Diagnostic Activities

With the recent launch of QLA (Question Level Analysis), SAM Learning supports teachers in identifying knowledge gaps more effectively than ever before.

This year, we have also launched a new activity type: Diagnostic.

Diagnostic Activities are specifically designed to identify gaps in learner knowledge at a particular stage.  Teachers can then target teaching to those gaps - and then assign learners a follow-up diagnostic.

Diagnostic Activities come in threes.  In learner-speak, they are:

“A - This is the first of three tests - your teachers can use this to think about what to teach you next.”

“B - This is the second of three tests - your teachers can use this to see how much you have learnt since the first test and to think about what to teach you next.”

“C - This is the third of three tests - your teachers can use this to see how much progress you have made since the first and second tests.”

...and use of QLA after each 30 minute activity will tell the Teachers where the gaps are for the learners, groups or classes.

Primary-Secondary Transition

The first sets of activities we published are focused at the Year 6-7 boundary… i.e. are learners ready to start secondary school?  Based on the KS2 SATs Content, they can be used in Year 6 to gauge how well pupils are progressing towards SATs… or in Year 7 to find gaps (via QLA) in their learning to close.

Three activities are now available for each core subject:

• KS2-3 English Diagnostic Test A / B / C

• KS2-3 Maths Diagnostic Test A / B / C

• KS2-3 Science Diagnostic Test A / B / C

KS3-GCSE Transition

This set of activities we are publishing (Summer 2021) are focused at the Year 9-10 boundary… i.e. how solid are the foundations for GCSE?  Based on the KS3 NC Content, they can be used in Year 9 to gauge how well pupils are progressing towards the end of Key Stage… or at the start of Year 10 to find gaps in their learning.

These activities are now in development:

• KS3-4 English Diagnostic Test A / B / C

• KS3-4 Maths Diagnostic Test A / B / C

• KS3-4 Biology Diagnostic Test A / B  (C - in production)
• KS3-4 Chemistry Diagnostic Test A / B  (C - in production)
• KS3-4 Physics Diagnostic Test A / B  (C - in production)

They can be found in the new Diagnostics folder within each subject:

What next?

Once we see how these are received, we will be looking into how to best approach these at GCSE.

To help us to make some decisions and plan these, we would appreciate your views.  Please complete this brief survey, with questions on what you think of these first diagnostic activities and what we should do next.