Assessing pupils' progress (APP): Mathematics

What is APP?

APP is a structured approach to pupil assessment in mathematics so teachers can:

• track pupils' progress in mathematics
• use diagnostic information about pupils' strengths and weaknesses.

Based on the assessment focuses (AFs) that underpin National Curriculum assessment, the approach improves the quality and reliability of teachers' assessment. It has proved to be robust, manageable and effective in practice.

APP: The basic approach

The APP approach is straightforward. At regular intervals, which are planned to fit in with school assessment policy, teachers review pupils' work using APP guidelines to build a profile of their attainment. The information gained from the process allows teachers to:

• analyse by AF the relative strengths and weaknesses of each pupil (pupils at levels 3–8)
• assign each pupil an overall National Curriculum level for mathematics
• use this information to set curricular targets to strengthen pupils' learning and inform their own future teaching by making links to the relevant objectives from the renewed Framework.

Standards grids

Use the links within the standards grids below to access new Assessing Pupils' Progress (APP) resources. These have been revised to ensure consistency in APP for mathematics at Key Stages 2 and 3, and with the overall approach to periodic assessment that APP represents.

• Assessing pupils' progress in mathematics at Key Stage 3: Teachers' handbook sets out the background and rationale for APP and is a necessary starting point if you are planning to implement APP across the department.
• Assessing Pupils' Progress (APP) in mathematics at Key Stage 3: Assessment guidelines provides the assessment criteria for mathematics arranged by level and assessment focus. 
• Assessing Pupils' Progress (APP) in mathematics at Key Stage 3: Blank assessment grids provides assessment guideline templates to be used when assessing the progress of pupils.