News & Events

Secondary School Case Study: Wilmington Boy's Grammar, Kent

Classroom Monitor was adopted by Wilmington Boy's Grammar as a way to formalise assessment for learning and to improve the accuracy of attainment tracking. Teachers use it regularly to create attainment statements for each student, which act as personal learning profiles. Now teachers, students and parents benefit from a more detailed understanding of the curriculum. Read the interview with Deputy Head Brenhan Heath here.

From pupil progress to Ofsted success: Use assessment data to raise school standards

Are you due an Ofsted inspection and need tips on how to prepare? Are you part of a school partnership, or planning to join one?

If you didn’t get a chance to catch our Live Learn session at the BETT show, you can see the presentation slides here. The session was presented by Graham Horton, Executive Head of a formal partnership between Cirencester Primary and Down Ampney Primary. Graham has also served as a School Improvement Partner for Gloucestershire's Local Authority, so has extensive experience of advising schools on how to manage their Ofsted inspection.

Shepshed High Case Study: Supporting Pupil Transition in Maths and English

Classroom Monitor is used at Shepshed High in Leicester to aid pupil transition between Key Stages 2 and 3, and to give teachers an easier way of recording ongoing assessment. Co-Headteacher Stewart Goacher now has plans to expand Classroom Monitor across the whole school, and also wants to integrate the system into the local schools partnership. Read all about it here.

Spread the word about Classroom Monitor and you could get an Ipad2

Classroom Monitor is spreading rapidly across the country thanks to the support of our users, and we're always keen to introduce ourselves to more schools. If your team uses Classroom Monitor and you can arrange for us to speak to other schools in your area then we’ll say thank you by purchasing equipment for your school. Arranging a cluster meeting is a great way to share best practice, especially regarding pupil transition, so why not host one at your school?

For full details of how to arrange a meeting, how we can help, and how to get that Ipad2, please click here.

SEN pupils benefit from personal learning plans: Case Study

The Acorn Care and Education Group uses Classroom Monitor to manage assessment across their schools in England. Teachers share the online markbook with pupils to set individual targets and build personal lesson plans - this has helped to motivated pupils and improved their behaviour. School leaders from the group spoke to us about how Classroom Monitor has benefited them and their pupils: see their feedback in full in this case study.

Tara Pattana School in Thailand supports the English National Curriculum with Classroom Monitor

Tara Pattana is one of a growing number of British International Schools to use Classroom Monitor for assessment and reporting. Academic Director Andrew Dickson-Smith spoke to us about how Classroom Monitor helps his team to meet the standards of the UK curriculum through improved pupil tracking and reporting. You can find out more in our latest case study: click here to read.

Case Study: From 'Special Measures' to 'Good' in just 16 months

Downsview Community Primary is the only school in Kent that has managed to jump a rating in its 2012 Ofsted inspection. It's an impressive achievement and Advisory Head Duncan Wilson feels that his adoption of Classroom Monitor played a large part the school's rapid improvement. Duncan spoke to us about the contribution Classroom Monitor has made to his team in this case study: click here to read.

Case Study: Northway Infant School from 'Good' to 'Outstanding' in 2 years

Northway Infant School has just had its results back from an Ofsted Inspection conducted in November 2011. We are delighted to announce that Lynn Williams, headteacher and the rest of her team have been awarded an 'Outstanding' in the inspection. We've asked her a few questions on how they did it and built a short case study on her results. To find out more, please click here.

New EYFS 'live' in September and E-Profile will not be sponsored by DfE

As you've probably heard, the new EYFS comes out in September, the early learning goals have been reduced from 117 to 48 and the format has changed slightly. The Department for Education has announced that it no longer intends to sponsor the E-Profile. At Classroom Monitor we've been supporting over 2000 schools with their EYFS returns for years, we've always offered an effective and popular alternative. We're already working on the new EYFS and we offer a cost effective, simple to use solution that includes all you'd expect and more (including: recording, evidence gathering, tracking, analysis and reporting to LA and parents). This can be bought as part of Classroom Monitor Primary or as a stand alone tool for EYFS only (from September). Please contact us for more information.

Our most exciting update yet?

Assessment should be used as a tool to drive teaching and learning and as a proactive force to improve pupil progress. It should not just be about data, analysis and statutory requirements for your Local Authority. Classroom Monitor is designed to support your teaching in the classroom, to help you identify where you class and students need support, what their next steps are and vitally - how they can achieve those steps. We've been working hard on just that, and the last section in particular and we are delighted to announce that within Classroom Monitor every APP objective is now linked to free, high-quality web resources which every teacher can access directly from their markbook at the click of a button. Another string to your bow? Or a new bow altogether? However you look at it, this is one update that our teachers are getting incredibly excited about...

Get ready for the Ofsted Framework

The new Ofsted framework focuses more on teaching and learning and less on data. Inspectors will be spending more time analysing the quality of teaching and observing lessons. The use of pupil assessment is still key, formative assessment should be used effectively by every teacher to plan, teach and focus on personalised learning. Success in Ofsted will be based around effective Assessment for Learning and using evidence of assessment to drive teaching and learning. At least 2 schools using Classroom Monitor inspected under the new framework have already received 'Outstanding' in their Ofsted, with special mention for assessment practices in their report. You can see their reports here and here and you can see how Classroom Monitor will support Ofsted here.

Classroom Monitor gets a near perfect score!

BEE-IT the education news and network website has conducted an independent review of Classroom Monitor. We're delighted to announce that we received a near perfect 19.5 out of 20 in the review. When the reviewers were asked how we could improve they all said that they couldn't think of anything, wow, fantastic stuff. Rest assured we won't be sitting on our laurels, we've plenty of exciting new developments that we'll be announcing soon. In the meantime, read the full review here .

Classroom Monitor and Mr. Thorne link up

Following some inspiring sessions we saw with Mr Thorne at BETT this year, we've linked up with him! There is a new phonics markbook built into Classroom Monitor to support teachers with phonics assessment in readiness for next year's proposed year 1 phonics test. Best of all, every phonics markbook is linked to video and web resources on the Mr Thorne website so teachers can find lots of activities and lesson plans to support their children learning phonics straight from their phonics assessment.