Understanding the 1–4 Assessment Scale

Author: Miss Flo, Well-Being and Curriculum Leader

At Lighthouse Primary School, we use a 1-4 assessment scale to assess student learning. This system focuses on how a child is progressing along their learning journey, rather than giving a percentage or traditional A-E grades. 

Traditional grading systems (like A-E grades or percentage grades) give a single number, but little context. A “68%” doesn’t explain what your child knows, what they’re learning, or how they’re progressing. This can lead to confusion or discouragement, especially when parents and children view lower numbers as failure rather than part of learning.

In contrast, a 1-4 assessment scale is designed to show growth over time, focusing on progress, understanding and support. Each number clearly describes a stage, as described below. This helps parents understand where their child is on their learning journey and where they are heading to. The continuum shifts the focus from performance to progress, supporting learning over labeling. Children need to see learning as a process, and parents need clear insight into their child’s strengths, growth areas, and next steps – not just a score.

Level	In brief	Our Description on the Report	What It Means
4	Exceeding Expectations	The learner is exceeding the grade-level objectives.. He or she has a deep understanding of the knowledge, skills and concepts related to this objective and is able to make connections in a broader context.	Your child applies their learning in deep and advanced ways. They may make connections, think creatively, or extend beyond the standard expectations.
3	Meeting Expectations	The learner is meeting the grade-level objectives. He or she understands and applies knowledge, skills and concepts related to this objective competently, confidently and independently, the majority of the time.	Your child is working independently at their grade level.  This is where we expect most students to be by the end of a learning cycle.
2	Developing Understanding	The learner is not yet fully meeting the grade-level objectives, independently at this time. Although he or she has a basic understanding of the knowledge, skills and concepts related to this objective, the child still requires support in this area.	Your child is building understanding and can do some parts with support. They’re on the path to mastery.
1	Beginning Stage	The learner is working at a level below the grade-level objectives. At this time, he or she is not yet able to demonstrate understanding of the knowledge, skills and concepts related to this objective and would require additional support in this area.	Your child is just starting to learn a new concept or skill. They may need guidance and support at this stage.

It is very important to understand that our system is based on proficiency – how well a student understands and applies skills – not how perfectly they perform every time. 

In order to help us understand the continuum, if we take the analogy of learning the skill to ride a bike independently, it would look like the following:

• Level 1: Needs training wheels and help
  
• Level 2: Starting to ride but a bit wobbly
  
• Level 3: Rides steadily and confidently
  
• Level 4: Rides tricks, hills, and explores new trails

Not every child is supposed to do tricks – but all should be able to ride independently. That’s a Level 3!

Looking at Each Level:

Level 4 is not what is expected from everyone.

It shows deep mastery or application of the skill beyond the grade level. 

Level 3 is proficiency (it means success and not average!) and exactly where your child should be at the end of the year for his or her respective grade. 

This means your child is independent, consistent, and demonstrating mastery of what they’re expected to know at their grade level, at this particular point in time. 

Level 2 means your child is on the way to understanding the skill or concept, but their application is inconsistent, i.e. the child still makes mistakes or struggles to do tasks independently. This is normal midway through a unit or when a skill is being practiced. 

Level 2 shows progress and promise and it’s not a concern, but a checkpoint on the path to proficiency.

Level 1 should also not be a concern when the student is starting to learn a new skill or concept. This shows their understanding is limited and they need a lot of guidance and support to complete tasks. Everyone begins here when faced with a new idea and a level 1 is expected at the early stage of the learning process or when concepts are particularly challenging. 

Level 1 is thus not a negative grade but simply means the student is at the very beginning stage on their journey with a specific learning goal.

However, while a level 1 is perfectly normal at the beginning stage of learning, it can be a concern if a student remains there even after focused teaching and time. This doesn’t mean your child is failing. It simply means we need to work together – teachers, parents, and students – to better understand where the difficulty is and plan for an urgent intervention. A comment is usually written by the teacher in your CAR reports when this is the case. 

Just like with our MAPS Assessments, our Continuous Assessment Reports reflect our school’s focus, which is not so much on grades, but on the growth of each individual student.

We are genuinely proud of each child’s progress, and our reporting system is designed to celebrate that journey.

The main reason for sending regular, continuous assessment reports is for us to encourage prompt and efficient communication around your child’s growth and achievement, leading to proactive intervention if necessary.

If you ever have questions about how grades are calculated or what they mean, please don’t hesitate to reach out, either to your child’s teacher or to me directly.
We’re here to support your child’s development, not just their grades.

With care and commitment,
Miss Flo
Well-Being and Curriculum Leader