What is the School Testing Regime?
School pupils in the UK are subjected to extensive testing throughout their school careers under the terms of the National Curriculum. Introduced under the Education Reform Act 1988, the National Curriculum was aimed at ensuring that all pupils were following a sufficiently broad and balanced educational programme, and that attainment was carefully monitored in order to ensure improvements.
The National Curriculum is organised into ‘Key Stages’ (KS). At the end of each Key Stage, formal teacher assessments and/or national tests take place. For each subject there is a ‘programme of study’; there are also ‘attainment targets’ usually split into eight levels for each subject.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards for children up to the age of five. All Early Years providers must complete an EYFS profile for each child in the final term of the year when a child reaches the age of five – usually in Reception year at primary school. The EYFS profile, which was revised in September 2012, describes each child’s attainment against the 17 early learning goals.
For Key Stage 1 pupils, age 5-7 in Years 1 and 2, a phonics screening check is carried out at the end of Year 1 and teacher assessments in English, maths and science at the end of Year 2.
Key Stage 2 pupils, age 7-11 in Years 3,4,5 and 6, sit national tests and undergo teacher assessments in English, maths and science at the end of Year 6.
For Key Stage 3 pupils, age 11-14 in Years 7,8,and 9, teacher assessments are carried out annually. Standardised optional tests are also available to support teachers in assessing pupils’ progress throughout Years 7, 8 and 9. They are available in English and maths for Years 7,8,and 9 and in science for Year 9.
Key Stage 4 pupils, age 14-16 in Years 10 and 11, usually take GCSEs or other national qualifications at the end of Year 11. Some pupils may take GCSEs earlier at the end of Year 10.
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive arm of the Department for Education, is responsible for the development and delivery of all statutory assessment tests from Early years to the end of Key Stage 3.
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is responsible for the regulation of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland.
Background
Testing in schools has a long history, but is was in the late 1980s that testing as a means of improving attainment moved to the centre stage of educational policy, hand-in-hand with the rise of school inspections. The two remain to this day at the centre of government attempts to ensure consistency and high standards in educational provision.
The National Curriculum and its testing regimes were thoroughly revised in 1995 and 2000, but across this period multiple and cumulative changes were introduced.
When Labour came to power in 1997, the Government adopted the accountability and testing regime put in place by the Conservatives, and indeed went further with it, introducing additional requirements alongside, and in some instances at the expense of, the National Curriculum – such as the "Literacy Hour" of the National Literacy Strategy, and the National Numeracy Strategy – although these have since been incorporated into the National Curriculum proper.
Moreover, the Government set a target for 2002 of 80 per cent of 11-year-olds achieving Level 4 or above in the KS2 tests, a step which would result in the then Education Secretary Estelle Morris resigning due to the target not being met.
Further changes were introduced to the curriculum for Year 7 and above in September 2008, designed, according to the Government, to make education "more robust and relevant to the world we live in". Qualifications for 14-19 year olds were to be gradually streamlined via three main – but flexible – routes:
At age 14, pupils would be able to choose a Diploma, GCSEs, or a young apprenticeship. Support for those not ready to select a major qualification at 14 was to be given through the new Foundation Learning Tier. At age 16, in school or college or with an independent learning provider, they would be able to take a Diploma, or A Levels, or an apprenticeship. A further option at 16 was to be in work, with time set aside for training.
Shortly after coming to power in May 2010 the new Coalition government outlined plans for a comprehensive re-assessment of the whole school system.
One of the first changes was to allow pupils at state schools to study for iGCSE qualifications – something which had been available in the independent sector for some time. Also the development of new Diplomas in science, humanities and languages, due to be introduced in September 2011, was halted
In addition, the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, announced in January 2011 that there would be a "major review" of the National Curriculum in England, the intention being to replace the current "substandard" curriculum with one based on the best school systems in the world.
In December 2012, the Government confirmed that a new statutory test of English grammar, punctuation and spelling would be introduced for children at the end of Key Stage 2 from May 2013.
Controversies
Much of the controversy that surrounded the introduction of the National Curriculum related to the rigour and the validity of the testing regime. While few now argue against a National Curriculum as such, testing remains a central dispute in education.
The National Curriculum was introduced in response to concerns that LEA control of the curriculum and the low expectations of teachers were resulting in declining educational standards.
It is beyond question that, against the indicators measured, the whole apparatus of educational monitoring – which includes the National Curriculum, testing, the work of Ofsted and other interventions – has caused performance to improve since the late 1980s. Whether the indicators the regime employs are correct or meaningful is, however, disputed.
Opponents of the testing regime have argued that there is too much testing in schools and that much of schooling becomes an exercise in preparing for tests, rather than the wider educational experience they contend it should be.
