The removal of national curriculum levels is an acknowledgement that they were not a dependable way of defining achievement. Levels were used in different ways by different people and organisations depending on the audience.
Because of the way that Ofsted evaluates schools, levels also led to children being moved on at undue pace rather than developing depth of understanding. Depending on how they were used, levels could also be used to label children and become a disincentive for learning.
The new world of ‘assessment without levels’ is intended to encourage a more professional, intelligent assessment. There is a recognition that learning is neither neat nor linear. The simple attachment of a level could undermine learning as there could be gaps in specific areas of learning for a child. Progression is more focused on understanding and developing greater depth in the national curriculum than on mere progression to the next set of content.
The mastery pedagogy works on the principle that all learners, with effort, will meet expectations. It works on the premise that great teaching, based on formative assessment, particularly great questioning, is key. Precise assessment, teaching that closes gaps, and thinking about ability differently are all part of the mastery pedagogy.
The notion behind a ‘mastery level’ came about from the performance descriptors published in draft some months ago. This so-called ‘mastery level’ has now been replaced in teacher assessment information, which has now been published with the phrase ‘even greater depth.’
All children should have a deep learning of key ideas/constructs and opportunities for even deeper learning (growth mindset). Some learners will be able to access, within a construct, an even greater challenge to deepen their thinking further. Mastery learning is deep learning that sticks, can be recalled over time, etc. It is necessary to have deep learning to meet the key objectives. In essence, to meet the objectives securely, children need to have mastered them.
This diagram helps to clarify the concept of mastery and greater depth in the national curriculum:
What we know for certain is that mastery is not:
• Mastery and greater depth – not working on content from the next year group.
• Mastery and greater depth in mathematics – not practising the same concept with bigger numbers.
• Mastery and greater depth in reading – not necessarily reading a more challenging text.
The characteristics of mastery and greater depth in the national curriculum could therefore be summarised as follows:
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