 “Progression in learning should always be at the heart of curriculum design…” Taith360 has been designed with pupil educational development at its core. Whether that be using attainments recorded on the system to help identify key next steps, or using contextual group or attendance details to identify potential barriers to learning, the pupil is at the centre of the system. Having key data at your fingertips can help to ensure that each pupil makes the most out of their school journey. “While descriptions of learning articulate how learners should make progress in learning around specific statements of what matters…”  Recording pupil attainment and progress (from emerging to embedded) enables you to understand how well a pupil is progressing through each of the statements of what matter, and provides you with the information needed to ensure that the correct next steps are identified for each pupil. "Progression is reflected in the statements of what matters, the descriptions of learning for each of these statements and is also the primary purpose of assessment. Understanding how learners progress is critical to learning and teaching and should inform curriculum design, classroom planning and assessment." https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-11/curriculum-for-wales-progression-code.pdf On Taith360, we have recently added functionality to enable you to see how a pupil is progressing between fixed dates, whether that be narrowed down to a term or half term, or expanded out to cover multiple years. This enables you to focus on the results of a specific intervention, or the success of a particular unit of work.  This is in addition to the Pupil, Class and School Overview pages, where you can always see the progress made in the current academic year compared with attainment in all years prior to the current year. You can also use the Class and School Overview pages to compare progress and attainment between pupils (to identify potential intervention groups) and compare contextual groups (such as boys versus girls), to ensure there is no clear gap between these groups. “…the principles of progression for each area articulate the broader principles of what progression means in the Area as a whole.”  We have also added the principles of progression to our planning functionality on Taith360, so that teachers can ensure they have a good grasp of what progression should look like when they are delivering their units of work. They can select where they feel pupils are within the principles of progression, and use this to help steer the learning taking place in the classroom. “…schools and practitioners must use these principles to inform all learning in supporting progression.” So, as you can see, just as it is with your pupils and schools, Taith360 is always moving forward.
Harry Dunbar Support Team
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 We have made a recent update to the system, so that wherever you have previously seen the word ‘Assess’, you will now see ‘Track’ – Track Plan, Tracking Notes etc. But why have we done this?
Primarily, this is in response to feedback we have had from you. It became apparent that what you do on Taith360 is not assessment – this takes place in the classroom. From work completed in books, to pupil engagement in lessons and group activities, and even brief interactions with pupils on the playground. All of this adds up to your understanding and assessment of the pupil and their skills. What Taith360 enables you to do is track their abilities in these skills and record them all in one place, so you’re not reliant on remembering all that you have observed. You can then use Taith360 to help you identify next steps for your pupils to help them continue and thrive along their learning journey. So, in short, nothing has changed in terms of the functionality of the system. This is simply a shift in terminology and understanding of what the system is being used for. Dan O'Dell Support Team After listening and taking on board the views of school leaders and teachers, I’m pleased to announce that we have added the Principles of Progression to Taith360! As stated on HwB: “While descriptions of learning articulate how learners should make progress in learning around specific statements of what matters, the principles of progression articulate the broader principles of what progression means in the Area as a whole. As such, schools and practitioners must use these principles to inform all learning in supporting progression.” (https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/designing-your-curriculum/principles-for-designing-your-curriculum/#principles-of-progression) The principles of progression obviously differ to the descriptions of learning in their purpose, however, both play an important role: "Progression is reflected in the statements of what matters, the descriptions of learning for each of these statements and is also the primary purpose of assessment. Understanding how learners progress is critical to learning and teaching and should inform curriculum design, classroom planning and assessment." (https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-11/curriculum-for-wales-progression-code.pdf We have also written a blog post that goes into our thinking in more detail: https://www.assessment360.org/blog/taith360-is-it-the-new-incerts-dispelling-the-myth.html Until now, the principles of progression have not been included on Taith360. However. we have recently added the ability to assign key Principles of Progression to your plans on Taith360. When building your plans, as you select each Area you require, simply click + Principles of Progression and you will be able to select the appropriate principles linked to that Area.  From there, if you wish, you can also add a note to support its inclusion in your plan and describe how you intend to apply it to your teaching:  Once saved, any selected Principles of Progression and accompanying notes will be visible alongside chosen Areas, Statements of What Matters and Descriptions of Learning in the Plan Summary:  We pride ourselves on listening to the needs of schools and teachers, ensuring that this steers how the system is developed for the future. We regularly release new features such as this alongside updates to tweak things here and there.
