Assessment and E-Portfolios for the Curriculum for Wales 2022, for Pupils with ALN/SEN

Our new Welsh Progression Steps Frameworks are now available. Schools can use our assessment frameworks to assess against the new Curriculum for Wales 2022. Our new frameworks cover from Routes for Learning through to Welsh Progression Step 3.

In 2016 we launched our first assessment products designed specifically for the Welsh curriculum. Over 150 schools in Wales already use our assessment software for pupils with ALN. The launch of our new Welsh Progression Steps lets schools assess using a framework linked to the curriculum they will be using.

Our assessments are currently only available in English. We are looking at translating the content into Welsh and adding the Welsh aspect to the curriculum breakdowns. If you are interested in our assessments in Welsh, please contact us to register your interest.

Connecting Steps

Connecting Steps is the most popular and effective assessment software for pupils with SEND. A wide range of frameworks that are built into Connecting Steps helps schools get up and running as quickly as possible.

Connecting Steps is the standard asssessment system for pupils with SEND across a number of authorities in the UK. The simple interface, powerful features and flexible approach to progress means it works for a wide range of pupils. Connecting Steps V5 brings even more features and now works on iPads and other tablet devices.

Assess

Connecting Steps makes recording achievements simple. As well as being able to record the skills pupils achieve, you can also record the steps as they work towards it.

Engagement

Before pupils can achieve a skill, they need to engage. Connecting Steps can show the engagement levels of pupils and show the progress as engagement increases.

Graph

Connecting Steps makes showing small steps of progress simple. Progress can be shown in lots of ways, including engagement and non-linear progress. 

Great Feedback

Connecting Steps has made a very positive impact on our assessment, and it’s easy for all to use

“We introduced Connecting Steps from B Squared into our Specialist Teaching Facility in September 2021 – since doing so we have been able to clearly assess and track our students’ progress. Connecting Steps links to the Curriculum for Wales and to date has shown that all our pupils are making progress. The tool caters for all levels of students which is excellent and extends down to Routes for Learning (RfL) and up to ABC Steps and beyond.

The training we have received has been excellent and when we have asked for support the reply and help has always been very quick and efficient. Connecting Steps is also working well for staff who are understanding and inputting into the tracking of the students we teach. It has made a very positive impact on our assessment, and it’s easy for all to use.”

Bridget Radford, Manager of Specialist Teaching Facility, Pontarddulais Comprehensive School

Pontarddulais Comprehensive School
read case studies

Want to learn more about our products for schools in Wales?

Arrange a FREE online meeting to find out how our assessment products works with the Curriculum for Wales 2022

Book a FREE Online Meeting

Show Progress for
ALL Pupils

Within Connecting Steps we have a wide range of assessment frameworks that support a wide ability range and age range.

The new Curriculum for Wales is for all students aged 3 to 16 and has been created following the Donaldson report. It introduces new concepts and uses a brand new levelling structure called (Welsh) Progression Steps. The Welsh Progression Steps covers the typical developmental range for students aged 3 to 16 years old. We have developed content to extend below the Progression Steps, linking in with the Routes for Learning.

The button below compares the new Welsh Progression Steps with the old P Levels and National Curriculum Levels, the Welsh Foundation Phase, the Routes for Learning (RfL) and the typical development for children in different year groups.

Areas of Learning and Experience

The new Curriculum for Wales has 6 areas of learning and experience:

  • Expressive Arts
  • Health and Well-being
  • Humanities
  • Language, Literacy and Communication
  • Mathematics and Numeracy
  • Science and Technology

These new broader areas cover a wide range of subjects within. Our assessment content reflects the organisation of these areas. It has been developed with the statements of what matters, the principles of progression and the description of learning. It was not easy!

Four Purposes

The four purposes are a fundamental part of the new curriculum. They should be the starting point and aspiration for schools’ curriculum design. Ultimately, the aim of a school’s curriculum is to support its learners to become:

  • ambitious, capable learners (ACL), ready to learn throughout their lives
  • enterprising, creative contributors (ECC), ready to play a full part in life and work
  • ethical, informed citizens (EIC) of Wales and the world
  • healthy, confident individuals (HCI), ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

These four purposes will be used when schools are thinking about how their curriculum should look, how topics should be introduced and the opportunites the children are given. There is no need to assess against these four purposes, but it will be important to demonstrate how you are supporting your students to fulfill these 4 purposes. The four purposes are built into Evisense, our evidence for learning platform, that schools in Wales can use to build e-portfolios for their children. Schools can use Evisense to showcase the opportunites they are giving their children around the four purposes.

For more information on Evisense, e-portfolios and the four purposes, visit our Evisense website – www.evisense.com/wales

Watch our FREE Webinar

Introduction to our new Curriculum for Wales Assessment Frameworks

This webinar was on 4th February 2021 and was aimed at introducing schools in Wales to our new Curriculum for Wales Assessment Framework. 

