Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Improving assessment at the end of Primary School
The Bew report on Key Stage Two assessment and accountability, published summer 2011, recommends a better balance between teacher and external assessment.
Lord Bew published his government commissioned review of Key Stage Two testing, assessment and accountability in June 2011. The nine member review panel received over 4,000 submissions to their online call for evidence. The key recommendations were:
- The current writing test should be replaced by teacher assessment of writing composition. This will ensure pupils can be more creative and will overcome the dangers of teaching to the test. This teacher assessment should always make up the larger part of any overall writing judgement.
- As part of writing, there should be a spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary test. The panel believes a test will raise attainment in these areas and is appropriate because there are clear right or wrong answers.
- Maths should continue to be externally tested.
- Reading tests should continue but should be refined over time.
- Science should continue to be teacher assessed with a sample test to monitor national standards.
- Speaking and listening should continue to be teacher assessed.
- Three-year rolling averages should be introduced to give a rounded picture of a school’s performance.
- There should be a greater emphasis on the progress of pupils:
- Progress should be one of the two headline published measures, alongside attainment. Any overall judgement of a school by the Government, local authorities or Ofsted should give at least as much weighting to progress as attainment.
- There should be a strong focus on the progress of every pupil, as well as greater emphasis on the progress of each Year 6 cohort. A new progress measure should be introduced to focus on the performance of lower-attaining pupils. Schools which work hard to accelerate the progress of those who started with low prior attainment should be recognised. This will help stop schools focusing on children on the Level 3/4 borderline
- New progress and attainment measures should be introduced for pupils who have completed all of Years 5 and 6 in a school. This would recognise that schools should not be held wholly responsible for the performance of pupils who have just joined them.
- Teacher assessment judgements should continue in English, Maths and Science, and should be submitted before test results are announced. This will mean more weight is attached to them and allow longer for these results to inform Year 7 teaching and learning.
- Transition to secondary school should be eased for pupils and their new teachers. There should be more detailed reporting to secondary schools so Year 7 teachers know right from the outset a pupil’s attainment and the areas where extra work is needed.
- Pupils who are ill on the day of a test should have a week to sit it, rather than two days.
The recommendations were accepted in full by the government. Changes will be implemented in 2013, some being trialled in 2012. Education Secretary, Michael Gove said:
"These changes represent an educationally sound approach and substantial reform. The system in future will be fairer for teachers and pupils. It will give parents the vital information they need and will hold schools accountable."
To read the Bew Final Report in full click here.