It is through this constant seeking of feedback from schools and teachers that we are able to further enhance the tool – we genuinely welcome every opportunity we have, to speak to people about the system. Having spoken with many schools over the past few months when either setting up on Taith360, or updating to the new academic year, we have had various questions asked of us; How can we use Taith360 to baseline our Reception pupils? Can we still access Incerts to record the Baseline? How can I access the Compact Profile? Is this functionality available on Taith360? The main purpose of the statutory Foundation Phase baseline assessment was to provide a nationally consistent baseline assessment which aligns with end of phase outcomes, which are no more. We touched on this in our previous blog post (On-entry assessments and Taith360). What does this mean for us? What do we do now Initial on entry assessments still need to be recorded to help determine next steps for children’s progression and the teaching and learning necessary to facilitate that progress. Having read through the assessment legislation for the current academic year, we have found that schools can decide which parts of the curriculum to make initial assessments against, but they must include elements of literacy, numeracy, and PSE. To help with this, we have included the developmental pathways from the Curriculum for funded non-maintained nursey settings and the Routes for Learning ABC steps for the LNF and DCF. The legislation also makes it clear that all on entry assessments should be made using the new Curriculum for Wales. But where did we find this information? This blog details our findings… What is meant by Assessing on entry We began by looking at The Education (Arrangements for Assessing in the Curriculum for Wales) Regulations 2022. This piece of legislation discusses the making, implementation, review, and revision of ongoing, as well as on entry assessments. In section 6, headed Making of arrangements for assessing on entry, section 6(3) mentions that:  Which Curriculum should we use Crucial to the above, is the term “relevant curriculum” which is defined in section 56(5) of the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 as:  Section 11 refers to section 10, through to sections 20-24 which state that the curriculum requirements are the following:  These are all key aspects of the new Curriculum for Wales which means that when assessing in relation to the relevant curriculum, assessments should be made with the new Curriculum for Wales in mind. But which parts of the new Curriculum should we be using?When looking again at Making of arrangements for assessing on entry, Section 6(4) points out: “It is vital that assessment arrangements must--
In conclusion, it is up to schools to decide what parts of the curriculum they will baseline, but it must include numeracy, literacy and PSE. For help with recording an on entry assessment on Taith360, please click here. You can find more information about Taith360 on our website and there is also useful documentation on our Help & Advice site. Adam Wilkinson
Support Manager, Assessment360  Welsh Government recently announced that ‘The 2021 to 2022 academic year will have been the final year requiring the statutory Foundation Phase baseline assessment.’ (https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/assessment-arrangements/supporting-transition-from-the-current-arrangements-to-curriculum-for-wales/#school-assessment-arrangements-for-summer-term,-2022)
However, they also spell out the following expectations for on-entry assessment: ‘To support this, under the new arrangements, schools and settings must:
To that end, we have added functionality to Taith360 to enable you to record an on-entry assessment for pupils in any year group, at any point throughout the academic year. To do this, select the previous academic year on Assess and then record assessments as normal. Once complete, simply switch back to the current academic year and continue with recording ongoing assessments. You will find more information about this on our Help & Advice site if you click here. Dan O'Dell Support Team, Assessment360 In short, the answer is no! We understand there have been some mixed messages received by schools about Taith360, specifically that it is the “new Incerts” and just a “tick-box exercise” that is not fit for the new curriculum. This is completely untrue and not the aim of this purpose-built system. As has always been the case, any assessments you make should be used formatively to help inform planning and teaching, and Taith360 has been specially designed to help you in this endeavour. Why Taith360 is not just Incerts 2.0 When the documentation for the new Curriculum for Wales was released in January 2020, we at Assessment360 took a long time examining the requirements and guidance. We quickly came to the realisation and conclusion that Incerts, or a variation of it, would no longer be fit for purpose and understood the need for a change in direction and approach. With the removal of outcomes and levels, best-fit assessment, and yearly expectations, etc., the focus shifted to more formative assessment, a way to identify strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work by providing next steps – a significant sway in the perception of assessment within education. This was backed up in the guidance provided: “Assessment should not be used to make a one-off judgement on the overall achievement of a learner at a set age or point in time against descriptors or criteria on a best-fit basis.” (https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/assessment-arrangements/supporting-learner-progression-assessment-guidance/) We therefore started a process involving a focus group of schools from across Wales, both primary and secondary settings, and both Incerts and non-Incerts users. Like with the curriculum, we wanted the system to be designed with school leaders/teachers input as they would be the ones using it. The result of this development is Taith360 – built from the ground up for the new curriculum, it is not simply the ‘new Incerts’.  Progress and assessment using Taith360
