ASSESSMENT POLICY

General Principals

Assessment is an essential part of the teaching and learning process. It provides educators, parents, and students with valuable feedback on the progress of individual students and the effectiveness of the educational program. The goal of any assessment policy is to promote meaningful and holistic learning and ensure that students achieve the learning outcomes outlined in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

Our assessment policy recognizes the various purposes of assessment, including summative, formative, diagnostic, and ipsative. It distinguishes between “assessment for and as learning” and “assessment of learning”. Assessment “for” and “as” learning focuses on providing feedback and support to improve learning, while assessment “of” learning evaluates student performance at the end of a learning period.

Our policy is aligned with the NCF and emphasizes the importance of ongoing, continuous assessment, such as school-based assessment (SBA). It also highlights the role of summative assessment as part of a more balanced use of assessment. The Learning Outcomes Framework (LoF) system is used to ensure that assessment is linked to the learning outcomes and that assessment results are used to inform teaching and learning practices.

Aims and Objectives

Our assessment policy has been developed with the aim of aligning teaching, learning, and assessment practices at school to the Learning Outcomes Framework approach. The Learning Outcomes Framework (LoF) provides a clear and structured way to define and measure student progress toward achieving learning outcomes. The LoF ensures that assessment is linked to the curriculum and that assessment results are used to inform teaching and learning practices. By aligning assessment practices with the LoF approach, our policy aims to promote a more coherent and meaningful approach to assessment that supports student learning and achievement. 

Another aim of this assessment policy is to develop a common understanding among all stakeholders regarding the school's assessment standards and expectations. This includes educators, students, parents, and other members of the school community. By clearly communicating the school's assessment standards and expectations, our policy aims to create a shared vision of what constitutes effective assessment practices. This can lead to greater consistency and fairness in assessment practices, as well as greater transparency and accountability in the use of assessment results.

Ultimately, our assessment policy aims to support the overall goal of the NCF, which is to provide a learner-centered, inclusive, and equitable education system that prepares students for lifelong learning and active citizenship. By promoting a more coherent and meaningful approach to assessment that is aligned with the LoF and clearly communicates assessment standards and expectations, this policy can help to achieve this goal and support student success.

In Alignment with our Mission Statement

Our assessment policy is another helpful way of providing holistic and inclusive education to our students. It recognizes the importance of academic as well as spiritual formation in preparing students to become engaged members of their communities, committed to serving others and living out their faith in meaningful ways. 

Inline with our mission statement, it aims to empower students to discern their vocations and respond to the call of Christ with generosity and dedication, fostering priestly vocations, consecrated and missionary life, and active lay participation in the family, the Church, and society. This can be achieved through an academic program that provides students with the tools they need to excel in their studies, to think critically, and to engage with the world around them, while recognizing the importance of spiritual formation. 

Both the assessment policy and mission statement of the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary share a common goal of preparing students to become engaged members of their communities, committed to serving others and living out their faith in meaningful ways, through a holistic and inclusive education that encompasses both academic and spiritual formation.

Our School’s General System of Evaluation

At the end of each academic year, students will receive a Global Mark in each subject, which comprises three evaluations and the annual exam. The Global Mark reflects the overall performance of the student in the subject.

Evaluation Marks (Forms 1 and 2)

• The Evaluation Marks will be published three times throughout the year. The first evaluation mark will be available by the end of the first term, the second by the end second term, and the third by the end of May. These marks enable teachers to assess the students’ progress based on their work completed throughout the year.
• Evaluation Marks may include summative tests, as well as other forms of assessment such as homework, classwork, and activities.
• The 3 evaluation marks combined carry 40% of the Global Mark.

Evaluation Marks (Form 3, 4 and 5)

• The Evaluation Marks will be published three times throughout the year. The first evaluation mark will be available by the end of the first term, the second by the end second term, and the third by the end of May. These marks enable teachers to assess the students’ progress based on their work completed throughout the year.
• Evaluation Marks may include summative tests, as well as other forms of assessment such as homework, classwork, and activities. In the case of a summative test, this will carry no more than 25% of the whole evaluation mark. This also applies to homework/s.
• The 3 evaluation marks combined carry 40% of the Global Mark.
• Form 5 will have one evaluation which also adds up to 40% of the Global Mark.

Annual Mark

• In June, all students from Form 1 to Form 4 will undertake an Annual Exam in each subject studied during that academic year. The Annual Exam mark contributes 60% towards the Global Mark. Form 5 students will take their Annual Exams before the Easter Holidays.

School Based Assessment (SBA) (Forms 3, 4 and 5)

• MATSEC requests an annual mark at the end of Forms 3, 4 and 5 as part of its examination derived from a continuous assessment held in school, which will be called the School Based Assessment (SBA).
• The Evaluation marks will be used for the SBA marks and its value will be published each term in the evaluation report. The distribution of the SBA marks will allocate 30% in the first term, 35% in the second term and 35% in the third term.
• At the end of each year, the school will publish the total mark out of 100 in the Annual Report. At the end of Form 5, the total SBA marks accumulated over the three years will be sent to MATSEC. This mark will account for 30% of the MATSEC result, 10% in Form 3, 10% in Form 4 and 10% in Form 5, according to MATSEC regulations.
• The remaining 70% is derived from the written exam controlled by MATSEC.

In Case of Absenteeism During an Assessment

If a medical certificate is provided for illness or if the school administration considers any other circumstance to be justified, an assessment may be repeated, where possible.