Primary School Testing Under Fire: “Not Fair or Accurate”
Josh Cadman
Director at Sing Education | Drawing together first class music teacher, training and curriculum resources for primary schools.
What are the limits of formal pupil assessment and how can we ensure the most positive impact possible?
Primary Pupil Testing Has Long Way to Go
New report by educational thinktank EDSK entitled “Making Progress” suggests national assessment of primary school pupils is falling far short of the mark.?
Written just as SATS and three additional student testing schemes have resumed during? the 2021-22 school year - after an enforced hiatus at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic - the research report says the current UK system of pupil assessment is “not fair or accurate.” (1)
“The report shows that the way in which government holds schools to account for their performance on national tests is distorting the results of the tests themselves. For example, ...giving Ofsted inspectors access to pupils’ scores on the ‘phonics check’ in Year 1 has altered the national results to the point where neither parents nor government ministers can rely on them to provide an accurate measure of pupils’ reading ability.” (2)?
Too Much Testing, Too Little Learning
At the heart of the report’s criticism is the concern that Government’s current practice of testing pupils at five distinct intervals prior in the years leading up to secondary school is overwhelming classroom learning in favour of an outsized focus on test preparation, exam revision and potentially even, educational “cramming.”?
Additionally, core subjects, such as music, arts, and science, which are not currently part of the test plan are increasingly being squeezed in terms of educational hours, bearing the brunt of shifting timetable priorities in the lead up to the standardised testing dates.?
“For example, the high-stakes accountability system puts enormous pressure on teachers and school leaders to spend weeks, if not months, preparing pupils for SATs in Year 6, which can also lead to other subjects such as art, music and science being squeezed out of the curriculum.” (3)
Currently primary school students are assessed as follows:
Age | Year | Key Stage | Assessment
4 to 5 | Reception | Early years | Assessment of pupils’ starting points in language, communication, literacy and maths and teacher assessments
5 to 6 | Year 1 | KS1 | Phonics screening check
6 to 7 | Year 2 | KS1 | National tests in English reading and maths. Teacher assessments in maths, science, and English reading and writing
8 to 9 | Year 4 | KS2 | Multiplication tables check
10 to 11 | Year 6 | KS2 | National tests in English reading, maths, and grammar, punctuation and spelling. Teacher assessments in English writing and science (4)
EDSK’s conclusion “...[H]aving five national tests for pupils throughout primary education creates a significant workload burden for teachers and leaders yet does not help them improve teaching and learning.” (5)
Recommendations for Change
There are certainly areas where current thinking and current practice are in sync. According to Pearson’s updated on their educational roundtable, “The Future of Primary Assessment: Furthering the Debate,” key areas of agreement include:
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That said, “Making Progress” calls for several areas of assessment review and improvement, setting a target implementation deadline of 2026 for its package of proposed reforms. Namely, a shift in the following three points are considered essential:
The outcomes of these initiatives are meant to engender a primary school test schema that will “free up time for teaching and learning, track the progress of pupils and schools in a fair and proportionate way, reduce staff workload and accurately monitor national standards over time.” (8)
Last Words from School Leaders
Weighing in on the EDSK research, including the call for a 5-year change plan, Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of schools’ leader union NAHT responded, “The way in which government currently holds primary schools to account through national pupil testing undoubtedly does more harm than good. Today’s report from EDSK shines a light on the problematic nature of the current system, and correctly highlights a number of issues with the way primary statutory assessment currently works. NAHT have long argued for fewer statutory tests throughout the primary years, which have for too long narrowed the curriculum and distracted focus from great teaching and learning.” (9)
To learn more about Sing Education, including how our classroom music provision, extracurricular instrumental lessons and 360° music management services contribute to a well-rounded school curriculum, please visit singeducation.co.uk/schools
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About Us?
Founded in 2014 and serving more than 9,000 children each week, Sing Education is a first class provider of primary school music education.?Focusing on high-quality, singing-led tuition, we deliver a complete solution for schools which includes teacher recruitment, training and management, bespoke curricular resources and educational consultancy services.?
Through music lessons, singing assemblies, choirs, after school clubs and instrumental tuition, Sing Education works with students from Nursery right through to Year 6. Our core philosophy is that “Every Child Has A Voice,” and, as educators active in the classroom, our directors and teachers know firsthand how much young learners benefit from exciting, rewarding music education.?
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