The purpose of assessment at Discovery College is to judge student achievement and to provide information on how to improve student learning. Assessment is the ongoing process of gathering evidence for and of learning. This evidence is used to give recognition and timely feedback to the learners and all other stakeholders. Assessment reflects the best practices that support the learner and the teacher in the promotion of student achievement.

Primary Years Programme

In the Primary Years Programme, written reports are issued twice a year - at the end of each Semester. Semester 1 and Semester 2. Semester 1 is a formative style of report that includes an overview of student strengths and areas for development in all subject areas. Semester 2 report is a summative style with overall achievement levels for each subject as well as a pastoral comment from the classroom teacher.

There are four opportunities for face-to-face reporting across the year: two Parent Teacher Interviews in Term 1 - the first of which is an opportunity for parents to share important information about their child with the class teacher and for the class teacher to update the parents on how their child has settled into the new school year, while the second conference will be an opportunity for teachers to go into more detail about student progress thus far, as well as areas for development that both teacher and parents can support the child in. Term 2 we hold Three Way Conferences, with Student-led Conferences in Term 3. The face-to-face meetings allow for discussion about student progress and their next steps for learning.

Middle Years Programme

Assessment

The purpose of MYP assessment is to provide feedback to students, teachers, and parents on student progress in relation to the MYP objectives and criteria. Students demonstrate their understanding through a variety of activities/tasks during the learning process. Assessment allows students to apply their knowledge and practice their skills. Through this process, they can identify their learning strengths and work on their weaknesses. Assessments provide teachers with feedback on the effectiveness of their instruction as well as the progress of their students. 

Assessment in the MYP is criterion-related, which means that students are assessed against specific criteria rather than being ranked against each other. Teachers are required to evaluate student achievement using their professional judgment, guided by the prescribed subject-group criteria that are public, and known in advance to ensure the validity and transparency of the assessment. All subject-specific assessment criteria are available in the MYP Assessment Guidance Handbook for Parents in Students. They are also explained to students at the beginning of the academic year, or when they start at the school.   

Reporting

In order to keep students and their families informed about their progress, various reports are provided throughout the academic year in the Middle Years Programme (MYP). Progress reports, available in the ESF Ding app, offer feedback from teachers based on assessment tasks completed at the end of each unit, along with relevant criteria grades and students' reflections for improvement. Monthly updates on students' progress can be accessed in the app's ARR (Assessment Recording Reporting) section. 

Additionally, MYP Semester Reports, published in February and June, provide a brief course outline of students' achievements, with grades determined solely by tasks completed in that semester, as they do not carry over to the next. An overall 1-7 MYP grade summary for all subjects is included in these reports. To facilitate further discussions on student progress, Three-way Conferences are held mid-semester, allowing teachers to discuss each student's progress across the curriculum. The semester system aligns with university transcript requirements, especially those in North America, for Year 10 and beyond.  

To receive a Semester 1 report, a student must be enrolled at Discovery College up to 30 November. To receive a Semester 2 report, they must be enrolled up to 31 May.

Diploma Programme & Career-related Programme

During both the Diploma Programme and the Career-related Programme, reports are issued several times a year indicating student achievement information in each course the student is taking. The first and third reports (“Quarterly Reports”) apply to the previous quarter, while the second and fourth reports (“Semester” Reports) apply to the whole Semester leading up to the report. Year 13s receive a Mock Grade Report during Quarter 3 and a Semester 2 report is based on academic progress through to April. The month of May is not taken into account due to the presence of final exams at the end of the year.

Three-Way Conferences also allow for discussion with teachers about student progress in each area of the curriculum. The Evidencer is used where relevant to build an ongoing picture of student learning.

To receive a Semester 1 report, a student must be enrolled at Discovery College up to 30 November. To receive a Semester 2 report, they must be enrolled up to 31 May.