The Cambridge Primary and Secondary I programmes have three main types of evaluations:
Tests, quizzes and assignments that are created by, administered by, and marked by teachers.
Progression tests that are created by Cambridge but administered by and marked by teachers.
Checkpoint examinations that are created by Cambridge, administered by a Cambridge Centre, and marked by Cambridge.
Fieldstone’s report cards are based primarily on the first type of evaluation because it allows teachers to have a holistic overview of how a student is performing through observations, conversations, and student products.
Progression tests are administered at Fieldstone at the end of the school year in June in Maths and Science from Grade 3 - 8 and English from Grade 5 - 8. These tests are based on Cambridge learning outcomes that are specific to the child’s current stage of learning. Teachers mark these tests and input the results into a report generator. These reports allow the teacher, the student, the parents, and the school administration team to see how the student did on each strand and sub strand related to the subject. Teachers can use this report to help identify areas that may need improvement or areas that may need enrichment in the following school year. These tests also provide feedback on how the student is performing in comparison to other Cambridge schools internationally.
Checkpoint exams are administered in April for students in Grade 5 and students in Grade 8. These examinations test concepts from the entire Cambridge Primary Programme (Maths, Science, and English) for the Primary Checkpoint Exam and concepts from the entire Cambridge Secondary I Programme (Maths, Science and English). Students receive an official report from Cambridge that gives them an overview of their strengths, areas to improve on and overall result on the syllabus. The grades are classified as bronze (below standard), silver (at standard) and gold (above standard) for these tests.
Students will be preparing for Checkpoint exams throughout March by writing practice papers and understanding Cambridge marking schemes. In May, students will be provided practice progression tests to ensure they are familiar with the format and understand how they are marked and administered.
Overall, these three methods of evaluation provide our students, families, and faculty the feedback we need to continue to individualize the challenge for each of our students and continuously improve our programme to meet the needs of our families and students. Additionally, these types of formal examinations provide students the opportunity to experience formal examination procedures, so that when they move to high school and post-secondary studies, they are confident and can perform the best of their ability.
