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Foundry

Formative diagnostics that find skill gaps, then close them with short Echo/Spark practice and later Tempers — literacy and numeracy practice, not an official exam result.

All Learning guidesSign in and pick a class to open Foundry

What Foundry is for

Foundry helps you find what students are missing, practise those gaps with short Echo or Spark packs, then re-check with Tempers — without running another high-stakes paper every week.
Assign a diagnostic — Assay, Temper, Quench, or Mock; subject and year band. Publish places it in Workshop· click to enlarge

Foundry modes:

  • Assay — first full diagnostic (about 32 items, or one Writing prompt)
  • Temper — later re-check. Reading/Maths: 4–12 MCQs. Writing Temper: about four gap MCQs, then one or two short application writes
  • Quench — mid-term or pre-window check (8–16 items or a medium write)
  • Mock — timed rehearsal

Usual rhythm: Assay → teach → Gap pills → Echo/Spark practice → later Temper → optional Quench or Mock.

Gap-pill Echo/Spark practice shows as N× completion — it does not flip the Foundry gap map by itself. Assay, Temper, Quench, and Mock submits update Gap vs Polish on Foundry home. Results → Class gaps lists remaining holes only.

How you use it

  1. Open your Module → Lab → Assign Foundry diagnostic (Foundry sits under In Testing on the Lab shelf).
  2. Choose Assay, Temper, or Quench; set subject, year band, and an optional due date, then publish — diagnostics go to Workshop.
  3. Students complete the diagnostic and submit. After submit they see Gap pills for skills to strengthen.
  4. Tap a Gap pill: Reading/Maths → short Echo; Writing → short Spark. Student packs and teacher class packs both go to Playground (Class practice / Your practice).
  5. Optional: on Results, generate a learning video for one class gap — students see it under Foundry Learning Videos in Playground (some packs show Watch this first).
  6. Review practice on Playground (N× done) or Progress / Results; leave comments on attempts.
  7. Later — not the same day as the Assay — assign a Temper on the same subject to re-check (Writing Temper = MCQs then short writes; confirm short-write scores).
A skill gap means mastery under about 60% on that skill in the diagnostic — a planning flag, not a pass/fail grade. Items are personalised by year band, subject, and prior responses. They are original formative practice: not official exam papers and not an official result. Staff Socrates preview on Foundry is optional; students close gaps with Echo/Spark from Gap pills.

Key screens

Create (Assign a diagnostic) publishes an Assay, Temper, Quench, or Mock into Workshop. Students complete from Session (you can Preview first). Results shows teacher next steps, Sentinel class briefing, class Gap pills (tap to create Echo/Spark practice), and optional learning videos. Foundry home lists pathways and published diagnostics. Staff Socrates preview is a separate staff-only screen — students close gaps with Echo/Spark from Gap pills in Playground.

Teacher Results — next steps, Sentinel briefing, Gap pills for Echo/Spark, optional Generate video· click to enlarge
Student session after submit — score, then Gap pills for Echo/Spark practice· click to enlarge