ABSTRACT
Assessment systems intended to inform parents of pupil progress should look quite different from the methods of informing children. Children will need guidance on specific objectives, often on a day-to-day basis, and such advice may form part of plenary sessions of mathematics lessons, or comments when marking books. For children who have difficulties with their mathematics, formative assessment can be used as a powerful motivating force. Children who can clearly see how they are making progress enjoy their successes and are encouraged to sustain their efforts. For some children with difficulties, ‘developing mental or informal strategies for the four operations’ may be a clearer and more appropriate objective. However, this is not to dismiss the key objectives for children with SEND, because they form a basis of entitlement.
