Assessment Policy

PHILOSOPHY 

Quality assessments are essential components in the learning process.  Well-designed assessments provide students, teachers, parents and stakeholders with information on the learning, development and progress of students. It also provides feedback on the student’s learning process and informs how this learning can be improved. Assessment must thus be ongoing and designed to meet the needs of our students and learning community. 

PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT  

The Westwood Assessment Policy is aligned to the Singapore Teaching Practice (STP) model. The principles of assessment are:

• Assessment forms an integral part of Teaching and Learning 

• Assessment must be aligned to the intended learning outcomes, content and pedagogy

• Assessment facilitates meaningful learning, is learner-centric and has a formative effect on our students’ learning

• The Assessment System should be balanced – integrating Assessment for Learning (AfL), Assessment of Learning (AoL) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the school curriculum

• Assessment information should be collected regularly to evaluate current school practices and enhance future teaching and learning practices

AIMS OF WESTWOOD ASSESSMENT POLICY

It is to:

1. Align to MOE’s Assessment Philosophy to achieve a more balanced assessment system

2. Develop a common understanding among teachers regarding Assessment Standards and Expectations

OBJECTIVES OF ASSESSMENT IN WESTWOOD SECONDARY SCHOOL

It seeks to:

1. Facilitate informed decision-making about students’ placement and life choices

2. Report on students’ level of attainment and progress to key stakeholders - parents, teachers and students

ASSESSMENT IN WESTWOOD

Our students need to be lifelong learners to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world. To nurture lifelong learners, we need to help our students experience more joy and develop stronger intrinsic motivation in learning. In line with MOE’s direction to move away from an over emphasis on academic results, the school-based assessment structures have been reviewed. Time and space has been freed up to allow our school to pace out teaching and learning, adopt effective pedagogies to deepen our students’ learning, encourage self-directed learning and strengthen holistic development. These adjustments will provide us with more opportunities for student-centred teaching and learning approaches and lay the groundwork to nurture lifelong learning attitudes and skills in our students.

Termly weighted assessments will be conducted to gauge the learning progress of the students. Timed-practice will only be conducted for Secondary 4 & 5 MTL students in view of their Mid-Year GCE ‘O’ level MTL Examinations. End-of-Year Examinations will be conducted at the end of Semester Two for Secondary 1 to 3 students. Preliminary Examinations will be conducted in the third term for students who are taking the GCE ‘N’ and ‘O’ Level Examinations. Performance for termly and end of year assessments will determine students’ promotion to the next level of study, lateral transfers across streams or retention at the same level of study. For Secondary 2, the results of the assessment are also used in the allocation of subjects during the subject options exercise. 

As part of AfL and to allow a diversity of assessment to more effectively assess students’ learning, other modes of assessment may be included as part of the termly weighted assessments where relevant. 

COMPUTATION OF ASSESSMENT MARKS

Secondary 1 to 3

Secondary 4 to 5