Communication

The overall summative level that teachers assign for Communication should be based on a pupil’s performance in all three modes:

• Talking and Listening
• Reading
• Writing.

Pupils might be performing at different levels in these modes. When this happens, they need to have been assessed at or above the level awarded in at least two modes, as these examples show:

In mid-February, once every three years, schools must submit samples of pupil work to CCEA that represent the levels which the school intends to award to its Year 4 and Year 7 pupils for Communication. The pupil work that schools submit to us as part of the external moderation process should reflect the school’s shared understanding of the standards agreed through ongoing internal standardisation.

Each school submission for Communication should include a total of six pieces of pupil work at each level the school intends to report in Year 4 and Year 7. The pieces may include CCEA Assessment Tasks and must be made up of:

• three pieces of Reading from a variety of contexts; and
• three pieces of Writing from a variety of contexts.

For example, the submission for a school intending to report Levels 2, 3 and 4 should include a total of 18 pieces of work: six pieces at each of the three levels to be reported.

Please note that:

• evidence of Level 1 is not required;
• schools do not need to submit evidence for Talking and Listening (or Listening, Understanding and Talking in Irish-medium schools and units) as part of moderation; and
• the pieces of pupil work can come from any year group in the school – they do not have to be the work of only Year 4 and Year 7 pupils.

Schools will need to include the forms listed below with their moderation submission for Communication:

• one Declaration of Internal Standardisation (EMA1 or EMA1 (IM) for Irish medium);
• one cover sheet (EMA6C (P) or EMA6C (P/IM) for Irish medium) for each level included within the school submission; and
• one school summary sheet (EMA7P or EMA7P (IM) for Irish medium).

This only applies to those schools whose understanding of the standards has not been verified at moderation. Schools can normally access follow-up support from CCEA moderators during June and September.