Assessment LevelsTeachers should use the follwing attainment targets for georgraphy and history to assess childrens knowledge and understanding and skills.
Attainment Targets for GeographyLevel 1 Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies at a local scale. They recognise and make observations about physical and human features of localities. They express their views on features of the environment of a locality. They use resources that are given to them, and their own observations, to ask and respond to questions about places and environments.
Level 2 Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies at a local scale. They describe physical and human features of places, and recognise and make observations about those features that give places their character. They show an awareness of places beyond their own locality. They express views on the environment of a locality and recognise how people affect the environment. They carry out simple tasks and select information using resources that are given to them. They use this information and their own observations to help them ask and respond to questions about places and environments. They begin to use appropriate geographical vocabulary. Level 3 Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies at a local scale. They describe and compare the physical and human features of different localities and offer explanations for the locations of some of those features. They are aware that different places may have both similar and different characteristics. They offer reasons for some of their observations and for their views and judgements about places and environments. They recognise how people seek to improve and sustain environments. They use skills and sources of evidence to respond to a range of geographical questions, and begin to use appropriate vocabulary to communicate their findings. Level 4 Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies of a range of places and environments at more than one scale and in different parts of the world. They begin to recognise and describe geographical patterns and to appreciate the importance of wider geographical location in understanding places. They recognise and describe physical and human processes. They begin to understand how these can change the features of places, and how these changes affect the lives and activities of people living there. They understand how people can both improve and damage the environment. They explain their own views and the views that other people hold about an environmental change. Drawing on their knowledge and understanding, they suggest suitable geographical questions, and use a range of geographical skills from the key stage 2 or 3 programme of study to help them investigate places and environments. They use primary and secondary sources of evidence in their investigations and communicate their findings using appropriate vocabulary. Level 5 Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies of a range of places and environments at more than one scale and in different parts of the world. They describe and begin to explain geographical patterns and physical and human processes. They describe how these processes can lead to similarities and differences in the environments of different places and in the lives of people who live there. They recognise some of the links and relationships that make places dependent on each other. They suggest explanations for the ways in which human activities cause changes to the environment and the different views people hold about them. They recognise how people try to manage environments sustainably. They explain their own views and begin to suggest relevant geographical questions and issues. Drawing on their knowledge and understanding, they select and use appropriate skills and ways of presenting information from the key stage 2 or 3 programme of study to help them investigate places and environments. They select information and sources of evidence, suggest plausible conclusions to their investigations and present their findings both graphically and in writing. Level 6 Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies of a wide range of places and environments at various scales, from local to global, and in different parts of the world. They describe and explain a range of physical and human processes and recognise that these processes interact to produce the distinctive characteristics of places. They describe ways in which physical and human processes operating at different scales create geographical patterns and lead to changes in places. They appreciate the many links and relationships that make places dependent on each other. They recognise how conflicting demands on the environment may arise and describe and compare different approaches to managing environments. They appreciate that different values and attitudes, including their own, result in different approaches that have different effects on people and places. Drawing on their knowledge and understanding, they suggest relevant geographical questions and issues and appropriate sequences of investigation. They select a range of skills and sources of evidence from the key stage 3 programme of study and use them effectively in their investigations. They present their findings in a coherent way and reach conclusions that are consistent with the evidence. Level 7 Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies of a wide range of places and environments at various scales, from local to global, and in different parts of the world. They describe interactions within and between physical and human processes, and show how these interactions create geographical patterns and help change places and environments. They understand that many factors, including people's values and attitudes, influence the decisions made about places and environments, and use this understanding to explain the resulting changes. They appreciate that the environment in a place and the lives of the people who live there are affected by actions and events in other places. They recognise that human actions, including their own, may have unintended environmental consequences and that change sometimes leads to conflict. They appreciate that considerations of sustainable development affect the planning and management of environments and resources. With growing independence, they draw on their knowledge and understanding to identify geographical questions and issues and establish their own sequence of investigation. They select and use accurately a wide range of skills from the key stage 3 programme of study. They evaluate critically sources of evidence, present wellargued summaries of their investigations and begin to reach substantiated conclusions. Level 8 Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies of a wide range of places and environments at various scales, from local to global, and in different parts of the world. They offer explanations for interactions within and between physical and human processes. They explain changes in the characteristics of places over time, in terms of location, physical and human processes, and interactions with other places. They begin to account for disparities in development and understand the range and complexity of factors that contribute to the quality of life in different places. They recognise the causes and consequences of environmental issues and understand a range of views about them and different approaches to tackling them. They understand how considerations of sustainable development can affect their own lives as well as the planning and management of environments and resources. They use examples to illustrate this. Drawing on their knowledge and understanding, they show independence in identifying appropriate geographical questions and issues, and in using an effective sequence of investigation. They select a wide range of skills from the key stage 3 programme of study and use them effectively and accurately. They evaluate critically sources of evidence before using them in their investigations. They present full and coherently argued summaries of their investigations and reach substantiated conclusions. Exceptional performance Pupils show their knowledge, skills and understanding in studies of a wide range of places and environments at the full range of scales, from local to global, and in different parts of the world. They explain complex interactions within and between physical and human processes. They refer to a wide range of geographical factors to explain and predict change in the characteristics of places over time. They understand alternative approaches to development and the implications of these for the quality of life in different places. They assess the relative merits of different ways of tackling environmental issues and justify their views about these different approaches. They understand how considerations of sustainable development can affect their own lives as well as the planning and management of environments and resources. They illustrate this with a full range of examples. They draw selectively on geographical ideas and theories, and use accurately a wide range of appropriate skills and sources of evidence from the key stage 3 programme of study. They carry out geographical investigations independently at different scales. They evaluate critically sources of evidence and present coherent arguments and effective, accurate and well-substantiated conclusions. They evaluate their work by suggesting improvements in approach and further lines of enquiry. |
Level 1 Pupils recognise the distinction between present and past in their own and other people's lives. They show their emerging sense of chronology by placing a few events and objects in order, and by using everyday terms about the passing of time. They know and recount episodes from stories about the past. They find answers to some simple questions about the past from sources of information.