Two of the key elements of the new curriculum are progression and assessment: “Learner progression along a continuum of learning from ages 3 to 16 is central to Curriculum for Wales. Assessment plays a fundamental role in enabling each individual learner to make progress” (https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/assessment-arrangements/supporting-learner-progression-assessment-guidance) It is important to see where the children are in order to further develop their learning, and to plan activities and tasks that will help them further progress in their learning across progression steps. Assessments made on Taith360 can help you to keep track of each learner’s progress, and by assessing and planning on Taith360 you can help aid a pupil’s progress. But how? As you will know, the mandatory statements of what matters form the basis of learners’ progression. Supporting these are the descriptions of learning (which describe how learners should make progress within each statement of what matters): “Descriptions of learning provide guidance on how learners should progress within each statement of what matters as they journey through the continuum of learning.” (https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/designing-your-curriculum/principles-for-designing-your-curriculum/#descriptions-of-learning) “The descriptions of learning have been designed to help practitioners understand what learners’ progress should look like and provide reference points on the pace of progression to inform curriculum design and learning and teaching.” (https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/assessment-arrangements/what-s-changing-in-assessment/) As you can imagine, we try to keep on top of as much information regarding the new curriculum as possible, which is why we frequently look at the Curriculum for Wales blog. Here, they have a couple of posts that address several myths and misinterpretations that have emerged since the new Curriculum was released. In the second of these posts The Curriculum for Wales – Dispelling the Myths – Part 2, it talks about the descriptions of learning: "Myth #7 The Achievement Outcomes are our new levels. Achievement outcomes are different to levels. They represent the essential learning that needs to be taking place at these reference points, and should not be used as tick boxes or as a ‘best fit’ model. They should be the basis for curriculum planning and building an accurate picture of how learners are progressing across AOLEs and towards the four purposes. Achievement Outcomes are descriptions of learning, their focus should be formative, identifying where learners need support and what they should do next. Practitioners should continuously refer back to achievement outcomes in their curriculum and assessment planning." (https://curriculumforwales.gov.wales/2019/09/26/the-curriculum-for-wales-dispelling-the-myths-part-2/) The key to this is the last couple of sentences: “…Achievement Outcomes are descriptions of learning, their focus should be formative, identifying where learners need support and what they should do next. Practitioners should continuously refer back to achievement outcomes in their curriculum and assessment planning.” The descriptions of learning have been included in Taith360 for this purpose. They are intended to guide and inform learning and teaching not to be used simply as a checklist, or a series of criteria to be assessed against in order to arrive at a best-fit judgement – Taith360 will not give you that information. The assessments recorded are not necessarily linear, pupils can move forward and backwards easily, as it is important to show exactly where you feel the pupil’s understanding is in order to know where they need to go next. Therefore, what the assessments on Taith360 will give you is the information that you can then use to inform planning, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of a cohort, class and/or individual pupil – the intended use of the descriptions of learning as described in the guidance. In addition to this, when combined with general observations and other pupil data recorded on the system, it all comes together to help build a complete picture of each pupil’s learning journey Taith360 is also being used by schools to support them in exploring what the progression steps mean to them and how this aids with ensuring uniformity is applied across the school. Don’t just take our word for it: “Taith360 is a very successful resource for us as two schools. It has helped us also to understand the Curriculum for Wales too!” (Headteacher, primary school in Carmarthenshire) “I would like to thank you for Taith360, it is proving invaluable in helping us get our heads around the new curriculum and is