More Frameworks, Better Tools, Less Admin
This school year we’ve worked hard across all our products to make assessment quicker, easier, and more meaningful for schools. Our core purpose is to help you show progress for every pupil. With the new Ofsted framework placing greater emphasis on demonstrating progress from starting point, that has never mattered more!
The SEND reform proposals are also changing the landscape, including a move from four areas of need to five areas of development. With over 25 years working alongside schools, we’re already adapting – and we want to make sure you benefit from every improvement we make.
We’ve been sharing B Squared updates throughout the year in our monthly newsletters, but to make things easy, here’s everything new this year, all in one place…
New Assessment Frameworks
This year we’ve added some great new assessment frameworks to Connecting Steps – giving you more tools than ever to assess and support every pupil in your school.
Read about all our assessment frameworks
Executive Function
Proposed SEND reforms name Executive Function as a new standalone development area. Our framework, developed with Connections in Mind, helps staff track key EF skills across 11 areas and 5 levels of development – from emotional regulation to planning.
Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
Covering birth to age 15, this framework helps you identify and support students struggling with behaviour, attendance, and emotional wellbeing. Use it alongside your existing frameworks to plan targeted support and track meaningful progress.
Personal Development (Alternative Provision)
Designed for AP settings, this framework covers the personal development skills that underpin engagement with learning – emotional regulation, independence, resilience, and social skills. To help track progress and support reintegration.
English as an Additional Language (FREE for Connecting Steps users)
Created with The Bell Foundation, this framework tracks English language development across listening, speaking, reading, and writing – through every stage of acquisition, not just when fluency is reached.
Maths for Life (FREE add-on for Maths for Life users)
Track and support pupils’ practical maths skills, focusing on real-world, functional skills that build independence and confidence. Captures small, meaningful steps of progress and identifies next steps.
Top picks from this year’s updates
An Inclusive Assessment System for ALL Pupils
Did you know Connecting Steps now covers SEND, Early Years, Primary, Executive Function, SEMH, Alternative Provision, Communication and Interaction, Preparing for Adulthood, Autism Profiling, and more? Plus a growing range of free frameworks for all Connecting Steps users, including Development Matters and Primary Curriculum (for pupils working at Age Related Expectations), and EAL – so you can assess all your pupils in one system.
Multiple Subject Donuts Report
See a student’s progress across all subjects and profiles at a glance. Left donuts show achievements at the start of the date range; right donuts show where they are now. An icon highlights level changes – so you can spot progress (or regression) at a glance.
View One Page Profiles in Connecting Steps
Access a student’s One Page Profile directly from the Student Assessment screen, without switching tools. Profiles are created in Evisense and can be viewed or downloaded as a PDF, giving staff quick access to the key information they need.
More Updates
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- AI Report Writing (Advanced Features) – Save time summarising assessments, outlining next steps, and generating report drafts using built-in AI – and translate them into over 40 languages. From just £1 per pupil per year. Find out more
- Bulk Printing – Generate reports for every student in a group and download as individual .pdfs in just a few clicks. Or post them directly to Evisense for each pupil, all in one go. How to guide
- Overall Progress Reports – View Linear, Non-Linear, and Real Progress values for an individual student or a whole group. Great for spotting spikey profiles and demonstrating progress meaningfully. Student guide | Group guide
- Student Progress Report: Percentage Change – The Student Progress report now shows percentage change with colour coding – green for progress, red for regression. How to guide
- Progress Bands in Analytics – Set your own ranges for Significantly Below, Below, Expected, and Above expected progress. The student view colour-codes each pupil at a glance; bar charts and line graphs give you the whole-school picture. (The B Squared Analytics Platform is included free with Connecting Steps.) How to guide
- Quick View Achievements with the Eye Icon – Instantly see assessments and achievements for any level from the Student Level Summary or Group Level Summary screen. How to guide
- View Evidence Linked to Assessments – A camera icon shows which assessment points have linked evidence in Evisense. Click to view it directly from Connecting Steps. How to guide
- Activate FREE Frameworks – Several additional frameworks are available at no extra cost for all licensed pupils. Here’s how to switch them on. How to guide
- Ask AI Support – Get instant answers using AI-powered help. Click the question mark in the software to ask questions, search the knowledge base, or contact us. How to guide
Top picks from this year’s updates
NEW: Evisense Explorer – FREE Parental Communication Tool
Evisense Explorer is our entry-level communication tool and it’s now included free for all pupils licensed in Connecting Steps. You get full access to the secure Evisense communication hub – schools can post class blogs, newsletters, event reminders, and progress updates. Parents can comment and respond in a safe, private space. The one difference from a paid Evisense subscription: no photo, video, or audio uploads. Schools that want to share media can upgrade to Evisense Premium at any time – and you only need to upgrade the pupils you want to upload evidence for.
View Student Achievements When Linking Assessment Points
When creating a post and linking to assessment content, you can now see each student’s current achievement level at a glance. When you publish the post, you’re also prompted to update the assessment in Connecting Steps – right there, without switching tools.
Post Progress Updates from Connecting Steps into Evisense
Share visual progress updates directly with parents in just a few clicks, without leaving Connecting Steps. A simple way to keep families informed and build active parental engagement without extra admin.
More Updates
- 17 Post Types Available – There are now 17 post types in Evisense, giving you the right format for every kind of communication with parents and staff. How to guide
- Create and Share One Page Profiles – Create, update, and share One Page Profiles with several templates to choose from, stored securely alongside learning evidence. How to guide
- Bulk Printing – Generate separate PDF reports for multiple students in one action. Evisense remembers your last print filter settings during the session too, so repeat reports are faster. How to guide
- Bulk Edit Posts – The Post Actions feature lets you update multiple posts at once – change privacy settings, update status, print, or delete in bulk. How to guide
- Achievement History – Enable ‘Show achievement at time of post creation’ in User Preferences to see exactly what level was recorded when each post was created – and track a skill’s journey from ‘Engaged’ to ‘Mastered’ over time. How to guide
- Track Linked Assessments Across Frameworks – The ‘Also appears in’ button shows where a linked assessment features across multiple profiles or frameworks. Update it in one place and it updates everywhere automatically. How to guide
- Schedule Posts in Advance – Choose the exact date and time to publish your posts. Perfect for sharing updates when parents are most likely to see them, without needing to be logged in yourself. How to guide
- Date Range Filter for Posts – Use the date range option in advanced filters to quickly locate the posts you need. How to guide
- See All Posts Linked to a Piece of Media – See exactly which posts used a particular photo or video from the Gallery. How to guide
- Download Long Posts as PDFs – When text exceeds the post limit, full content is attached as a downloadable PDF. Especially useful for longer posts like Therapist Notes. How to guide
- Personalised Student Directory – Your default student group now auto-displays when you log in. Use the dropdown to switch groups or view all. How to guide
- Update Student Profile Photos – Keep the feed personal and up to date by adding a recent photo for each student. How to guide
- Zoom into Images – Click on any image in a post and use the +/- icons to examine details more closely.
- Extended Login Time – Select ‘this is a private computer’ on the login screen to stay logged in for 60 minutes. How to guide
Need a Hand?
If you have any questions about any of these features, our support team are always happy to help. Book a FREE 15-minute online support session and we’ll guide you through whatever you need.
