What is Renaissance Star Assessments™️?
Computer-adaptive Star Assessments for Reading and Maths are used by over 6,000 schools across the UK and Ireland. Star Assessments provide you with reliable data showing progress made by each student and if they are on track to meet expected standards in the learning pathway. Star Assessments complement Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Maths and myON by Renaissance, also provide a personalised learning plan for each student, helping to inform next teaching steps.
Educational Impact
 Company | Business Name: Renaissance HQ Location: United Kingdom Founded: 1996 |
| Age Range | 0-4, 5-7, 8-10, 11-13, 14-16, 17-18 |
 Features | Standardised AssessmentMaths EngagementReading EngagementComputer-adaptiveInstant ResultsInstant FeedbackLearning ProgressionsFocus SkillsReduces Teacher Workload |
 Languages | English |
 Accessibility | Moderate features |
 Policies |  Terms of ServicePrivacy PolicyGDPR |
 Requirements | Available OfflineInternet - Low BandwidthDesktop - MacDesktop - WindowsDesktop - ChromebookMobile - iPhoneMobile - iPadMobile - WindowsMobile - Android No installation required. We provide the school with their own hosted website along with login details for every applicable member of staff/pupil. |
 Set Up | No installation - the school is provided with their own hosted website, known as RGP, from which products and reporting can be accessed, as well as login details for all applicable staff/pupils. The initial set up is likely to take a minimum of two hours. |
 Training | In PersonLive OnlineWebinarsDocumentation All new schools are required to book in training with a product expert, this allows for a smooth implementation and for teachers/educators to get the most out of their Renaissance products. New customer training comes with can also include an onsite visit from one of our specialists, which many schools find engaging and motivational and allows teachers to see how their own pupils are performing and progressing. Taking this training allows teachers to get to know our programs but also start imbedding them within the school and follow our proven best practice routines. After every training session we always send resources to the school which allows them to do in house training for twilight or INSET days. Schools also have the option of taking top up training every year, this is especially useful to see how their first year as gone, look at annual reports or any changes, updates to the RGP platform from which Renaissance products and reports are access, and to continue imbedding our best practice. We can even work with new starters on complete overview of our programmes. |
 Support | EmailFAQs/ForumKnowledge BasePhone Support Live chat and telephone support is available from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (GMT) Monday through Friday, whilst videos, articles and other documents can be accessed from our dedicated online customer community. |
| Home Learning | Parent Access School must create the account. |
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Renaissance Star Assessments™️ PricingPricing Plans Paid Subscription Renaissance Star Assessments™️ pricing starts from £1669 / year Implementation fee, including professional setup training: from £1,045.00 Initial 40 licences: from £624.00 Individual add-on licences: £4.43  Optimised for a quick response | |
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Renaissance Star Assessments™️ Reviews
from 33 Verified Reviews
User rating
Country
Nicola
Head of English
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 3-4 years
Dec 2021
Has some positives, but equally needs careful management within school not to add to workload for staff.
Nicola found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Slightly reduces teacher workload“Whilst it removes the need for marking of reading assessments in 7 and 8, the workload in terms of printing reports and entering data cancels this out. Equally, the chasing of missing tests or re-taking of tasks also adds to this.”
- Slightly improves teaching efficiency“Helps with removing the need for paper reading tests in Year 7 and 8.”
- Slightly builds student knowledge“Ability to use comprehension skills.”
Joanna N.
SENCO/English Teacher/KS3 Reading Co-ordinator
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 3-4 years
Dec 2021
I like the transparency of results, easy to sue reports, individualised test for students
Joanna N. found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“running whole school statistics and picking up students who require intervention based on results takes seconds”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“motivation for students if their reading ages improve, adjustments of texts used in class”
- Slightly builds student knowledge“better understanding of word and sentence types”
S. Harris
Curricular Leader Maths & IT
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 7–12 months
Nov 2021
I see Star Assessments as an excellent diagnostic tool and allows staff to fill any gaps in learning, espically post COVID, and gives staff and young people the confidence to know their areas of strength and areas for development.
S. Harris found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Slightly reduces teacher workload“The star assessments are a great way to quickly let staff know what areas to target support for our young people”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“Staff are able to tailor their lessons to meet the needs of individuals based on the results of the Star Assessments.”
- Slightly builds student knowledge
Julia O'Hagan
Assistant Curriculum Leader of English
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 3-4 years
Nov 2021
Julia O'Hagan found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Does not reduce teacher workload
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“The assessments help to aid us in targeting students for interventions.”
- Slightly builds student knowledge“No”
Jessica Mulligan
Literacy Lead
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ monthly for 1-2 years
Nov 2021
We have found the software incredibly helpful in developing a whole school approach to reading intervention. It also helps to identify the most vulnerable learners who could easily slip under the radar if it was not for the data this software provides.
