Dynamic Progress Reporting
We use Dynamic Progress Reporting (DPR) to track and share student progress for pupils in Y7-9. We have introduced this programme as a way for parents to stay closely connected to their child’s learning journey, and hope both pupils and parents will benefit from the real-time updates on academic progress across all subjects that DPR provides. We believe DPR will strengthen the partnership between home and school, empowering students to take greater ownership of their learning.
Some of the key features of DPR include:
- Key learning objectives produced by all subjects that are mapped from Y7 to Y11, ensuring pupils are taught and assessed on the most relevant knowledge and skills to prepare them for success in their GCSEs.
- Three levels of mastery for each key learning objective – emerging, developing, and securing – to track student progress over time.
- Bespoke pathways for students based on prior attainment to ensure pupils are fully supported to achieve their academic potential.
- A move away from number-based grades at KS3, with written information closely focused on learning providing more detailed feedback on what pupils should do to improve.
- More regular updates on pupil progress with access to updates on the app available throughout the year. In addition, PDF reports including learning habits and attitude to learning will be sent home following each DPR freeze points – formal reviews of progress that follow KS3 assessment windows.
To help parents and pupils access and make the most of DPR we have prepared some frequently asked questions:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a pathway?
There is a national expectation that your child makes good progress between Year 7 and Year 11, and this is a key performance indicator for all schools. Based on their KS2 results, students will be placed on Pathway X, A, B, C or D. These pathways provide clear learning routes from Year 7 to Year 11 – the table below demonstrates what this means:
|
Pupil attainment at KS2 |
Allocated pathway |
Expected Y11 GCSE grades |
|
Progress significantly above the expected level of attainment at KS2 |
X |
8-9
|
|
A |
7-9
|
|
|
Progress the same as expected level of attainment at KS2 |
B |
6-9 |
|
Progress below the expected level of attainment at KS2 |
C |
4-9 |
|
Progress significantly below the expected level of attainment at KS2 |
D |
3-9 |
Can a student change a pathway?
Pupils will not be moved down a pathway – we aim to at least meet the expected standard of all pupils based on their KS2 prior attainment and pathways are designed to allow pupils to do this.
If a pupil is consistently judged as exceeding the level of work expected on their pathway (see below) the potential does exist for a pupil to be moved up a pathway.
It is important to note that given we teach KS3 pupils in mixed ability groups there is no limit on attainment or progress set by being assigned a particular pathway. All pupils will have the same opportunity to access the same curriculum, sit the same assessments and achieve the same level of attainment as all others.
What is a key learning objective?
Our curriculum sets out a clear, differentiated learning journey for students with different starting points at KS2. For each subject and for each year group, we have carefully identified key learning objectives, which are carefully linked and sequenced to both KS3 and KS4 programmes of study.
Each subject your child studies is structured around a set of key learning objectives. These objectives act as a roadmap for the academic year, outlining what your child is expected to learn. Periodically, your child receives a judgement for each key learning objective, indicating their level of understanding.
What judgements are used by staff?
DPR uses specific judgement keys to report a student’s understanding of key learning objectives. At Notley we are using the following judgements:
|
Emerging |
The student has shown some understanding of the learning objective but needs more work. |
|
Consolidating |
The student has shown good understanding but needs more practice to secure it. |
|
Secured |
The student has shown excellent understanding of the learning objective. |
|
Exceeding |
The student has shown understanding of the learning objective significantly beyond the expectations of their pathway. |
What are judgements based on?
Staff have been asked to ‘live mark’ during lessons, using a red pen to annotate books and an iPad to update judgements relating to the KOs being taught in that lesson.
There is a Y7-9 assessment window in the calendar for each term of the academic year which will administer DPR aligned summative assessments.
When will staff update judgements?
We encourage our teachers to carry out continuous assessment on students’ learning. The frequency of judgements made against key learning objectives in the DPR will vary by subject, with heads of faculty providing guidance and oversight to staff. Certain key objectives will be taught at different points of the year so not all key objectives will be taught in each reporting period. However, it is our expectation that (as a minimum) teachers will issue at least one judgement for each of the key objectives over the course of one academic year – September to July.
How do parents access DPR?
The DPR for Parents app is a web-based application that enables parents/tutors to access their child's (or multiple children's) DPR data. As a parent, you can either use a Google or Microsoft account to access the platform.
To add a child to your account, you must first have received a unique access code by email (contact your school if you have not received an access code). Once you have received this email, follow the video below.
How do I use the DPR dashboard?
Once you have logged in, you will be presented with the homepage, see below:
The Dashboard is your homepage and shows the different subjects studied by your child. Use the scroll to view all subjects. The ‘Analytics’ square will be available once 2 collections have been completed by your teachers and allows you to compare progress made over 2 assessments. You can click on any subject to see both the learning that will take place through the key objectives and your child’s progress at any time.
By clicking on the ‘Report’ button you can download all the information that is obtained in each subject area. This saves time as you as there is no need to click on each subject to view key objectives and the termly report.
How do pupils access DPR?
Pupils sign in to DPR using their Office 365 school account. This is available on the student homepage on school computers.
Will reports be issued?
Yes. There is a DPR ‘freeze point’ in each term of the academic year on which a PDF report is generated and sent to parents. This will also include behaviour and attitudes data inputted by teachers.
Can I communicate with staff through DPR?
No. Please use the current communication guidance if you need to speak to a teacher:
Will homework assignments be set through DPR?
No. Homework will continue to be assigned and monitored using Satchel 1.
