Meeting needs and measuring progress: Inclusive assessment in action

When Ginette Moore, Assistant Principal for Inclusion at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, opened our recent webinar (‘Meeting needs and measuring progress’ ), she didn’t start with statistics. She began with values.

Ginette’s focus is, unequivocally, equitable access for all learners.

Cranleigh School in Abu Dhabi is a large school of 2,300 students across two sites, with around 10% of students identified as having additional learning needs. Among them are many who Ginette describes as ‘twice exceptional learners’ - students who are both highly able and in need of additional support.

“This is something which is highlighted early and importantly as we must never assume that learning needs affect only those working below expected levels for their age . We are only inclusive when we see all learners and their needs,” she explains.

The school’s inclusive ethos has recently been recognised through the Inclusion Quality Mark Centre of Excellence Award. But as Ginette reminded us, inclusion is not a one-off achievement. “It’s a daily rhythm of assessment, reflection and adaptation.”

Language matters. While terms like ‘Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)’, ‘Special Educational Needs (SEN)’ or ‘Students of Determination (SoD)’ are common in different contexts, Ginette prefers ‘Additional Learning Needs (ALN)’ in line with Abu Dhabi policy.

Why? “Because it avoids stigma, emphasises uniqueness and reminds us that difference is normal,” she explains.

Crucially, Ginette sees assessment as vital to identifying strengths as well as barriers. “A spelling test might highlight phonological difficulties, but it also creates space to build on creativity, problem-solving and resilience. We need to build a common understanding around ALN so that we can embed universal practices around our learners and our classrooms to allow all students to thrive.”

Ginette firmly believes that assessment is not just about scores. Done well, it becomes a tool for personalised planning.

Ginette draws on the familiar Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle from the UK’s SEND Code of Practice. At Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, this cycle ensures that initial baselines inform SMART goals, ongoing monitoring identifies what’s working and support that can be adapted or escalated when needed. Put simply: “Meaningful assessment makes the whole cycle purposeful and more responsive.”

At Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, standardised assessment data is mapped against a tiered model of support used across Abu Dhabi with the goal of matching the right support to the right moment:

Tier 1 (Universal): high-quality teaching with accommodations and modifications.
Tier 2 (Targeted): additional small-group or individual interventions.
Tier 3 (Intensive): one-to-one support or alternative curriculum pathways.

A student story Ginette shared illustrated this well: “Baseline testing showed us that one of our Year 5 students with long-standing spelling difficulties was two years below age expectations in spelling. In response, we provided twice-weekly spelling intervention and access to the Nessy Reading and Spelling programme.

“By the end of the term, the data showed us that the child’s spelling age had advanced by nine months - concrete evidence of data-informed intervention driving accelerated progress.”

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Data dashboards and standardised scores are valuable, but numbers alone can mislead. “That’s why triangulation is essential through cross-checking test data with teacher observations, work scrutiny and student voice,” Ginette adds.

“We must not assume that every teacher coming into our school has the same baseline of information or training, so working together is vital to supporting the best possible outcome. It is also the ability to have these open and professional dialogues with all teachers to make sure that we are raising the standard across our schools with everyone learning and leading together.

“When data and classroom experiences align, the whole picture is robust. When they diverge, it sparks important professional discussion: was it the test day, the context, or an underlying barrier?”

Ginette also stressed the importance of exam access arrangements and adaptations: readers, scribes or flexible testing environments can ensure that results reflect ability, not disadvantage. These are now all readily available for teachers and leaders in schools to be able to use and adapt for their students in order to ensure the school gives equity of access to all learners and their needs.

Joining Ginette on the webinar was Polly Marsh, an Education Advisor at Renaissance, and she outlined how assessments from GL Education and Renaissance fit into this picture using the ‘Renaissance Learning Loop’ – a model that mirrors the assess-plan-do-review cycle.

Polly also explained how support structures, such as the SEND interactive guide and advisory consultations, are helping schools interpret data effectively without requiring specialist training.

And why does this all matter? Ginette sums it up perfectly: “Inclusive assessment is more than compliance - it is an act of equity. When schools move beyond numbers to see the child, adapt assessments fairly and act on insights consistently, learners with additional needs don’t just cope. They thrive.”

1. Assessment drives inclusion: it identifies barriers while celebrating strengths.
2. Data needs dialogue: triangulation with teacher judgement is essential.
3. Support must be timely: tiered models ensure the right help at the right stage.
4. Tools can empower teachers: accessible dashboards and specialist screeners reduce admin and build confidence.