Suzanne Reynolds, Vannessa Jarmyn, Hannah Moore, Alexander Pay, Josh Earle, Jasmine Rehl, Christina Wojnar

Assessment is not about reaching a standard, but about developing the individual. They are for the students’ benefit so that they can continue to grow. Assessments should occur as soon as possible so a teacher has an understanding of the level of knowledge and understanding a student has. Therefore, the teacher has a foundation to build upon in their lessons, so students learning are complimenting that which they already know. Assessments should also be real to the students, in that they are relevant to developing specific skills and knowledge required for the subject. An assessment should also be transparent so a student has an understanding of what needs to be included in their assessments. If they do not know or understand the requirements, the individual results are not reflective of their knowledge and understanding. A student should also know when they are being assessed because if a student does not know, it breaks the bond of trust between student and teacher, while also possibly not reflecting a student’s knowledge and understanding. Teachers must also be prepared to analyse their own teaching methods, so the teacher is maintaining effective teaching for a range of individual students. Ultimately, assessments should be a guide, showing students as well as teachers what they are doing right, what they can improve on and most importantly how they can improve.