Tag Archives: baseline tests

The looming Baseline test disaster

Posted on March 29, 2018 by reclaimschools

The Government are intent on introducing baseline tests of 4-year-old children. This could have dire consequences by putting a cap on many children’s learning. The tests will give teachers the impression that each child’s future potential can be calculated. … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability | Tagged baseline tests, early education, testing | Leave a comment

Will anything but a boycott stop the tests?

Posted on July 11, 2017 by reclaimschools

The Reclaiming Schools network has played a significant role in exposing the damage caused by high-stakes testing, including our pamphlet ‘The Mismeasurement of Learning‘, widely circulated in the NUT and elsewhere, various series of blogposts carrying detailed analysis from specialist … Continue reading →

Posted in Curriculum | Tagged accountability pressures, assessment alternatives, baseline tests, creativity, disadvantage, National Curriculum, Ofsted, phonics check, politicians, testing | Leave a comment

Yorkshire conference – More Than A Score

Posted on April 13, 2017 by reclaimschools

Park Inn, North St, York YO1 6JF This conference will bring together parents and teachers across the region to discuss the crisis facing our schools and how this is affecting children and young people. It will provide an opportunity to … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability | Tagged accountability pressures, assessment alternatives, baseline tests, creativity, early education, National Curriculum, phonics check, testing | Leave a comment

Little change promised on primary tests

Posted on April 12, 2017 by reclaimschools

The Government were clearly rattled by opposition to last year’s tests, including the parents’ protest last May and hundreds of responses to the Select Committee of MPs. Unfortunately, they are very slow to learn. After many delays, the new proposals amount to … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability | Tagged accountability pressures, assessment alternatives, baseline tests, disadvantage, early education, phonics, phonics check, politicians, testing | Leave a comment

Links to posts on primary testing

Posted on October 10, 2016 by reclaimschools

We thought it would be useful to publish a list of our posts on primary tests over the past year. Primary testing (general issues) Moving beyond ‘fixed ability thinking’ Bullying by numbers – its roots in neoliberalism An impossible curriculum: … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability | Tagged accountability pressures, baseline tests, early education, grammar, National Curriculum, phonics, phonics check, politicians, streaming and setting, testing | Leave a comment

Remove the figurehead… and change direction

Posted on July 9, 2016 by reclaimschools

The NUT has called for the resignation of Nicky Morgan as Secretary of State for Education. We expect that other organisations of teachers and parents will soon follow. Morgan’s position is now untenable. She was appointed to calm the storms … Continue reading →

Posted in Curriculum | Tagged academies, accountability pressures, assessment alternatives, baseline tests, early education, local democracy, National Curriculum, Ofsted, phonics check, politicians, privatisation | Leave a comment

Developmentally informed educational excellence everywhere?

Posted on May 5, 2016 by reclaimschools

by Dr Pam Jarvis, Leeds Trinity University At the beginning of April 2016, the Government finally accepted the overwhelming evidence against ‘baseline’ testing young children. The inadvisability of this measure was obvious to me, not only because baseline testing … Continue reading →

Posted in Curriculum | Tagged accountability pressures, baseline tests, early education, literacy, PISA, play | Leave a comment

Baby Pinpin makes her mark

Posted on May 3, 2016 by reclaimschools

We publish an extract of William Nicholson’s wonderful novel for young readers ‘The Wind Singer’ to celebrate parents’ protests against testing. It begins on the morning of Pinpin Hath’s first test. She is two years old, and must be accompanied … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability | Tagged accountability pressures, baseline tests, National Curriculum, testing | Leave a comment

A great victory – let’s make it the first of many

Posted on April 7, 2016 by reclaimschools

We have just learnt that the government has abandoned baseline testing for 4 year olds. This was to have served as the starting line for “holding primary schools to account”. The plan was a mess from the start, and showed … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability | Tagged accountability pressures, baseline tests, early education, politicians, streaming and setting, testing | Leave a comment

The datafication of childhood

Posted on March 25, 2016 by reclaimschools

A recent blog post reported on a new study for the NUT and ATL of the impact of baseline assessment. It focused on the way in which premature testing was changing children and the way they are seen, as well … Continue reading →

Posted in Curriculum | Tagged accountability pressures, baseline tests, early education, testing | Leave a comment