1 The future of assessment: The Bew Review and the Standards & Testing Agency AAIA Annual Meeting and Conference 14 September 2011

2 Standards and Testing Agency From autumn 2011, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) will be responsible for the development and delivery of all statutory assessments for pupils aged up to 14. The agency has three key functions:  to develop high quality and rigorous tests in line with Ministerial policy;  to undertake operational delivery of the assessment; and  to support schools and other stakeholders to deliver the assessments.

3 Standards and Testing Agency Key focus for 2011/2012:  Business as usual - ensuring a smooth transition and handover to the new agency;  Successful delivery of the 2012 assessment cycle (EYFSP, KS1 and KS2);  Development of 2013 and 2014 tests;  Implementation of Bew recommendations, and  Rollout of Year 1 Phonics check.

4 Assessment policy – summary  Implementation of new EYFSP, recommended by Tickell Review (to launch September 2012);  Implementation of Year 1 phonics screening check (first conducted summer 2012);  Implementation of Bew Review recommendations for Key Stage 2 testing, assessment and accountability;  Long-term future of assessment following the National Curriculum review.

5 The Bew Review – key recommendations  Purposes – statutory summative assessment is primarily about school accountability;  Both teacher assessment and externally-marked testing have a role to play;  Greater focus on progression alongside attainment in published accountability measures;  Publish three-year rolling averages as well as annual data;  Publish more contextual information about schools – e.g. mobility, progress of high/low attainers.

6 The Bew Review – key recommendations  External testing to remain in reading and mathematics;  Teacher assessment to remain in speaking & listening and science, and to continue to be published in English and mathematics;  Externally-marked test of spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary to be developed;  Moderated teacher assessment of writing composition.

7 The Bew Review – moderation  At Key Stage 1, moderation to be better targeted, e.g. prioritising schools where KS1 and KS2 outcomes are inconsistent;  Encouraging ‘cross-phase’ moderation, e.g. Y3 teachers in KS1 moderation; junior school teachers in infant KS1 moderation; Y7 teachers involved in KS2 moderation;  ‘Cluster’ moderation by groups of schools (improving understanding of expected standards) to be encouraged.

8 Bew Review – KS2 writing moderation  Recommendation of external moderation of KS2 writing composition;  Suggestion of following KS1 model – well established, understood by schools and proportionate;  Clear steer that moderation should look at ordinary written work done across Y6 (including ‘rough’ work);  Strong recommendation against ‘portfolios’ to avoid unproductive work.

9 Next steps – KS2 writing in 2012 Interim arrangements for writing assessment (2012 only):  All schools to administer a writing test to all eligible pupils, to be internally marked (with option of external marking);  Schools to report teacher assessment (informed by the writing test, but not limited to it), which will be published;  External moderation of teacher assessment, with DfE selecting sample (nationally representative, to give ‘baseline’ information on moderation impact);  An externally-marked writing test in a sample of schools.

10 KS2 writing moderation proposals Proposals to follow existing KS1 model:  Moderation organised by LAs, recruiting moderators with experience of Y6. Around 25% of schools moderated each year;  STA to provide training and standardisation materials, and to monitor the quality of moderation;  Standard template to report following moderation visits, to inform Ministers of the quality of teacher assessment and the effects of moderation;  No requirement for teacher training or ‘cluster’ moderation, but materials to be available if schools choose to organise events;  A new requirement for LAs will need additional resource.