Understanding Assessment Data

The College year is split into assessment periods which are largely based on the academic terms. Throughout their courses, learners will complete assignments, tests, NEAs and/or practice past papers (dependent on subject and time of year) and receive feedback from their subject teachers. This will feed into what is referred to on Cedar as a ‘CAP’ (College Assessment Point’). The CAP will be a snapshot of the learner’s progress taking into account all work produced by the learner up to that point. The CAP can be thought of as a learner’s current achievement grade.

For 2025-2026 the CAP grade will be updated at regular intervals and accessible to parents and learners via Cedar. For AS/A2, GCSE, and WJEC Applied qualifications, this will be graded on the scale of A*, A, B, C, E, U or n/a. For vocational qualifications, this will be on a scale of Distinction*, Distinction, Merit, Pass, Fail (marked as D*, D, M, P, F respectively).

Where coursework is being undertaken and not yet completed, a grade of n/a will be given.

Please note – the achievement grade is an indicator of progress to date, not a guarantee of future performance.

Attendance is also tracked live via Cedar and given as a percentage. Evidence suggests that attendance provides the clearest indication of success in the sixth form. Research indicates that a drop in attendance of 10% can result in underperformance by at least one grade in a course. Excellent attendance is an indicator of motivation and dedication to learning. It has proven to result in a greater likelihood of progression to higher education, improved grades, engagement, friendships, and better social skills.

All learners should understand the expectation that they should continually work towards a goal of 100% attendance and punctuality.

All absences should be communicated to subject teachers for that day, as well as their pastoral tutor. In order for an absence to be authorised for those under 18, NOK must also contact the pastoral tutor.

Cedar not only tracks attendance as a percentage, but will also inform you of how many hours have been missed for each course, across the year.

The target grade is derived from a learner’s GCSE score on entry to the College. However, for an Upper 6^thlearner, if their performance in their AS examination exceeds this target grade, then the target grade may move upwards accordingly. The target grade can change if a learner performs above their initial target grade consistently.

Effort grades range from 1-5 and are awarded based on the following criteria:

1 – Excellent Engagement
Excellent engagement means the learner is committed to getting the most out of all learning opportunities available
2- Good Engagement
Good engagement means the learner is a responsible and hardworking, and is clearly engaged in their subject.

3- Satisfactory Engagement
Satisfactory engagement means that the learner is probably doing most of what they are supposed to do but do not push themselves or make the most of the opportunities available.

4- Poor Engagement
Poor engagement means that a learner is often not actively engaged in the classroom lessons and this limits their progress

5- Very Poor Engagement
Very poor engagement means that a learner shows little focus and participation in most of their lessons.