It is a great way to learn about the new frameworks and how they will work with Connecting Steps and Evisense.

Want to learn more about our products for schools in Wales?

Arrange a FREE online meeting to find out how our assessment products works with the Curriculum for Wales 2022

Book a FREE Online Meeting

Assessment Designed for ALN

Smaller Steps

We recognise the small steps of progress pupils with ALN make. We have split each Welsh Progression Step into smaller levels. Pupils working around age related expectations will make progress that can be easily measured, but for pupils with ALN, this won’t be the case. Welsh Progression Step 1 covers 2 years of crucial development. Welsh Progression Step 2 covers 3 years of development. Schools need to be able to demonstrate the small steps of progress pupils with ALN make and for pupils with ALN, these 2 or 3 years of development could take 6 years or longer.

Broad Areas

Some of the areas like Expressing Ourselves within Languages, Literacy and Communication covers a really wide range of skills. Within this area are all the skills around developing speech and writing. There are lots of key milestones within these areas. We have taken the decision to split some of these broad areas into smaller areas so that schools can identify and demonstrate where pupils are making progress and where they aren’t.

Spiky Profiles

The Curriculum for Wales not only recognises pupils progress at different rates, it also recognises that within one subject a pupil might be working across multiple Welsh Progression Steps. Schools need to support development in different areas at different levels, so that the child is supported to develop across all areas, not just the areas that they are struggling with.

Pre-Progression Steps

Our Welsh Progression Steps covers the typical development stages of children aged 3 years and above. In terms of P Levels, this will be pupils working on P7 and above. This will be suitable for the majority of chilren, but there are a large number of children who will be working below this level. We are developing new Pre-Progression Steps content for pupils working below this level. We have looked at the Routes for Learning, the ABC Steps and our work with schools in England and Scotland. We are splitting our Pre-Progression Steps into subject-specific learning and non-subject learning. The subject learning will have 3 levels aligned with the ABC Steps that will cover English, Maths and Health and Wellbeing, these will be inclduded in our Welsh Progression Steps framework.

Routs to Progression is our non-subject-specific learning framework and will cover the same developmental range as the Routes for Learning, but will be split into 3 levels and cover a wider scope.  The 3 levels of Routes to Progression will cover:

  • Attention Skills
  • Communicating Preference and Choice
  • Interaction
  • Cognitive
  • Routes for Learning map
  • Emotional Awareness
  • Emotional Regulation
  • Movement

The first 4 areas will include the statements from the Routes for Learning.

B Squared Sample Assessment Pages

E-Portfolios

The new Curriculum for Wales wants all children to have an e-portfolio as a way of demonstrating the progress pupils have made as well as all the experiences they have had. Evisense is an ideal candidate as it links directly to our new assessment frameworks for the 2022 Curriculum for Wales. Wales is the first country in the UK to really push e-portfolios. They are a great way to share with parents what is going on in school.

For more information on Evisense, e-portfolios and the four purposes, visit our Evisense website –  www.evisense.com/wales

Evisense

Evisense is a powerful evidence for learning system. The social media style interface for staff and parents is simple to use, but extremely powerful. Our apps for iPhone, iPad, android (tablet and phone) and Kindle Fire means whatever device you are using, you can use the Evisense app.

A number of features make Evisense the most secure evidence for learning system. A number of controls ensure data is safe and evidence can only be accessed by the right people. If you use Evisense and Connecting Steps together, you can link evidence to the skills in Connecting Steps. You can then view the evidence from within Connecting Steps.

Capture

It is quick and simple to capture evidence. Use the Evisense app to capture photos, videos or audio recordings. Tag the evidence to a pupil, add your annotation and click Post.

Powerful Evidence

When you add evidence, you can link the evidence to a range of aspects like EHCP outcomes, IEP targets and more. You can then filter the evidence across the whole school.

Share

Share the evidence you collect with parents to help boost parental engagement. Schools can control parental access. It is up to you if parents can comment or add their own evidence.

Want to learn more about our products for schools in Wales?

Arrange a FREE online meeting to find out how our assessment products works with the Curriculum for Wales 2022

Book a FREE Online Meeting

Autism Progress

Autism Progress is based on SCERTS. It is designed to be used alongside your academic assessment to help profile your autistic pupils. Autism Progress covers a neurotypical developmental range equivalent to birth to neurotypical 13 to 15 year old.

Autism Progress was developed with Scottish Autism, Autism Wessex and North East Autism Society. Autism Progress is a tool schools can use to help profile autistic pupils to understand how their autism impacts them and their learning. Autism Progress has a range of skills spread over a set of progressive levels in the following areas of autism:

  • Communication
  • Flexibility of Thought
  • Social Interaction
  • Emotional Regulation

Each area goes from level 1 (around birth) to level 17 (early adulthood). A significant benefit of Autism Progress are the strategies developed to support development. We have worked with experts to create a list of strategies for each area and each level to help support your students.

For more information on using Autism Progress to profile your autistic pupils, click here