clinicians have access to student files and records.
Teachers and clinicians are encouraged to foster good relationships with one another and all staff work as one team for the good of the students.
Ratified by the Board of Management on :
Signed
Chairperson