Teaching, learning and assessing

So, here we are again.

Term has started. Children are settled in, and have begun testing their boundaries. Books are dog-eared, and already my favourite marking pen has run out of ink. Yes, we are back into term-time.

As part of my preparations for the new term, I've been setting up my APP, promising myself that this year, I'll be more on top of it and won't spend the night before moderation pulling portfolios together again. I've even started evidence-gathering, at least for Maths where it comes more easily than writing or reading.

Flicking through some of my children's work already this term, I've identified several pieces that don't securely fit any APP target. And this got me thinking; Does that mean that the work hasn't been worthwhile? Assessing Pupil Progress is one of the hardest things I've been asked to do. Nothing in university prepared me for it and I had no idea what it entailed and even now, having work that doesn't neatly fit into one (or more) of the APP targets fills me with a little dread.

I'm sure our Great and Glorious Leader would adore for every piece of work my children do to be able to be analysed and scrutinised and made to fit these targets. After all, without them, are my children really making progress? Can I prove that? Can I quantify it?

In my opinion, it comes down to this: Are my children learning? This is what is truly important to me. If my children are learning something, they are acquiring knowledge. As long as they are acquiring knowledge, they can build on that knowledge. And because they are building on that knowledge, eventually that building will reach the dizzying heights of an APP target (and beyond, one hopes!)

So, I've learnt, in the course of my afternoon assessing, not to hold on so tightly to the security of APP targets. To take a deep breath and move away from them, knowing we will come back eventually. And as long as I can prove that return will take place, I'll be happy to defend my decisions to the bitter end.

To hell with APP if that's what it takes. Let's go back to just plain learning. It never did anyone else any harm.