Level 2 Pupils show their developing sense of chronology by using terms concerned with the passing of time, by placing events and objects in order, and by recognising that their own lives are different from the lives of people in the past. They show knowledge and understanding of aspects of the past beyond living memory, and of some of the main events and people they have studied. They are beginning to recognise that there are reasons why people in the past acted as they did. They are beginning to identify some of the different ways in which the past is represented. They observe or handle sources of information to answer questions about the past on the basis of simple observations. Level 3 Pupils show their developing understanding of chronology by their realisation that the past can be divided into different periods of time, their recognition of some of the similarities and differences between these periods, and their use of dates and terms. They show knowledge and understanding of some of the main events, people and changes studied. They are beginning to give a few reasons for, and results of, the main events and changes. They identify some of the different ways in which the past is represented. They use sources of information in ways that go beyond simple observations to answer questions about the past. Level 4 Pupils show factual knowledge and understanding of aspects of the history of Britain and the wider world. They use this to describe characteristic features of past societies and periods, and to identify changes within and across different periods. They describe some of the main events, people and changes. They give some reasons for, and results of, the main events and changes. They show some understanding that aspects of the past have been represented and interpreted in different ways. They are beginning to select and combine information from different sources. They are beginning to produce structured work, making appropriate use of dates and terms. Level 5 Pupils show increasing depth of factual knowledge and understanding of aspects of the history of Britain and the wider world. They use this to describe features of past societies and periods and to begin to make links between them. They describe events, people and changes. They describe and make links between events and changes and give reasons for, and results of, these events and changes. They know that some events, people and changes have been interpreted in different ways and suggest possible reasons for this. Using their knowledge and understanding, pupils are beginning to evaluate sources of information and identify those that are useful for particular tasks. They select and organise information to produce structured work, making appropriate use of dates and terms. Level 6 Pupils use their factual knowledge and understanding of the history of Britain and the wider world to describe past societies and periods, and to make links between features within and across different periods. They examine and explain the reasons for, and results of, events and changes. Pupils describe, and begin to analyse, why there are different historical interpretations of events, people and changes. Using their knowledge and understanding, they identify and evaluate sources of information, which they use critically to reach and support conclusions. They select, organise and deploy relevant information to produce structured work, making appropriate use of dates and terms. Level 7 Pupils make links between their factual knowledge and understanding of the history of Britain and the wider world. They use these links to analyse relationships between features of a particular period or society, and to analyse reasons for, and results of, events and changes. They explain how and why different historical interpretations have been produced. Pupils show some independence in following lines of enquiry, using their knowledge and understanding to identify, evaluate and use sources of information critically. They sometimes reach substantiated conclusions independently. They select, organise and use relevant information to produce well-structured narratives, descriptions and explanations, making appropriate use of dates and terms. Level 8 Pupils use their factual knowledge and understanding of the history of Britain and the wider world to analyse the relationships between events, people and changes, and between the features of different past societies and cultures. Their explanations of reasons for, and results of, events and changes are set in a wider historical context. They analyse and explain different historical interpretations and are beginning to evaluate them. Drawing on their historical knowledge and understanding, they use sources of information critically, carry out historical enquiries, and reach substantiated conclusions independently. They select, organise and deploy relevant information to produce consistently well-structured narratives, descriptions and explanations, making appropriate use of dates and terms. Exceptional performance Pupils use their extensive and detailed factual knowledge and understanding of the history of Britain and the wider world to analyse relationships between a wide range of events, people, ideas and changes and between the features of different past societies and cultures. Their explanations and analyses of reasons for, and results of, events and changes, are well substantiated and set in their wider historical context. They analyse links between events and developments that took place in different countries and in different periods. They make balanced judgements based on their understanding of the historical context about the value of different interpretations of historical events and developments. Drawing on their historical knowledge and understanding, they use sources of information critically, carry out historical enquiries, develop, maintain and support an argument and reach and sustain substantiated and balanced conclusions independently. They select, organise and deploy a wide range of relevant information to produce consistently well-structured narratives, descriptions and explanations, making appropriate use of dates and terms. |