Evaluation

At Halifax Independent, we believe that the best assessment happens every day when a teacher and a child discuss the merits of his or her work. Small classes ensure that every child receives the benefit of this individual counselling and children learn by example to honestly evaluate their own work. As children get older, self and peer assessment become an integral component of the programme as do the more formal methods.

Throughout the school, each child has a portfolio which contains examples of work from the units studied and is expanded continuously during the child’s stay at the school. Benchmarks have been created for each grade level and a record of these is kept in the child’s file. Teachers also keep extensive notes and checklists for each child. These notes and benchmarks are used to help discuss the child’s progress at Parent-Teacher interviews, which are held 3 times a year. Regular phone calls home are made by the teachers to report on particular evidence of progress and to chat informally about how things are going. Fairs and open houses also provide opportunities for parents to see how their children are doing.