helping us develop our curriculum map and organise ourselves for the next academic year.” (Assessment Lead, Primary School in Cardiff) Baseline Assessment As we have discussed, progress is important and being able to identify where progress has been made is vital - the assessments on Taith360 can help with this. As I’ve said, this is not achieved by not by giving you a number and saying whether that is good, bad, on-track, or anything else. Instead, Taith360 highlights Areas or Statements of What Matters which a cohort, class, or pupil may have, or have not, progressed well in. However, in order to show progress, you must first be able to record and show a starting point. In the Supporting transition from the current arrangements to Curriculum for Wales guidance released on 18th May 2022, it states that “The 2021 to 2022 academic year will have been the final year requiring the statutory Foundation Phase baseline assessment.” We will therefore not be adding this functionality into Taith360. However, the guidance does add that “on-entry assessment arrangements will be an important part of a school or setting’s overall assessment arrangements to plan and appropriately support a learner to make progress within a curriculum” and it is because of this that we will be adding a baseline function into Taith360 ready for the new academic year. What’s next? For us, as well as supporting schools to use the tool, development of Taith360 is an on-going process. We are constantly looking at ways of further enhancing the system based upon recommendations and requests from the schools that use it, hopefully resulting in us building the best system possible for Wales. If you would like to hear more about Taith360 or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Adam Wilkinson Support Manager, Assessment360 There is a lot happening at Assessment360 at the moment so I thought it might be useful to give a summary of these changes. The Assessment Foundation is now called Assessment360 We’re not very good at being idle here at Assessment360, and despite a worldwide pandemic and all the challenges that brings, we have spent the past few years doing what we do best – assessing. However, this time we’ve been assessing the systems we offer to schools, and how they fit in with the way education practices are currently evolving. Having worked with schools across the United Kingdom on different projects over the years, we understand that the pupil is very much at the centre of their learning, and assessment is more than just looking at academic achievement. This has resulted in the development of the ‘360 suite of assessment systems’ that are specifically tailored to each country in the United Kingdom. We thought that this fundamental change in our systems and approach should be reflected in the company name too, so we are now called Assessment360.  Incerts is being replaced by Taith360 in Wales It is an exciting, yet daunting time for schools across Wales as they transition towards the new Curriculum for Wales which becomes statutory for primary schools from September 2022. For the past 16 years, Incerts has been used by the large majority of Welsh Primary Schools to assess and track progress of their pupils. Nevertheless, the new curriculum calls for a new approach to assessment, tracking and planning and we realised that Incerts would no longer support schools in the way it had previously. Therefore, we have developed Taith360 specifically with the new curriculum and its requirements in mind. Please see the Curriculum2022 section of our website for further information on this. We felt that the best way to help schools prepare for the new curriculum was to make Taith360 available to all schools during this transitionary period. This way, schools could start getting used to the system whilst also becoming more familiar with the curriculum. Any schools currently using Incerts for assessment, analysis and reports would be able to continue doing so at the same time as exploring Taith360 too:  To be clear, Taith360 is its own system and there are no links with Incerts. If a school currently uses Incerts, you will still be able to continue using it as normal this academic year. From September 2022, Taith360 will replace Incerts and be the exclusive system we offer schools in Wales for assessment, tracking and planning. We are welcoming Secondary schools on board As mentioned previously, for primary schools, roll-out will commence in September 2022. Secondary schools who wish to roll out the curriculum to Year 7 are encouraged to do so, but this will not be mandatory until 2023, with roll-out to Years 7 and 8 together:  (image from: https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/curriculum-for-wales-the-journey-to-curriculum-roll-out) Therefore, we have developed Taith360 with secondary schools in mind too and we are really pleased to be welcoming secondary schools to the Assessment360 family. By having secondary schools on board, pupils will be able to move up with their assessments, meaning that their new teachers will have a valuable insight into them as a pupil while also having their specific next steps just a couple of clicks away. What’s NOT changing Despite the changes listed above, we are fundamentally still the same company with the same principles, to develop innovative online tools that use formative assessment to give every child a transformational learning experience and reduce teachers non-teaching workload.
