ABSTRACT
For schools to develop an inclusive, whole-school approach to monitoring and assessment there must be a commitment to professional development and an input of time and resources. The Department for Education Teachers' Standards of 2011 make several statements regarding monitoring and assessment. Assessment is an important part of motivating students and has considerable impact on their learning, engagement and self-esteem, particularly for those who lack confidence due to learning difficulties. The National Curriculum states that 'by the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study'. The examples of assessment activities address two of the changes to formal assessment at GCSE: increased use of numeracy and extended writing. Assessment for Learning offered an approach which prioritised learning and understanding with ongoing, built in assessments which redressed the balance of formative and summative assessment.
