Glossary

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Access arrangements
Arrangements that are approved in advance of an assessment, to allow attainment to be demonstrated by pupils with specific assessment requirements.
Areas of learning
Underpin learning activity and may cut across traditional subject areas. Areas of learning allow for the development of skills, knowledge and experiences.
Assessment archive
Assessment documents, including pupils’ work from previous years, that have been stored and catalogued. The documents are used to check that standards from one year to the next have been carried forward.
Assessment materials
Any materials relating to the delivery of an assessment, such as test papers, source materials, answer sheets and mark schemes.
Assessor
Any person who makes a judgement on an assessment.
Early Years Foundation Stage profile
A child’s record of attainment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Equality impact assessment
An assessment that considers the impact of a measure on race, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation and religion or belief.
Impact analysis
An assessment of the expected benefits and risks associated with a change in assessment arrangements or processes.
Likely to be a significant failing
A likely significant failing may be identified either by the responsible body itself or by Ofqual.
Maladministration
Maladministration, in this document, refers to any act that threatens the integrity of the assessments or the validity of the results of individuals or groups of pupils. It may or may not have arisen from a deliberate intent to intervene in the statutory assessment process.
Marker
Any person who applies a predetermined marking framework to part or the whole of an assessment.
Moderation
The process through which teacher assessment is monitored to ensure that it is reliable, fair and consistent with required standards.
Modified materials
Test papers and other assessment materials that have been amended for pupils with specific assessment requirements.
Monitoring
Ensuring that processes and procedures are being carried out according to the specification provided.
Pre-testing
The trialling of assessment materials with a sample of pupils as part of the test development process.
Regulated assessment arrangements
The arrangements made for assessing pupils in England in respect of each key stage of the National Curriculum; and the arrangements for assessing children in England. (This equates currently to National Curriculum tests at key stages 1 and 2, teacher assessment as part of key stages 1 to 3 and the Early Years Foundation Stage profile.)
Regulator
The body, accountable to Parliament, that is responsible for securing public confidence in the validity, reliability and rigour of statutory assessments and in the maintenance of standards over time, i.e. Ofqual.
Responsible bodies
Organisations and individuals who under or by virtue of an order made under section 39(1)(a) of the Childcare Act 2006 or section 87(3)(c) of the Education Act 2002 have functions in relation to the development, implementation or monitoring of assessment arrangements.
Significant failing
There is a significant failing if, as a result of the way in which the arrangements are being developed or implemented, they fail in a significant way to achieve one or more of the specified purposes of the arrangements (as noted in paragraph 3).
Special consideration
Arrangements that may result in an adjustment to the marks of a pupil whose performance in the assessments has been affected.
Specific assessment arrangements
Additional arrangements, agreed with the responsible body, that allow access to the assessment for pupils with assessment needs that are not covered by the published arrangements.
Specified purpose of assessment are as follows:
Single level tests The specified purpose is to confirm that the pupil is working within the National Curriculum level specified in reading, writing or mathematics.


National sampling The specified purpose is to monitor national performance standards against public service agreement targets with respect to the National Curriculum in English, mathematics and science at key stage 3 and science at key stage 2.
Stakeholder
Any person with an interest or involvement in National Assessments.
Statutory purpose of assessment are as follows
End of key stage tests The statutory purpose is ascertaining what pupils have achieved in relation to the attainment targets for that stage.


Early Years Foundation Stage assessments The statutory purpose of assessment is ascertaining what children have achieved in relation to the early learning goals.
Statutory national assessment arrangements
see regulated assessment arrangements
Supplier
An individual or organisation that provides assessment materials or systems to the responsible body for developing and/or delivering National Assessments.

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