Jessica Mulligan found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Readily available data on reading ages. Reports offer useful information to monitor reading. Star Reading assessment data provides a simple tool to use for planning to identify and address learning gaps.”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“Planning data is available to enable students to make progress.”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Students are more aware of their own scores and show a keen desire to improve.”
Lucy Frino
Librarian
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 0–3 months
Nov 2021
I think it's a great way to assess reading skills, but it would be good to have an option for dyslexic students to use a blue screen / have different questions from their classmates.
Lucy Frino found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“It's much easier to collate reading data and see which students need support / extra help.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Teacher time and resources can be directed at those who need it most. Students can be more independent choosing reading materials because they have a reading level to use (teachers need to guide them less).”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Students are keen to know their STAR reading results and find out what the ideal range for their reading is.”
Kimberley Hearsey
Y6 Teacher and English Lead
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ monthly for 3-4 years
Nov 2021
It’s great 👍🏻
Kimberley Hearsey found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“We are able to use the reports to aid our class intervention time tables. They are also extremely useful to track children’s progress.”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency
- Significantly builds student knowledge“The children are improving with their understanding of the text.”
Lauren O'Boyle
Literacy Lead
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 3-4 years
Nov 2021
Really efficient programme that allows us to track students' reading abilities and skills
Lauren O'Boyle found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Allows us to use data to create efficent differentiated tasks”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“Clearer understanding of comprehensive skills”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Clearer understanding of comprehension skills and knowledge”
James Green
Mathematics KS4 Coordinator
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ monthly for 1-2 years
Nov 2021
very useful tool and helps massively when used effectively to fill gaps in knowledge. Just wish there was more research on this relating to GCSE and A level rather than just SATs
James Green found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Slightly reduces teacher workload“Running and looking through reports to find gaps in knowledge, but has helped in tracking progress.”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“Knowing where the gaps are from a primary level”
- Slightly builds student knowledge“Sometimes goes above what is expected for KS4”
Claire Simler
English teacher
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 1-2 years
Nov 2021
It’s effective in enabling an easy way of tracking reading and progress. Could have more books and quizzes available and the students suggestions could be individualised for students based on their ZPD levels and interests
Claire Simler found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“We use as an extra baseline assessment for year 7, so means you we have fewer assessments to mark in the first term”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“It aids in identifying students who may need additional intervention”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Allows us to know how much reading a child is doing and gives us data on the new year 7s”
Nov 2021
I have recently moved to a new school where I advocated the use of Star as I had used it greatly at a previous school and I encourage other schools to use the programme
Tereasa found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“No marking of the assessments, report formats generated to print, tracking student progress is simple and quick”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“Once students have been identified as needing intervention it also helps when planning lessons and what scaffolds to put into place”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Students knowing their progress helps them progress more and they gain more vocabulary and comprehension knowledge”
romila darman
TEACHER
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ weekly for 1-2 years
Nov 2021
Excellent tool to assist with raising literacy whole school level.
romila darman found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“EASIER TO GET PUPIL READING AGE AND SEE IMPROVEMENTS”
- Slightly improves teaching efficiency“CAN USE DATA TO INFORM TEACHING”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“I AM ABLE TO PITCH LESSON ESPECIALLY LITERACY AT TEH LEVEL STUDENT IS AT”
Mrs R
Librarian
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ monthly for 5 years+
Nov 2021
wonderful package
Mrs R found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Date is easy to understand”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“shows the impact of reading”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“using BL levels to choose books”
Camilla McGregor
Headtecaher
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 4-6 months
Nov 2021
This is an excellent assessment system. It is easy to administer to the children and the reports are available immediately which negates teachers having to mark lengthy assessments. The assessment results are compared to national parameters which show how children are performing compared to children children nationally. The reports enable us to use the percentile ranks to target our bottom 20% whilst also ensuring interventions are put in place based on STAR outcomes. It's been a really helpful tool.
Camilla McGregor found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Automated pupil results save time on teachers'marking of test papers.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Teachers know exactly what areas to target for their teaching based on diagnostic reports.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“The tests are computer adaptive so children's knowledge is tested progressively based on their individual starting points.”
