Arbor is the Management Information System used at Southfields to record assessment in each subject of the curriculum. Formative assessments for Reading, Writing, Oracy and Maths are entered on Arbor at four checkpoints throughout the year: Baseline (in September), December, April and July and formative assessments in the foundation subjects are entered onto Arbor at 3 points in the year (December, April and July). Teachers use informal assessment information combined with formal assessment results to make a professional judgement about a child’s attainment and record it as a grade on the Arbor system.

We use 7 grade descriptions from year 1 to year 6 to assess the pupils in all subjects:

PKS – Pre-Key Stage

BLW – Working below the year group standard

WTS – Working towards the year group standard

WTS+ - Relatively close to the to the year group standard. These are key marginal pupils.

EXS – Meeting the year group expectations 

EXS+ – Very secure with the potential to be working at the GDS

GDS – Exceeding the year group standard

In EYFS, attainment is recorded using grades 1 – 12, matching to the following stages of Development Matters:

1 = Birth to 3 - Emerging 1	7 = 3 & 4 year olds - Emerging
2 = Birth to 3 - Emerging 2	8 = 3 & 4 year olds - Developing
3 = Birth to 3 - Developing 1	9 = 3 & 4 year olds - Secure
4 = Birth to 3 - Developing 2	10 = Reception/ELG - Emerging
5 = Birth to 3 - Secure 1	11 = Reception/ELG - Developing
6 = Birth to 3 - Secure 2	12 = Reception/ELG - Secure

Once these grades are recorded, we are able to use the information to action plan as to what type of targeted support is needed for those working below their year group standard as explained in section 4.