After exploring a variety of literature, policies and professional conversations about assessment within education, I have discovered myself encouraged and confronted. Summative and formative assessment can be utilised in ways that are inventive and encourage student-centered learning and self-reflection. I was challenged to persistently engage with assessment policies to ensure my attention remained on improving learning and not simply acquiring numbers for my data. At the heart of the Victorian Curriculum’s policy is ‘purposeful assessment as learning, of learning and for learning’ (2012) with clear aims and outcomes that look to prepare students for life. I have witnessed an immense amount of meaningful assessment within schools that supports Black and Wiliam’s theories that teaching and learning must be collaborative, teachers should be aware of student growth and difficulties, so they are able to meet students needs. ‘For assessment to function formatively the results have to be used to adjust teaching and learning; thus a significant aspect of any program will be the ways in which teachers make the adjustments’ (Black, P & Wiliam, D 1998). As a teacher I need to ensure I am using what I discover in formative assessment to shape content and they way that I am teaching’ (Black, P & Wiliam, D 1998).

I have been most fascinated by the notion of assessment and feedback being utilised to encourage independent learning as explored by Hargreaves. It is something I intend to use throughout my own teaching. I believe that students need to receive consistent meaningful feedback from their teachers, as well as time to self-reflect on their learning and express the effectiveness of the feedback they have received. Students also need to express how they are going to grow and develop from that point. Fundamentally my belief is that all students can learn and assessment is a valuable tool to discover methods to assist students in achieving success at any level.