Accessing the P Scales

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Accessing the P Scales

• Training for SENCos
• October 2005

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Overview

• Introductions and aims
• The P scale materials guidance, identification,
  structure
• Case study Jo Chambers, Emersons Green Primary
• COFFEE
• Group Task using the P scales to assess
• Plenary questions

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Aims

• To support P scales assessment in mainstream
  schools
• To clarify which children P scales are
  appropriate for
• To disseminate the Somerset materials
• To provide guidance on how to make judgements
  using the P scales

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Background

• All children are entitled to appropriate and
  rigorous assessment
• South Glos. is a highly inclusive authority.
  Only 3 special schools despite a relatively high
  number of children with statements
• Most schools will encounter at least one child
  needing assessment via the P scales

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The P Scales

• Designed for children significantly below
  expected levels
• Originally commissioned to standardise assessment
  for children pre NC
• In summer 2005 schools and LAs were invited to
  submit P scale information for data collection.
  Its anticipated that this will become more usual
  practice

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P-Scale AssessmentGuidance for Schools
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The P scales arent

• A description of everything thats important
• A curriculum in their own right
• An assessment tool for all children working at W

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Guidance

• License bought from Somerset for Accessing the P
  Scales which has been re-written this year
• Uses can do statements for Reading, Writing,
  Speaking, Listening, Number, Using and Applying,
  Shape, Space and Measures, Science, PHSE
  Citizenship, ICT.
• Also available from QCA for foundation subjects,
  4.00 each, (2.00 discounted).
  www.qca.org.uk/303.html

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Identification

• Appropriate for all ages who are working pre NC
  level 1 in KS2 onwards
• In KS1, P scales should be used for those
  children who you anticipate NOT REACHING level 1
  by the end of year 2. If you believe that a
  child is likely to be working WITHIN level 1 by
  the end of year 2, W is an acceptable
  judgement.
• In the Foundation Stage, the assessment tool is
  the Foundation Stage Profile (FSP). This should
  be used for ALL children unless there are
  exceptional circumstances and specialist advice
  has indicated that P scales are appropriate.

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Structure

• Uses can do statements for Reading, Writing,
  Speaking, Listening, Number, Using and Applying,
  Shape, Space and Measures, Science, PHSE
  Citizenship, ICT.
• Also available from QCA for foundation subjects,
  4.00 each, (2.00 discounted).
  www.qca.org.uk/303.html
• P levels 1-3 statements are generic and the same
  for each subject
• P levels 4-8 are subject orientated descriptions

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Making Judgements

• Needs to relate to what is USUAL PRACTICE for the
  child in their normal situation, (e.g. use of
  TAs, visual prompts, symbols etc.)
• Child needs to be demonstrating the skill more
  often than not. (Not a on the day assessment)
• Need to use exemplification and can do statements
  to make judgements, based on knowledge of the
  child

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Best Fit

• As a working group it was felt that the best
  fit approach was most suitable
• Scoring systems are available, record systems are
  up to schools
• For some children with degenerative conditions,
  plateauing actually constitutes progress

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Questions
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Example of P Scale Assessment

• Jo Chambers
• Emersons Green Primary

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LANGUAGE AND LITERACY Speaking and
Listening SPEAKING/Expressive
Communication Descriptor
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Speaking/Expressive Communication Year One Pupil

• Background
• Resource Base pupil
• Totally blind no light perception
• English is her second language
• When she arrived in school she had few words
• She spent two years in Reception class.

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• P6
• Pupils initiate and maintain short conversations
  using their preferred medium of communication.
• They ask simple questions to obtain information,
  for example, wheres cat?
• They can use prepositions, such as in or on
  and pronouns, such as my or it correctly.

Understanding moves ahead of expression as tasks
become more complex. The prepositions and
pronouns mentioned are examples only teachers
should note use of any prepositions and pronouns
in their assessment.
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P6

• Examples from pupil D - 12/4/05
• I went to the caravan
• I put the guinea pig on my lap
• Where is B?
• I went swimming with daddy

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P7

• Pupils use phrases with up to three key words,
  signs or symbols to communicate simple ideas,
  events or stories to others, for example, I want
  big chocolate muffin.
• They use regular plurals correctly.
• They communicate ideas about present, past and
  future events and experiences, using simple
  phrases and statements, for example, We going
  cinema on Friday.
• They contribute appropriately one to one and in
  small group discussions and role- play.
• They use the conjunction and to link ideas or
  add new information beyond what is asked.

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P7
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Transcript of Conversation with Pupil D Part A
T D, can you tell me about your weekend
please? D Yeah T What did you do on
Saturday? D I went Judo T - You went to Judo? D
Yeah T Who did you go with? D I went with
mummy and daddy and E (sister) T Fantastic!
What did you do at Judo? D I do some play with
the big ball T You played with the big ball at
Judo? D Yeah (T Asked some direct questions
about Judo, to which D answered Yes/No)
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Transcript of Conversation with Pupil D Part B
T Did you do anything else? D I go to
swimming T Oh, you went swimming? Was that on
Saturday as well? D Yeah T Fantastic. So what
did you do when you went swimming? D I went
jumping T Did you? What, jumping in the
water? D Yeah! T Great! Who were you with? D
With mummy and nanny and E T What did you
wear when you went swimming? D I wearer
armbands T Did you wear a swimming costume as
well? D Yeah
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Transcript of Conversation with Pupil D Part C
(Conversation about Sunday going shopping,
buying carrots and playing on the swing then) T
- What did you do when you finished on the swing?
Did mummy ask you to do something for school?
Did she ask you to get your book out? D Yeah T
What did you do with your book? D I readed
it T Which letter were you reading? D G for
gold T Well done! G for gold. Did you find all
the gs in your book? D Yeah T Fantastic! You
are such a clever girl D! D - (Feeling the bottom
of the tape recorder). Whats that? T Thats
the bottom of the tape recorder. D (Hearing two
children enter the room quietly) Who has come
in? T Oh excuse me, D and B have just come into
the room to ask me something. (conversation)
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Transcript of Conversation with Pupil D Part D
T Sorry D, was there anything else you wanted
to tell me about your weekend? D Er T Or do
you think you remembered everything? D Yeah T
Well done. You told me a lot about your
weekend. T - Now on Friday its Show and Tell.
Are you going to bring something to show? D
Shells T Shells? How could you say that in a
sentence for me? D I want to play with my
shells T I want to play with my shells. Yes
thats good. Or you could say I am going to
bring my shells. T Well done D! Would you
like to listen to the tape?
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Review P7
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Additional Notes P7 Part A

• 09/5/05 Told Miss B she trusts C
• 10/5/05 Happy Birthday M
• 16/5/05 - Shall I shut the door?
• Shall I switch the light off?
• 16/6/05 What time is it?
• I want to play with the big
  red ball
• 06/9/05 - I would like to play with the bears

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Additional Notes P7 Part B 15/04/05 With
another child in Small World area D I want
the rabbit L There you are D D I want the
lion as well L- Thank you L. Also played that day
with group in home corner. Pretended to eat food
etc. D took part in actions and replied to
questions from classmates. Later that week she
played with another child in similar play. She
pretended to have her dinner and commented
Thats nice spaghetti etc. Took folder to
office Hello Mrs Clarke. This is for you.
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P8
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RecapWe have considered some evidence about
Speaking for one child and have awarded a level

• Two key points
• One assessment may not provide evidence of all
  descriptors
• The pupil needs to be consistent in their use of
  a statement/word/question etc