School Exams

Examinations at Spratton are an important part of the process of assessing each child. It provides us with information that allows us to:

• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of a pupil
• Use this information to inform our teaching and change things accordingly
• Place pupils in correct academic classes and sets
• Raise any concerns with parents regarding a pupil’s progress

Examinations take place at various points throughout the year for different age groups, but for all year groups there are end of year examinations in the Summer term. These are an essential way for us to evaluate how well pupils have understood what we have taught them throughout the year, and to forward plan for the following academic year to ensure that each pupil is placed carefully in the correct academic class and set where necessary.

For further information on which examinations your child can expect in a particular year group, please scroll down.
If you have aby further questions on testing, including exams or MidYIS/ CAT tests please contact Steve Bradnam (Director of Studies) on srb@sprattonhall.com

Year 3

We feel it is too early for Year 3 to sit any form of formal examination so early in their school careers. However, they may be tested on basic skills they have covered for the year in English and Maths during the Summer term in their normal classes, which does help with our thoughts on setting in these subjects for the following year, should any changes be necessary.

Year 4

We do not ask Year 4 to undertake formal end of year exams in a specific exam setting, as we do not feel it is necessary for them to undergo the formality of this process at the moment. However, to help train them in the process of being tested on things covered in a year, rather than just by topic, they will have some tests which they do in class time towards the end of May, to see how much they have understood in some of the core academic subjects over the course of the year. This is useful for the pupils to show what they have understood, and to help guide teachers with their planning for the following year. It also gives us some organising pupils into the correct sets for the core subjects Maths and English.

Exam Subjects

• Mathematics
• English
• Science
• French

CAT Tests

At the beginning of the year in September/ October, the pupils also undertake the nfer CAT tests, which are non-revisable, skills based tests which provide feedback on pupils strengths and weakness, and their potential, in certain academic areas. Again, we find this valuable information which we use to identify pupils needs and make sure they are placed correctly in academic sets, and are reaching their full potential.

Year 5

The exams in Year 5 cover most areas of the academic curriculum covered during the year, and are held during the week in lesson time, rather than in the more daunting setting of a formal examination room. They sit these exams in May, usually the penultimate week before the Summer half term break. The results of these are a helpful guide to teachers to see what areas we have been successful in teaching and to allow us to adapt our plans for the following year. They also give us some guidance as to which pupils may find the examination process more difficult, which we can then begin to support them with. It also provides useful feedback for staff when setting pupils in Maths, English and Science.

Exam Subjects

• Mathematics (2 papers; 1 whole year group and 1 for their set)
• English
• Science
• History
• Geography
• French

At this point in their school careers it is not necessary to spend long amounts of time revising for these tests, they have plenty of exams ahead of them in their schooling and these are not the most important.

Year 6

The examinations taken in Year 6 are a move towards training the pupils to be used to a more extended and all encompassing examination period, to prepare them for the full rigours of the 13+ Common Entrance which lies  ahead at the end of Year 8. To this end there is a full set of traditional examinations held in the Summer term which tests them on a range of academic subjects, which we are able to then use to get feedback on how effective our teaching has been, as well as providing valuable data we can use to group pupils into the correct academic classes and sets.

CAT Tests

They also undertake nfer CAT tests at the beginning of Year 6 in September/ October, which are non-revisable skill based tests that allow us to see academic strengths and weaknesses, as well as potential, in certain subject areas.

Exam Subjects

• Mathematics
• English
• Science
• French
• History
• Geography
• RS

A timetable for this year’s examinations will be attached below at the appropriate time. The exams take place in the more formal setting of the Dome to give them a taste for this slightly different atmosphere.

• Pens
• Spare ink cartridges
• HB pencil
• 30cm ruler marked in cm and mm
• Rubber
• Sharpener
• Protractor
• Calculator (for the Science and in some cases, the Maths, exams)

While revision is an important part of preparation for any exam, we do accept that it is difficult to do lots of revision while balancing all the other aspects of school life at this time of year. Help and guidance has been provided through Lifelong Learning lessons, but using the online resources suggested in our revision section, plus the bits and pieces given to pupils by staff to help, is more than enough at this stage.

Year 7

The examinations in Year 7 are largely to provide the pupils with experience of Common Entrance papers which they will be sitting at the end of Year 8. Obviously, being midway through the syllabus does mean preparation time for these is less than we can give for Year 8, but it is really to get a taster of the exams. They also sit MidYIS online tests in early September, which is a non-revisable, skills based test which provide us with extremely useful information about a pupils’ learning strengths and weaknesses, and their potential in certain areas. we then use this to discuss academic groupings, potential academic scholars, and those pupils who may need some additional support in some areas.

Exam Schedule

MidYIS online tests – early September

Summer CE practice exams – the end of May (usually the penultimate week before half term)

In each case the CE papers are adapted to allow for the fact they have not yet completed the whole CE course.

Exam Subjects

• Mathematics
• English
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• French
• Latin
• Geography
• History
• RS

All exams take place in the Dome and pupils are expected to have the correct equipment:

• Pen
• Spare ink cartridges
• HB pencil
• Rubber
• 30 cm ruler marked in cm and mm
• Sharpener
• Protractor
• Pair of compasses
• 60 degree set square
• Calculator (for Maths and Science exams mainly)

A timetable for this year’s examinations will be attached below at the appropriate time.

Year 8

The main focus for Year 8 is the 13+ Common Entrance Examination which takes place in the first week of June, straight after the Summer half-term. This is the culmination of a 2 year syllabus in each subject which in many cases started at the end of Year 6, and will be on all topics studied since then, through Year 7 and 8.

Mock Exams

To aid in their preparation for these exams, there are also a full set of Mock Examinations the 2nd week after February half -term, which allows them to get a taste for a full set of CE exams in a week, and also for the teachers and pupils to identify areas they need to address and maybe spend some extra time revising.

The subjects they are examined on are:

• English – (2 papers; 1 writing, 1 reading)
• Mathematics – (3 papers; 1 mental arithmetic, 1 non-calculator, 1 calculator)
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• French (4 papers; 1 oral, 1 listening, 1 reading, 1 writing)
• Latin
• History
• Geography
• RPE

Examination Dates

The main examinations take place in the Dome over the course of 4 days in the week of 4th – 7th June 2024. The French Listening and French Orals take place earlier in the term 14th – 18th May 2024.

All pupils are expected to have the correct examination equipment which includes:

• Pen
• Ink cartridges
• Pencil (HB)
• Rubber
• Pencil sharpener
• 30cm ruler with mm and cm marking
• Protractor
• Compass
• 60 degree set square
• Calculator (for Maths and Science papers in particular)

A timetable for this year’s examinations will be attached below at the appropriate time.

Revision

With the introduction of Lifelong Learning into the curriculum for Year 5 and Year 6, a lot more time is given over to learning revision skills in preparation for examinations. Year 8 are given support by tutors as they approach the Common Entrance exams, during their tutorial times. Google Classroom is used by teachers to send home useful revision aids and lists to pupils. To this end the amount available on the website has been cut down.