At CBSC, assessment is not simply a measure of what students have learned — it is the engine that drives improvement. Our approach is rigorous, evidence-based, and designed to ensure every student is known, tracked, and supported to achieve their full potential, both academically and beyond the classroom. The results speak for themselves: our A-Level pass rate has stood at 100% for seven consecutive years, and our value-added performance places us in the top 14% of schools and colleges nationally for overall progress — and in the top 2% for the proportion of students achieving grades A*–C.

How We Assess

Our students are assessed through a range of routes appropriate to their course of study, reflecting the breadth of our Sixth Form curriculum:

• A-Level examinations — validated, externally-assessed public examinations at the end of Year 13, with students in Year 12 sitting AS-level examinations in the majority of subjects. This gives students genuine experience of formal public examination conditions a full year before their final A-Levels, providing an authentic, high-stakes data point that informs both student target-setting and our own curriculum planning.

• Vocational qualifications — BTECs, Cambridge Technicals and other Applied qualifications are assessed through a combination of external examinations, internally assessed coursework, and Non-Examined Assessment (NEA). Our vocational outcomes are outstanding: a 100% pass rate, with the proportion of students achieving the top Distinction* grade running at nearly three times the national average. Students build portfolios of evidence over time, developing not only subject knowledge but the independent research, extended writing and project management skills valued by universities and employers alike.

• Well-timed mock examinations — students sit formal internal mock examinations at key points in the academic calendar, giving them regular experience of examination conditions and generating robust data to inform targeted support. Year 12 students sit mocks in January and June; Year 13 students sit mocks in November and March, ensuring timely, evidence-based intervention well ahead of final public examinations.

• Work outside the classroom — assessment at CBSC extends beyond written examinations. Every Year 12 student completes a substantial Work Experience Programme, combining a full week in an in-person placement with a virtual industry placement — together generating thousands of hours of authentic workplace experience each year with employer partners across 20+ sectors, including organisations such as Barclays, the Civil Service, the NHS and national media. Enrichment activity, Directions and Destinations events, and our Post-18 Aspire programme all contribute to a rounded picture of student development, helping us evidence readiness for university, apprenticeships and employment alongside academic attainment.

Tracking Progress: Our Raising Standards Approach

Behind every assessment point sits a robust and systematic process of data analysis. Our Raising Standards Lead (RSL) provision ensures that:

• Every student's progress is tracked each term against ambitious, nationally-benchmarked targets, using validated progress data to identify where additional support is needed early.

• Subject-level and student-level intervention plans are put in place wherever progress dips below expectation, with clear actions, named staff leads, and regular review points.

• Interventions are tailored — combining subject-specific support, study skills coaching, and pastoral input — so that no student's progress is left to chance.

• Support is proactive rather than reactive: our attendance and engagement data show that students consistently re-engage and improve as they move through Sixth Form, reflecting the impact of close, personalised monitoring.

This approach delivers results across the whole school community. Our students eligible for Pupil Premium funding achieve better outcomes at grade A*–C than their peers nationally, our students with SEND progress to university at a higher rate than students without SEND, and our EAL students consistently outperform national benchmarks — evidence that our raising standards culture supports every student to succeed, whatever their starting point.

Reporting and Communication

Parents and students receive regular, clear updates on progress, including attainment against target grades, effort and engagement, and next steps for improvement. Where a student requires additional support, this is communicated promptly, along with the actions being taken.

Preparing Students for What's Next

Our assessment model reflects our belief that rigorous, validated assessment — sat alongside high-quality vocational assessment and enriching experience beyond the classroom — gives every student the strongest possible foundation for their next step. Around four in five of our students progress to university, including a consistent flow of places at Russell Group universities and, increasingly, Oxford and Cambridge. Others progress to Higher and Degree Apprenticeships with employers including Deloitte, Dyson and the Metropolitan Police, or directly into skilled employment — with over 90% of our leavers sustaining a positive destination a full year on, significantly above the national average.