108. What is a Spiky Profile?

Why Spiky Profiles Are Used

Many pupils with special educational needs may not be able to complete an entire level within an assessment framework. As a result:

• They may appear to show little or no progress

• Traditional linear assessment may not reflect their true achievements

However, these pupils may be able to complete small elements across multiple levels.

Spiky Profiles are designed to capture and recognise this type of progress.

How Spiky Profiles Work

When a pupil is placed on a Spiky Profile:

• All completed stars across multiple levels are counted

• TrackAble calculates an overall level based on all completed assessment

• The pupil can show measurable progress without needing to complete whole levels

This provides a fairer representation of achievement for pupils working in a non-linear way.

How Spiky Profiles Appear on the Assessment Screen

When a pupil is using a Spiky Profile, you will see the following indicators:

• A spike symbol displayed next to the pupil’s name on the assessment screen

• The centre star remains the same, showing the current level percentage

• The left and right percentages show the total assessment completed across multiple levels

This visual layout makes it clear that assessment has been completed across different levels, rather than within a single level.

Why This Is Important

Spiky Profiles allow schools to:

• Accurately reflect progress for pupils with SEND

• Avoid penalising pupils for not completing full levels

• Show progress over time in a meaningful and inclusive way

• Ensure assessment data better reflects real learning

Next Steps

To learn how to enable and manage this feature, go to the next article:

Setting Up a Spiky Profile

Need Further Help?

If you have questions about Spiky Profiles or whether they are appropriate for a pupil:

Contact TrackAble Support
support@trackable.org.uk