Assessment at Waterton Academy Trust

Information for parents and carers

As of this academic year, we have made some adjustments to our assessment system across the trust. The key changes are:

The Greater Depth judgement will no longer be used in Key Stage 1
The Greater Depth judgement will no longer be used in writing in Years 3, 4 & 5
The written assessments completed in Years 3, 4 & 5 have changed and are now more in line with the end of Key Stage 2 SATs

Key Stage 1

Why we’ve made this change

This change reflects national findings, not an issue specific to the schools in our trust. Across the country, “greater depth” judgements at Key Stage 1 have historically proven to be inconsistent, with different schools and local authorities interpreting them in different ways. National moderation has shown that “working at the expected standard” is the most secure and reliable measure of attainment.

Because Key Stage 1 assessment is now optional and no longer externally moderated, we believe it is fairer and more meaningful to focus on the expected standard, where teachers can be confident their judgements are consistent with those made nationally.

What this means for your child

Removing the “greater depth” label does not lower expectations or limit progress. Instead, it allows teachers to focus on deepening learning rather than working through a small set of additional tick-box criteria. Children who grasp ideas quickly will continue to be challenged through richer tasks — for example, exploring more complex texts, tackling multi-step problems, explaining their reasoning, and applying their learning in new contexts. The expected standard is not a cap on learning.

Our aim is for every pupil to master core skills securely and develop a deeper understanding of what they learn. This strong foundation prepares them to flourish in Key Stage 2, where “greater depth” is clearly defined and assessed consistently at the end of primary school.

Key Stage 2

Writing in Years 3, 4 & 5

In Years 3, 4 and 5, we no longer use the term “greater depth” for writing. This is because there are no nationally agreed criteria for what “greater depth” writing looks like in these year groups — there is no accurate way to determine if a pupil is on track to meet the greater depth standards by the end of Year 6. In Year 6, the “greater depth” judgement will still be used as nationally determined criteria is in place and used to make end of key stage judgements.

Assessments

In the end of key stage 2 SATs assessments, pupils are given a scaled score of between 80 and 120 (inclusive), with a score of 100 meaning pupils have met the expected standard, and 110 or above meaning they are working at the higher standard (often referred to as greater depth). For Years 3, 4 & 5, we were previously using assessments that provide a standardised score, where 100 is the average score nationally rather than the threshold for working at the expected standard.

Whilst standardised scores gave a strong indication of pupils’ levels of achievement, the difference between scaled scores and standardised scores could be confusing. As of this academic year, we will now use assessments which provide a scaled score in line with the end of key stage 2 SATs with 100 being the threshold for securely working at the expected standard.

Year 6 pupils will continue using past SATs papers for their assessments.

Teacher assessment judgements used

The following teacher assessment judgement statements will be used in Year 1, Year 2 and for writing in Years 3, 4 and 5:

Code	Meaning	Notes
PKS	Pre-key stage	Cannot access age-appropriate content
WTS	Working towards the expected standard	Can access age-appropriate content with support
EXS	Working at the expected standard	Can access age-appropriate content independently

The following teacher assessment judgement statements will continue to be used in reading and maths in Years 3, 4 and 5 and in all subjects in Year 6:

Code	Meaning	Notes
PKS	Pre-key stage	Cannot access age-appropriate content
WTS	Working towards the expected standard	Can access age-appropriate content with support
EXS	Working at the expected standard	Can access age-appropriate content independently
GDS	Working at greater depth within the expected standard	Can access age-appropriate content very securely and apply it to different contexts

Thank you for your continued support as we align our assessment approach across the Trust. These changes are designed to ensure that all judgements are consistent, fair, and focused on helping every child achieve their best.