A clear way forward in academic assessment

---

The importance of academic assessment has been discussed at the parliamentary launch of a report into accountability in schools.

Following the recent publication of Common Ground on Assessment and Accountability in Primary Schools, an official report launch has taken place in Parliament, hosted by Lisa Nandy MP.

Speaking at the event, National Union of Teachers (NUT) general secretary, Christine Blower, outlined the teaching union's priorities and described the paper as "providing a clear way forward".

Blower said: "It is often said about teaching unions that we know what we are against, but we don't know what we are for. In this document we are clear that we absolutely know what we are for – we are in favour of proper, professional assessment."

Blower also noted the importance of academic sampling.

"We are absolutely in favour of children being assessed. We are very much in favour of teachers doing that, but we also want to make sure that there is sample testing.

"We need to move away from a system that marks children as failures. Assessment for learning needs to act as a springboard to improving children's understanding of different subjects," she added.

Also speaking at the launch was Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

Bousted emphasised the ATL's firm advocacy of assessment, claiming that good assessment lies at the "very heart of effective teaching".

She further praised Common Ground on Assessment and Accountability in Primary Schools, saying:

"This paper argues for giving a much better platform for real assessment, real planning and real professional work and practice."

Discussing the issues of assessment and accountability further, Russell Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT, spoke about how much better it would be if there was far greater emphasis placed on the progress that children make rather than attainment.

Hobby said "Value-added is something schools have control of and should be held accountable for."

Also in attendance at the event were parliamentarians including MPs Nic Dakin and Alex Cunningham, and Lord Bew, chair of the Key Stage 2 Assessment Review.

Bew, noting the conclusion of the call for evidence on the 17th February, promised an "open-minded review", and emphasised his understanding of the severity of the issues at hand.

"I am fully aware of how lively the debate is in this area and how complex the topics of discussion are," the crossbench peer said.

Also speaking on the panel was Warwick Mansell, author of Education by Numbers: the Tyranny of Testing.

The parliamentary launch of Common Ground on Assessment and Accountability in Primary Schools was a joint venture from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT)

A full list of parliamentarians that attended can be viewed below:

Nic Dakin MP
Alex Cunningham MP
Damian Hinds MP,
Ian Mearns MP
Bob Blackman MP
Baroness Walmsley
Baroness Howe