Assessment & Rank Order

At Ormiston SWB Academy, assessment is a vital part of our commitment to delivering a first-class education. It is used strategically to secure knowledge, identify gaps, and drive progress for every student, regardless of starting point, disadvantage or SEND need.

Our assessment approach is underpinned by our core principles of:

Great teaching – using assessment to inform planning, personalise learning, and challenge all students.
Strong literacy and numeracy – embedding core skills into assessment tasks across the curriculum.
Excellent outcomes – ensuring students are well-prepared for future learning, qualifications, and life beyond school.
Positive behaviour – promoting responsibility, reflection, and resilience through feedback and self-assessment.

We use a combination of formative and summative assessments to monitor progress, support retrieval practice, and ensure knowledge is retained over time. Assessments are carefully designed to align with our sequenced curriculum and are built into teaching cycles to ensure they are purposeful and impactful.

Assessment at OSWBA is not just about measuring performance — it is about supporting learning. Through regular feedback, student reflection, and targeted intervention, we ensure that every learner has the opportunity to succeed.

Rank Order Assessment

The 100% Club / COREProgress / CORERank

As part of our ongoing commitment to elevate student attainment and further support the development of positive learning habits, we use a comprehensive student ranking system, Rank Order Assessment.

This system evaluates students based on key metrics to provide a holistic assessment of their academic engagement. The objective is to foster a competitive yet supportive environment that motivates students to excel academically. Other high-performing schools and academies, including many within Ormiston, cite providing students and parents with rank order information as one of the most effective ways to do this. To clarify, this information is already available. Our aim is to ensure that parents, carers, and students have direct access to it. In schools that already implement rank order, students often say it’s not discouraging—in fact, it motivates them to continually improve on their previous ranking within the year group.

Rank Order Assessment integrates quantitative data (attendance, academic performance, etc.) and qualitative assessments of students’ attitudes to learning (ClassCharts behaviour ratio, homework engagement, etc.). By combining these metrics, we aim to provide a nuanced evaluation that reflects both behavioural and academic dimensions of student engagement. Regular feedback will be provided to students, highlighting their strengths and areas for improvement, thereby encouraging self-reflection and goal setting.

We anticipate that this ranking system will serve as a motivational tool, encouraging students to improve attendance and actively engage in their learning processes. By making students aware of their standing relative to peers, we aim to cultivate a culture of excellence and continuous student improvement. The ultimate goal is to enhance student attainment at the end of KS4/KS5.

We are committed to monitoring the effectiveness of this initiative and will make data-driven adjustments to ensure it meets our objective of maximising student attainment.

The Rank Orders will be displayed using a unique code.

Parents/Carers are able to opt out should they wish.

Students will be given a unique personal code. The code will appear on the leaderboard, but unless the student shares it, the information remains confidential.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’re constantly exploring ways to support students in achieving strong results and staying motivated. Sharing rank order information is an effective strategy to help with this. Since national GCSE grade boundaries are based on rank order, providing this insight as early as Year 7 gives students and parents a clear understanding of their position—offering ample time to respond and make progress.

The 100% Club/COREProgress/CORERank leaderboards will be displayed in school. Students will be given a unique personal code. The code will appear on the leaderboard, but unless the student shares it, the information remains confidential. Student rankings are also included in individual student reports sent home.

Students at the lower end of the rank order will receive tailored support, including but not limited to intervention sessions and mentoring programmes. Some parents/carers may be invited for a meeting with a member of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss reasons for a low ranking.

We want to reassure parents/carers that having SEN will not prevent a child from achieving a high rank in rank order assessments. At our academy, all assessments are designed with appropriate access arrangements in place, ensuring that every student has a fair and equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. Rank order reflects academic and behavioural performance relative to peers, and many students with SEN consistently achieve strong outcomes. Our commitment is to provide the right support and environment for every student to thrive, recognising and celebrating individual progress and achievement.

The 100% Club

Students will be challenged, at different time periods throughout the academic year, to achieve 100% in all key metrics that students can directly influence – attendance, behaviour, and homework completion. Students who achieve this will be recognised and rewarded.

COREProgress

This monthly update will include metrics that students can directly influence – attendance, behaviour, and homework completion.

CORERank

This twice-yearly event will include all key metrics including the academic outcomes achieved in Common Assessments/Mock Exams. This report will give students a clear picture of where they rank academically and behaviourally.

Parents can support by encouraging a positive attitude to learning, monitoring homework on online platforms, and ensuring excellent attendance. Students with good attendance and homework completion are more likely to improve their rank order.