We also have the same skilled support team who are available to help so if there is ever anything you need, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sally Bliwert Chief Operating Officer, Assessment360 There are many words that we would now wish to hear less often in this country, and indeed the world. From the irritating tautology of ‘global pandemic’ to the dread of ‘self-isolation’ – and let’s not even get started on ‘tiers’ or ‘alerts’. So I’ll start by apologising for offering up another roadmap. Much like the plans laid out by the government, it’s neither a road, nor a map, but it does bear such a close relationship with other such representations that the name seemed appropriate. The first being the Journey to 2022 – a road that the Assessment Foundation have been travelling since before it was even published for schools. It’s hard to believe that it has been six years since we attended meetings for the development of the Foundation Phase Profile, and were asked to pause some areas of work to take into account the release of the Successful Futures report in January 2015. The second being of course, the side-by-side paths laid out for the easing of lockdown on either side of the border. We’d like to add to this by sharing ours with you today, because we know that the relationship between these two roadmaps comes with a heavy burden placed on schools. It’s not only education children have lost, but wellbeing also. It’s not only teaching time that teachers have lost, but the opportunity to prepare for the new curriculum in 2022. Which is why we have focused our efforts on two things only; supporting recovery and supporting the path to the future.  Sources: Welsh Government / The Assessment Foundation
We're also able to provide bespoke remote inset training if you'd like something custom to your school - please just let us know. “Please can I ask you to pass on my best wishes and thanks to the team. You have all been absolutely brilliant once again this year. You make things a lot easier for me, thank you.”
This year, the Assessment Foundation are providing specialised support to secondary schools with transition data for the first time, helping secondary schools look at primary assessment data in depth, to understand what skills primary children bring with them. For more information, please contact support@assessmentfoundation.org.
Taith360 – our new assessment system for Curriculum 2022 – is structured around the Areas of Learning. We’re working with Welsh curriculum experts to produce an exemplar framework for each Area – but better still, you can create your own custom framework to use in the system. “We want to make sure we have the right assessment and planning system in place and from what I can see so far on your blog, Taith360 seems to be the complete package.” With Taith360 available from September 2021, we’ll be ready to support your school in developing your own custom assessment for September 2022. You can start from our sample framework – or completely from scratch. Taith360 puts flexibility, customisation – and most importantly, the pupil first.
We’re here to help There’s no sugar-coating the difficulties faced by schools. An already overburdened profession is being looked on to pick up the pieces of months of lost schooling, and with the same exhausted staff, take up the task of delivering a new curriculum too. The Assessment Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a guiding mission statement: we want to reduce the non-teaching workload of teachers, and improve attainment for children. It’s the most overused phrase of them all – but now, more than ever we want to help schools in any way we can. Lucy Ridley COO, The Assessment Foundation It has been a year since the final version of Curriculum for Wales 2022 was released, and here at the Assessment Foundation we have been busy, alongside our focus groups, planning and designing a fitting assessment system to complement this new curriculum. We are pleased to announce that we will be making a trial version available from September 2021. “There is a ‘buzz’ about this new tool across the Assessment Foundation and beyond. As schools prepare to implement the new curriculum we are delighted that this new system has been built in collaboration with schools. It’s what they are seeking, and it’s one which will be flexible and adaptable.” - Philip Dixon, CEO One of the strengths of the new curriculum is that it provides a continuous journey through a child’s full-time education. There was a strong emphasis in our focus groups on the need to show a rounded picture of each child. So, we have combined the two in the new system name, Taith360. With Taith360 you can ...  Taith360 will be available to both primary and secondary schools to capture a child’s whole educational journey. Taith360 also connects to your MIS, so set-up and data updates from your MIS are done automatically – saving a lot of admin!  The Assessment Foundation will provide an exemplar framework of progressive statements building towards the descriptions of learning for 2021 – but all schools will be able to add their own customised statements – or just use the descriptions of learning as they are.  Throughout development, schools have emphasised the need for flexibility and manageability – so we’ve made sure that we’ve reflected that every step of the way.