Indeed, was shown in multiple surveys that preparation for the end of Key Stage tests – and other Government initiatives such as the Literacy Hour – had eaten into the time available for the National Curriculum "foundation" subjects (history, geography, technology, languages, art, music and physical education). As such, opponents alleged that the National Curriculum itself had the perverse effect of narrowing the curriculum.
Educationalists have expressed concern about the standards set in the tests, which they claim are not based on empirical evidence about children's attainment levels, but on assumptions about what children should be able to do at certain ages. Some educational psychologists and teachers also claim that the pressure put on children by parents in relation to the tests is damaging to their welfare. In particular, many argue that 7 year olds are too young for formal testing.
Nonetheless, the political significance of testing in schools frequently relates less to the children themselves than to schools and teachers. The school league tables, which test results are used to compile, are deeply unpopular in many quarters.
The league tables have been revised in recent years, to include "value-added" indicators, taking account of prevailing local socio-economic circumstances, but the methodology is fairly new and results are inconclusive.
Educational egalitarians, however, oppose league tables in principle, as improperly promoting the idea that schools are in competition with one another. The Scottish Executive announced in late 2003 that it would abolish league tables altogether, promising parents a more "meaningful" barometer of performance.
Tests are also deeply unpopular with many teachers who object to the additional workload the testing regime imposes upon them, the prescriptive nature of preparations and the standards measured, and the disruption caused to the educational programme. In 2003, efforts by the NUT union to boycott 2004's tests outright almost succeeded. A ballot saw 86 per cent of members in favour, but the action did not go ahead due to legal technicalities.
Controversy has also surrounded the allocation of grades, with several schools claiming in recent years that incorrect grades have been awarded to their pupils. In 2008 the QCA was said to have received complaints about grades from nine schools and colleges, including Eton – the Head Master of the latter reported to have described exam league tables as "a circus of misinformation" based on inaccurate marking.
In addition, 2008 saw ETS Europe, one of the organisations responsible for marking exam papers, lose its contract after failing to deliver the results of Key Stages 2 and 3 national curriculum tests on time. ETS agreed to repay £24.1m to the QCA and an inquiry was established into the delayed Sats results.
In April 2008, Schools Secretary Ed Balls announced the appointment of Kathleen Tattersall OBE as the first chair of Ofqual, (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation). Ofqual became the independent regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments on 1 April 2010.
The Schools White Paper – 'The Importance of Teaching' – published in November 2010 confirmed that the new Coalition government would legislate to change Ofqual's objectives so that in future, international comparisons with the most rigorous exam systems in the world would play a key role in the development of exams in this country. This would ensure that exam standards here would keep pace with overseas competitors.
In 2011, the Government announced that a major review of the National Curriculum would be carried out, the intention being to create a “slimmed down” curriculum which “properly reflects the body of essential knowledge in key subjects and does not absorb the overwhelming majority of teaching time in schools.”
In 2012, the Government stated that although the review had made “good progress”, it had been decided that the matters discussed should be subject to “further consideration and consultation.” Therefore, the new programmes of study for English, maths, science and physical education originally envisaged for September 2013 would not now be introduced until September 2014.
Academies and Free Schools will retain their existing freedom to depart from the National Curriculum where they consider it appropriate to do so.
The Government also confirmed that a new statutory test of English grammar, punctuation and spelling would be introduced at the end of Key Stage 2 from May 2013. The Government said the test would implement an important recommendation of Lord Bew’s independent review that writing composition should be subject to teacher assessment only, with the more 'technical' aspects of English – such as grammar, punctuation and spelling – assessed via an externally marked test.
Statistics
Key Stage 2 test results.
Percentage of pupils reaching Level 4 or above:
2008 – English 81%: Reading 87%: Writing 68%: Maths 79%.
2009 – English 80%: Reading 86%: Writing 68%: Maths 79%.
2010 – English 80%: Reading 83%: Writing 71%: Maths 79%:
2011 – English 82%: Reading 84%: Writing 75%: Maths 80%.
2012 – English 85%: Reading 87%: Writing 81%: Maths 84%.
*the figures for 2012 and 2011 are not directly compatible as the method of assessing English writing has changed
Source: Department for Education – September 2012
Quotes
“We will ensure that the new National Curriculum is rigorous – by looking at curriculum design in the most successful education jurisdictions across the globe and benchmarking what our children are expected to learn at different stages in their schooling to ensure that they are able to fulfil their potential.
“Slimming down the National Curriculum will also help raise standards as teachers will have more freedom to innovate in how they teach and develop new approaches that will engage children in their education more effectively.”
Department for Education – 2012
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