P-Scales
"WHAT ARE P-SCALES?"
‘P-scales’ are used to assess the progress of children aged 5-14 who have special educational needs (SEN) and whose abilities do not yet reach Level 1 of the National Curriculum. P-scales are used for all the subjects of the National Curriculum as well as Religious Education, Citizenship and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education). P-scales allow for the evaluation of an individual child’s progress in an extremely detailed way and allow for a clear indication of their development.
"HOW DO P-SCALES FIT IN WITH EXISTING ASSESSMENT METHODS?"
Occasionally referred to as ‘P-levels’, P-scales do not replace any existing methods of measuring a child’s progress within a school but rather complement them. P-scales are implemented nationally across all schools and make it easier for schools to communicate information about a particular child’s level and allow parents to gain a greater understanding of their child’s progress.
"HOW DO THE P-SCALES MEASURE PROGRESS?"
The P-scales scheme works by setting specific objectives at eight levels within subjects from ‘P (level) 1’ to ‘P (level) 8,’ the former representing the lowest level of attainment and the latter the highest. The first three levels apply across all subjects as they reflect initial progress, whilst the remaining five are subject specific and allow for more precise measurement when the child’s abilities have increased. The most recent P-level attainment targets produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) are available here.
P-scales also allow for ‘lateral progress’ to be measured (i.e. the transfer of a child’s skills across different subjects) and are therefore invaluable for showing the general development a child has made in regards to his or her learning. However, implementation of the P-scales does not mean that all children with SEN should be taught in the same way. In fact, it is crucial that various factors are considered in regards to each child such as how they are taught and what form of support they require.
In some instances, rather than being measured in regards to specific subjects, progress is tracked according to other factors such as ‘Key Skills’ and ‘Thinking Skills’ etc.
Key Skills
Six Key Skills are recognised within the subjects of the National Curriculum. These are:
Each of these skills is in turn made up of a number of different factors. For instance, Application of Number refers to the use of basic mathematical skills which also refers to the ability to compare and group objects.
Thinking Skills
Thinking Skills refers to basic cognitive skills as well as perception and sensory awareness (the latter two factors refer to a range of different skills such as hearing and vision). This helps a child with reasoning, learning and solving. Thinking Skills concerns the extent to which a pupil is able to know what to learn as well as to know how to learn.
According to the QCA, three different factors are at play in regards to Thinking Skills:
‘Input’ refers to what an individual knows; ‘Control’ refers to managing a situation and; ‘Output’ refers to coming up with a solution to a problem.
Additional Skills
There are also a range of other skills relevant to the progress of a child with SEN such as ‘Personal and Social Skills’ which can then be broken down into a further set of factors. For example, Personal and Social Skills also deal with food consumption and hygiene.
‘P-scales’ are used to assess the progress of children aged 5-14 who have special educational needs (SEN) and whose abilities do not yet reach Level 1 of the National Curriculum. P-scales are used for all the subjects of the National Curriculum as well as Religious Education, Citizenship and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education). P-scales allow for the evaluation of an individual child’s progress in an extremely detailed way and allow for a clear indication of their development.
"HOW DO P-SCALES FIT IN WITH EXISTING ASSESSMENT METHODS?"
Occasionally referred to as ‘P-levels’, P-scales do not replace any existing methods of measuring a child’s progress within a school but rather complement them. P-scales are implemented nationally across all schools and make it easier for schools to communicate information about a particular child’s level and allow parents to gain a greater understanding of their child’s progress.
"HOW DO THE P-SCALES MEASURE PROGRESS?"
The P-scales scheme works by setting specific objectives at eight levels within subjects from ‘P (level) 1’ to ‘P (level) 8,’ the former representing the lowest level of attainment and the latter the highest. The first three levels apply across all subjects as they reflect initial progress, whilst the remaining five are subject specific and allow for more precise measurement when the child’s abilities have increased. The most recent P-level attainment targets produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) are available here.
P-scales also allow for ‘lateral progress’ to be measured (i.e. the transfer of a child’s skills across different subjects) and are therefore invaluable for showing the general development a child has made in regards to his or her learning. However, implementation of the P-scales does not mean that all children with SEN should be taught in the same way. In fact, it is crucial that various factors are considered in regards to each child such as how they are taught and what form of support they require.
In some instances, rather than being measured in regards to specific subjects, progress is tracked according to other factors such as ‘Key Skills’ and ‘Thinking Skills’ etc.
Key Skills
Six Key Skills are recognised within the subjects of the National Curriculum. These are:
- Communication (including literacy)
- Application of Number
- Information Technology
- Working with Others
- Improving own Learning and Performance
- Problem Solving
Each of these skills is in turn made up of a number of different factors. For instance, Application of Number refers to the use of basic mathematical skills which also refers to the ability to compare and group objects.
Thinking Skills
Thinking Skills refers to basic cognitive skills as well as perception and sensory awareness (the latter two factors refer to a range of different skills such as hearing and vision). This helps a child with reasoning, learning and solving. Thinking Skills concerns the extent to which a pupil is able to know what to learn as well as to know how to learn.
According to the QCA, three different factors are at play in regards to Thinking Skills:
- Input
- Control
- Output
‘Input’ refers to what an individual knows; ‘Control’ refers to managing a situation and; ‘Output’ refers to coming up with a solution to a problem.
Additional Skills
There are also a range of other skills relevant to the progress of a child with SEN such as ‘Personal and Social Skills’ which can then be broken down into a further set of factors. For example, Personal and Social Skills also deal with food consumption and hygiene.
For further information:
This information is meant to be helpful but Douglas Silas Solicitors cannot be responsible for any loss caused by reliance upon it. If you have concerns about your child, please seek professional educational/healthcare advice. Should you find anything which you believe to be inaccurate please Contact Us as soon as possible.