PHOENIX COLLEGIATE
HLTA Literacy
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 5 years+
Nov 2021
User friendly for both pupils and staff
PHOENIX COLLEGIATE found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“No marking of papers”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Enables teacher to target work at correct level”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Helps students to know what level they are reading at”
Phoenix Collegiate
HLTA Literacy
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 5 years+
Nov 2021
detailed reports but not particularly user friendly
Phoenix Collegiate found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“No marking instant results”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“reading ages help teachers to differentiate as necessary”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“ensures they are reading correct level of books”
Hannah Lakin
KS2 Leader
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ weekly for 3-4 years
Nov 2021
Excellent improvement in childrens reading ages since starting to use Star reading assessments
Hannah Lakin found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Less planning for reading as accurate assessments are given. Reports make it easy to group people”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“Time saving with planning and grouping”
- Moderately builds student knowledge
Emma Cooney
class teacher
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 1-2 years
Nov 2021
I would suggest star assessment as a tool for upper KS2 and beyond.
Emma Cooney found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Following star assessment, pupils can easily be grouped for guided reading, for target setting and for understanding reading ability beyond fluency.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Pupils are able to complete independently which means teachers can spend more time analysing results rather than testing.”
- Slightly builds student knowledge“Some questions are similar to national test style questions which ensures they are familiar with this style.”
Miss Hurley
Teacher
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ weekly for 7–12 months
Nov 2021
It's easy to use, all learners are able to log on independently, easy to navigate for all learners. All of my previous Year 1 and 2 class were able to use the webpage independently and access the quizzes on the book.
Miss Hurley found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“When providing reading books for children, it shows you the level the learners are working within. It gives the children an opportunity to practise their comprehension skills after each book.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency
- Significantly builds student knowledge
Nov 2021
its great but theres a cost
liz price found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“regular assessment of pupipl level and progress”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“helps to reinforce reading ocmprehension skills”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“regular practice of reading assessment material”
Claire Williams
Teacher & SLT
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ monthly for 1-2 years
Nov 2021
Dependent of use of ICT resources
Claire Williams found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Does not significantly reduce teacher workload
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Confidence and understanding”
Nov 2021
It is such a valuable tool but very complicated to get around, staff do not find it easy to follow.
Gaynor Haldenby found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Slightly reduces teacher workload“The reports are really user friendly and visual and you can see at a glance just who needs what assistance. It doesn't add to or take away from workload but it does make it possible to measure reading.”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“It gives teachers the information needed to monitor students’ reading practice and make informed decisions to guide their future learning in reading and writing. The set of reports reveals how much a student has been reading, at what level of complexity, and how well they have understood what they have read. It gives teachers an insight into how well students have responded to reading and then what the students next step is.”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“As texts are matched to reading ability, students' engagement and motivation is much better, and they gain much more information and knowledge from reading independently. It helps the student to recall information from the book by asking the specific questions to that story. Students show clear knowledge on their books and it is vital they read with detail to reach targets, gain rewards and then to move to the next steps.”
Claire Evans
Deputy Headteacher
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ weekly for 3-4 years
Nov 2021
Many of the pupils at our school have a lower reading age than the national average. However, since we started using the accelerated reader programme, we have not only seen an improvement in the reading levels of our pupils but the pupils have also developed a love for reading. We had a group of reluctant year 6 boys when we first started the programme, but when the boys found books they could read that were age appropriate as well as level appropriate we struggled to get the boys to put the books down. Then even started searching for books they wanted us to purchase as a school.
Claire Evans found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Reading assessments and data are quick and easy to get through the STAR Reading test. We can also track individual pupil data, as well as class data and whole school data. The data can be filtered to look at girls v boys as well which is useful to us as a school”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency“Teachers are able to track pupil's reading data quickly and can see if there are any pupils that need additional reading support and in what area they need support”
- Slightly builds student knowledge“There are a range of books linked to the accelerated reader programme so it offers pupils a wide and varied selection of books to read”
Joanne Englishby
Designated teacher
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ monthly for 5 years+
Oct 2021
It's proved such a valuable assessment tool in helping see results in students personal growth
Joanne Englishby found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Helps us to design work via reading ages to help our students development”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency“When we do library lessons we can then ensure all students are quizzed and within zpd boundaries to develop their individual needs and its measurable”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“It helps memory, understanding vocabulary and content. This also helps with challenges with things they may not know”
David McClure
Principal Teacher of Mathematics
Used Renaissance Star Assessments™️ occasionally for 3-4 years
Oct 2021
As a department we have become better at administering the assessments. This has meant we have more robust information which supports other assessment information we build up over time. The Star Assessments confirm what we already could see, although it has thrown up a few surprising results that we have been able to act upon.
David McClure found Renaissance Star Assessments™️:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“It allows the department to assess the entry levels of young people, providing a robust piece of information allowing us to make informed decisions over appropriate levels for them to be working at.”
- Slightly improves teaching efficiency“It takes away from the time required marking and allows more time to interrogate the results.”
- Slightly builds student knowledge“It allows teachers to see what young people are confident with and not so confident with. This gives more opportunity to tailor lessons to the needs of the class.”
