In this blog, Tom Richmond, director of the EDSK think tank, states why he thinks using data (with parental understanding and knowledge) to report on a pupil’s progress is a solid way to gain their trust. Classroom teacher and founder of the online platform, Mr Bates Creates, Ashley Bates, presents a strong case for the narrative approach.

To teachers and senior leaders in primary schools, phrases such as ‘working at the expected standard’ and ‘scaled scores’ are part of the normal lexicon. The question is whether parents can make sense of these same terms as well.

Take ‘working at the expected standard’ as an example. Do all parents know what standard is ‘expected’? Are we (the educators) talking about the government’s expectations, a school’s expectations or a teacher’s expectations of each pupil? Can those expectations change over time, or are they fixed? How big is the gap between ‘working at the expected standard’ and ‘working at a greater depth within the expected standard’, and how does a child move between these two descriptions? The same issues can appear when using language such as ’emerging’, ‘developing’ and ‘secure’, which are well-intentioned but can lack meaning and precision from a parent’s perspective.

When EDSK completed a major research project into primary school assessment just over a year ago, which was sponsored by Pearson, we found that it is easy to assume that every parent grasps the curious phrases and terms used in the assessment system, yet the reality can be very different. It is vital that parents have access to information about their child’s level of attainment and progress, but politicians and policymakers often fail to appreciate how challenging this can become when the national assessment system imposes its own terminology on primary schools. The challenge for teachers and leaders is therefore to find a way to communicate progress and attainment in such a way that it is useful and meaningful. 

One of the main recommendations from the research project was that the current national assessment system should be replaced by online ‘adaptive’ tests in reading, numeracy and spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPG) with each pupil’s results made available to parents so that they can discuss their child’s progress with teachers and school leaders.

This new approach could offer several benefits in terms of communicating attainment and progress to parents. First and foremost, the use of online adaptive tests has the potential to produce data that allows comparisons of pupil performance within schools and between schools, so that parents can get a broad sense of how their child is performing. Second, each pupil’s raw scores could be described in terms of attainment and progress in a way that is accessible to parents. For example, this could be on a scale (e.g. ‘below average’ to ‘above average’) or a model based around the level of additional support that a pupil may require in each subject given their most recent results (e.g. ‘no extra support needed’, ‘some extra support needed’, ‘much more support needed’). Regardless of the exact model chosen, our research suggested that the combination of numerical scores with a simple but well-designed piece of commentary from teachers could be an effective way of communicating with parents. 

Using online tests to set short-term ‘targets’ for each pupil is not helpful for parents because we want them to think about their child’s development as a process that spans their entire primary school journey rather than a continuous race to meet an artificial target set each month or term, then race to meet the next target, and so on. It is rare for pupils to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in a linear and consistent way because deep learning is often a difficult process that will have peaks and troughs at regular intervals. 

Overall, our research showed that using online adaptive tests can be a powerful tool for following pupils’ development over time in terms of both attainment and progress, but the data produced by such tests should not be presented to parents without any context or explanation. Instead, working closely with parents to understand what they need, what they find helpful and what phrases and ideas resonate with them is still an important aspect of keeping them informed. In other words, combining test data with observations can provide a strong platform for communicating with parents so that they truly feel part of their child’s journey through primary education.

When it comes to relating with families and supporting the pupils we care for, the teacher narrative is an essential element. It provides the human touch from day one; giving parents the true picture of a real child, whether that relates to their academic progress, or their behaviour, peer interactions and so on.

Data has its place, but we must not be data reliant and some data really needs to be taken with a pinch of salt! After all, the numbers can be confusing: for example what happens if one of my pupil’s high results completely contradicts his classroom performance? That’s why a teacher narrative is so crucial. It’s all too easy to report on the data but being data heavy isn’t being real, we must make sure we are being real and reporting on our observations.

Afterall, we observe five days a week, approximately six hours a day, we don’t need to wait for test results. We can have conversations with parents about pupil progress from the outset, before any testing has taken place. That narrative can be constant; a regular, three-way process between teachers, parents and pupils. Keeping parents on side is key, and benefits all involved: teachers can share understanding, bringing families on to their team; parents feel less alone and more in-touch; and pupils have the best chance of receiving the right support to thrive both in school and at home.

The time is ripe for working with parents and having these all-important interactions. I’ve noticed that, since the pandemic, families are more understanding of teachers’ work than ever before: lockdown showed them what’s involved in education, and many are more involved now as a result. They want to make sure they are supporting their children in the right way at home and enjoy knowing more about their child’s progress through the numerous different apps available, as well as through their dialogue with school.

Sharing key data along the way can be very helpful, as are onscreen assessments. Having responsive software that adapts to the child’s ability is especially important in showing the range of a pupil’s understanding. If this data can easily be shared with parents, it may instantly help them to see where their children are at. That said, there must be a caveat: data needs to be used carefully, and communicated carefully, so parents know it is only part of the whole picture. 

Having such open conversations with parents allows us to move away from the ‘blame culture’ of the past, and move towards the community spirit of now. Shared narratives remove the obstacle of ‘us and them’, providing an approachable, ongoing point of contact for families, and framing the bigger picture. With all of this combined we have the power to meet our learners’ needs more effectively than ever. As I like to say, sharing is caring!

Tom Richmond is the founder and director of the EDSK think tank. For more information about EDSK, or if you would like to read their research report on primary assessment called ‘Making Progress’, visit www.edsk.org. You can also follow Tom (@Tom_Richmond) or EDSK (@EDSKthinktank) on Twitter.

Ashley Bates is a primary school teacher and Founder of the online platform, Mr Bates Creates. For more information on Mr Bates Creates visit www.mrbatescreates.com or follow on Facebook or TikTok at @mrbatescreates