We’ll be sharing further details with you through the year as development progresses but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team on 0300 234 2345 or email wales2022@assessmentfoundation.org Sally Bliwert – Product Manager An update from the CEO of the Assessment Foundation, Dr Philip Dixon, on the upcoming changes to assessment. When the final version of Curriculum for Wales 2022 was released in January this year, few of us could have realised the massive disruption and disturbance that was about to take place in our children’s education and the lives of us all. While we should not underestimate the level of upheaval, the really remarkable thing is the way in which schools and teachers across Wales have risen to the challenge. Despite all the obstacles and problems, children have continued on their learning path and assessment for the next steps along that path continue to be made. It is clear that neither the Welsh Government nor the profession want to lose the dynamism, enthusiasm, and desire that the development of the new curriculum has initiated. The timetable for implementation remains in place, with schools preparing for teaching of the new curriculum in 2021, and we are all called to play our part in delivery for September 2022. The new system built by you Here at the Assessment Foundation we have been working hard with schools and teachers to ensure that high quality, reliable, and useful assessments can still be made at this difficult time (see our previous blog for details). But our team has also been working flat out to develop an assessment system that delivers for the bright new world promised by Curriculum 2022. We have been engaging stakeholders across Wales in a series of focus groups and in depth discussions to ensure that what is produced is something formed, owned, and cherished by the profession. Our experts at your service As you know this is far from being the first time we have developed new assessment arrangements. The development of the Foundation Phase Profile that replaced the much-derided Child Development Assessment Profile as the baseline and ongoing assessment for 3-7 year olds was led by our Chief Operations Officer, Lucy Ridley, who has taken the reins of leadership in creating the assessment approach. "I like to call this 'the 3D curriculum'. There's a wealth of support in the guidance for linking learning across the AOLEs and What Matter statements. Instead of a simple linear progression, this curriculum respects the natural twists and turns of learning and skill acquisition. The difficulty being, of course, realising a 3D curriculum in a 2D medium - on screen."  The AF's curriculum development team of Sally, Adam, Dan and Lucy, joined by newest recruit, Harry Dunbar. The creation of a new assessment system fitting to the new curriculum is an effort involving the whole team. Support Manager Adam Wilkinson has taken responsibility for reinventing our Focus Groups online.
"In what has been a very busy and strange period for schools, I would like to thank everyone who has supported us so far by giving their time to help us in our development sessions – the help has been invaluable as it will help inform our next stage of plans. In spite of the difficulties of this year, being able to hold meetings where we are not restricted geographically has been great. Working closely with groups of schools that have never worked together before has enabled us to facilitate wider and deeper discussions around the new curriculum." But don’t just take our word for this - we've been delighted to receive positive feedback on our progress. “Working in Focus Groups with the Assessment Foundation has given us the opportunity to discuss with other provisions how assessment will look in the Wales 2022 curriculum. This has helped us understand that, given the nature of the curriculum, each setting needs to be able to create their own criteria. The Assessment Foundation has listened to professionals in Wales.” - Neil Purcell, The Court School "The sessions have been very informative and professional. It's clear that the Assessment Foundation team have been doing a lot of preparation work to ensure that they have a system that is fit for purpose for the new curriculum. It's also very encouraging that they are utilizing the expertise of the education profession via numerous Teams meetings to ensure that it fits our needs. Great work!!!" - Steven Cruickshank, Maesgwyn School So what’s next? We'll be sharing more features and updates about our brand new assessment system as we continue to develop new ideas with schools. You'll be able to…
How you can help We're always looking for the input of schools to our system development - quite simply, we do it all for you! Sign up to our Feedback Group to hear the latest developments for Curriculum 2022, and feel free to email us directly at wales2022@assessmentfoundation.org if you have any questions or suggestions. Dr Philip Dixon, CEO, The Assessment Foundation |
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