News & Blogs

ICAPE News

News

Sats: More than 3 in 4 parents oppose statutory tests in primary

01 Aug 2022

Exclusive: 90% of teachers surveyed also said they are not satisfied with the current assessment arrangements, a new survey findsMore than three-quarters of parents think there should be no statutory assessments in primary schools, a survey for an in...

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News

Why it's time to rethink Sats

10 May 2022

It's time to radically rethink the system of primary assessment and trust schools to measure progress for themselves, says headteacher Kulvarn Atwal.There has never been a better time to rethink, review and refresh primary assessment.This week, Year...

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News

Sats 2022: Commission to probe ‘neglected’ primary assessment

09 May 2022

As Year 6 students begin to sit Sats, an independent commission will probe the evidence underpinning primary assessments.The evidence behind Sats and other primary assessments used in schools will come under the spotlight this week as a major new rev...

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Commission Members' Blogs

We asked ICAPE commission members:

'What is important in assessment and why?'

Blog

Liz Robinson

08 May 2022

There are positive reasons assessment should be and is important to different constituents in the system. There are also perversions that mean they are important to them in negative way.

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Blog

Hollin Butterfield

08 May 2022

From my experience and reading, I would highlight three key principles which I consider to be important in assessment:In practical outworking, it serves its intended purpose:It is important that assessment strategies compliment the broader national e...

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Blog

Dr Fiona Maine

08 May 2022

My position as a literacy specialist is in line with that of UKLA, and my role on the Commission is closely tied to representing their perspective as it is in line with my one. There are key concerns that I have around the testing regime as it stands...

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Blog

Michelle Murray

08 May 2022

Assessment in all its forms has been the most talked about, researched and contentious aspect of primary education throughout my career which has included over 20 years leading schools across the North West.  Education leaders are tasked to...

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Blog

Professor Mary Richardson

08 May 2022

My key interest in the work of this commission relates to the breakdown of trust in the efficacy of our education system, specifically in relation to testing (rather than the broader term of assessment which I use to describe the full range of ways w...

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Blog

Ken Jones

08 May 2022

I am an NEU official, whose work is focused on curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy. Since 2016, at least, when the new model SATs were introduced, union members in primary schools have been telling us that the biggest impediment to satisfying, good...

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Blog

Dr Sarah Earle

08 May 2022

Assessment drives school practices and curriculum delivery. With limited time and resources available, assessment requirements appear to define what is ‘valuable’ and therefore prioritised. In practice, this means that content which is easier to asse...

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Blog

Dr Marlon Lee Moncrieffe FCCT

07 May 2022

In processes of planning for teaching and learning towards the goal of advancing young people’s knowledge, I see assessment in the cycle of Planning – Teaching – Learning – (Formative) Assessment/Teaching Intervention – Learning – (Summative) Assessm...

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Blog

Dr Rachel Marks

07 May 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic, the changes to assessment practices this brought, and – particularly – the apparent return to ‘business as normal’ have brought to the fore debates and disquiets which have been rumbling under the surface for a while. The inher...

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Blog

Dr Kulvarn Atwal

07 May 2022

When considering what is important in assessment and why, we should also consider what is most important for our students in our education system and why. Assessment is pivotal in our education system because it directly and indirectly informs what w...

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Blog

Professor Bill Lucas

07 May 2022

Assessment in England is no longer fit for purpose. We are not evidencing the kinds of dispositions and capabilities society increasingly wants. We place too much reliance on high-stakes, standardised testing often testing the wrong things in the wro...

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Blog

Megan Quinn

07 May 2022

Effective systems of assessment in schools need to have learners at their centre. One of the biggest barriers faced by schools in their efforts to meet the needs of learners is the link between systems of assessment and accountability. The high stake...

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