ABSTRACT
If this process is to become integrated into learning and teaching across the whole school, it will be important to create a positive ethos to this approach and to make sure that all staff are trained to become confident in target-setting. The collection and presentation of assessment data, vital to establishing baselines and against which realistic targets can be set, needs to be done in a way that allows the school to be ‘rich’ in data but not drowned by it. The collection of assessment data needs to take place efficiently, so that it serves and informs learning and teaching, and is not seen as a burdensome task that overcomes the important outcomes that must be achieved. Effective use of ICT and secretarial support should allow all teachers access to useful data. This, in turn, should give teachers a clearer picture of students’ strengths and weaknesses and allow planning to be more focused and differentiated, avoiding repetition or gaps in study.
