Assessment
At Harris Academy South Norwood, assessment is used to support learning, not simply to measure it. It is an integral part of the teaching process, helping teachers to identify what knowledge and skills students understand and can do, and to respond effectively to their needs.
High-quality assessment allows teachers to check for understanding, address misconceptions, and adapt their teaching to ensure that all students make strong progress through the curriculum. For students, assessment provides clear feedback, helping them to reflect on their learning, build confidence, and understand the next steps needed to improve.
Our approach ensures that knowledge is retained over time and that students are well prepared for future study and examinations. A wide variety of opportunities for assessment are taken at HASN, both formal and informal, including but by no means limited to:
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Day to day formative assessment in lessons, intended to help teachers assess students’ understanding of that which has been taught, and reflect their practice if required.
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Carefully planned learning snapshots - short, informal assessments - set once or twice per half term intended to gauge students’ progress over a sequence of lessons or topics.
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Formal Assessments, which are sat mid-year and end-of-year and are intended to assess students’ sustained progress over time.
We know that progress looks different in different subjects, and that the best mechanisms for assessment often vary between disciplines. As such, while our overarching structure for assessment is consistent across the Academy, each subject has autonomy in setting the kind of assessments deemed appropriate by the subject team.
How do Formal Assessments work?
All students will sit mid-year and end-of-year assessments during set windows across the Academic year. These assessments act as an opportunity to assess learning and progress over time.
The assessment windows for the 2025-26 Academic Year are outlined below:
| Y12 Induction Assessments | Sept 29th-October 3rd 2025 |
| Y11 Mock Exam Week 1 | Nov 03rd-13th 2025 |
| Y13 Mock Examinations 1 | Nov 17th-27th 2025 |
| Y10 & Yr8 Mid-Year Assessments | Dec 1st-Dec 12th 2025 |
| Yr7 &Yr9 Mid-Year Assessments | Jan 12th-Jan 23rd 2026 |
| Y11 Mock Examinations | Jan 26th-Feb 6th 2026 |
| Y12 Mid-Year Assessments | Feb 9th-Feb 25th 2026 (Feb Half term in between) |
| Y13 Mock Examinations 2 | March 2nd-March 13th 2026 |
| Y7 & Y9 End of Year Assessments | May 11th 2026 -May 21st 2026 |
| Y8 End of Year Assessments | Jun 1st 2026 - Jun 12th 2026 |
| Y10 and Y12 End of Year Assessments | June 15th-June 26th 2026 |