Optimising Learning: Mid-Year Diagnostics at Harrow

Case Study: Using APR and APM to support teaching and learning at Harrow International Primary School

Harrow International Primary School, an international primary setting in Bengaluru, serves a diverse student population with a wide range of prior educational experiences and entry points. Within this context, the school places importance on using external assessments to support teaching, learning, and monitoring of progress.

The school baselines their students upon entry and, as they follow the Cambridge International Curriculum, the school uses Cambridge Progression Tests for end of year summative assessment, which provide an externally set measure of attainment aligned to the Cambridge curriculum.

The school’s Deputy Headteacher reported how Hachette Learning’s APR (Advancing Primary Reading) and APM (Advancing Primary Mathematics) were recently introduced as mid-point assessments, sitting alongside the school’s baseline and end of year testing. She explained that her priority was not only to understand outcomes, but also to inform teaching and learning during the year, stating that “what I was looking for were diagnostic tools to help teachers plug gaps mid-year.” In this role, APR and APM were used to provide interim insights into pupil performance and areas for development before the end of year progression tests.

Experience of Using APR and APM

The Deputy Head reported a positive experience with the assessments, particularly from a pupil and teacher perspective. She noted that “we were really happy with the APR and APM tests in terms of how it was really user friendly for the children,” highlighting that the format of the tests was accessible for pupils completing them on screen.

The Deputy Head also commented on the clarity and usability of the outputs for staff, explaining that “the data that was provided for teachers was really helpful” and that “the reports were easy to process.” At classroom level, the assessments supported practical teaching decisions: “at a teacher level, to be able to do the gap analysis was really easy,” and “to see where we needed to run interventions on a class base – great.”

Overall, APR and APM were described as aligning well with the current needs of the primary school within its wider assessment framework. Joanna confirmed that the intention is to continue using the assessments, noting that “in terms of the primary school and what we want, we would like to continue.”