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| Baseline tests for four-year-olds: Ministers forced to make humiliating U-turn after admitting they are ‘unfair’ | Baseline tests for four-year-olds: Ministers forced to make humiliating U-turn after admitting they are ‘unfair’ |
| (5 months later) | |
| Ministers have been forced to abandon controversial plans to judge primary schools according to new tests for four-year-olds after admitting that to do so would be “inappropriate and unfair”. | Ministers have been forced to abandon controversial plans to judge primary schools according to new tests for four-year-olds after admitting that to do so would be “inappropriate and unfair”. |
| The humiliating U-turn came after a study showed that tests offered by the three different providers could not be reliably compared. | The humiliating U-turn came after a study showed that tests offered by the three different providers could not be reliably compared. |
| Early years campaigners and teaching unions welcomed the news, which followed a long fight against the tests, which many claimed would be damaging to very young children. | Early years campaigners and teaching unions welcomed the news, which followed a long fight against the tests, which many claimed would be damaging to very young children. |
| The Government had intended to use the controversial tests – to be taken by all pupils in the first few weeks after starting school – to measure pupil progress between reception class and leaving primary school aged 11. | The Government had intended to use the controversial tests – to be taken by all pupils in the first few weeks after starting school – to measure pupil progress between reception class and leaving primary school aged 11. |
| Teachers’ unions had opposed the plans ever since they were announced in 2014. Last month the National Union of Teachers voted to ballot members on a boycott of all primary school tests including the new tests for reception pupils, known as baseline assessment. | Teachers’ unions had opposed the plans ever since they were announced in 2014. Last month the National Union of Teachers voted to ballot members on a boycott of all primary school tests including the new tests for reception pupils, known as baseline assessment. |
| The Government had allowed three organisations to provide the tests to schools, with schools free to choose the provider that best suited their approach to testing. | The Government had allowed three organisations to provide the tests to schools, with schools free to choose the provider that best suited their approach to testing. |
| However, a Government-commission study concluded that the three different assessments were not “sufficiently comparable to create a fair starting point from which to measure pupils’ progress”. As a result, ministers were forced to concede that the results could not be used as the baseline for progress measures, because “it would be inappropriate and unfair to schools”. | However, a Government-commission study concluded that the three different assessments were not “sufficiently comparable to create a fair starting point from which to measure pupils’ progress”. As a result, ministers were forced to concede that the results could not be used as the baseline for progress measures, because “it would be inappropriate and unfair to schools”. |
| Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, claimed the U-turn as a victory for all those who had campaigned against the tests. She said: “The NUT, campaigning alongside a wide range of early years professionals in their organisations, has made the Government come to its senses and realise that baseline assessment was never a good idea in the first place. We need the Government to discuss with us what appropriate assessment in Early Years education looks like. | Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, claimed the U-turn as a victory for all those who had campaigned against the tests. She said: “The NUT, campaigning alongside a wide range of early years professionals in their organisations, has made the Government come to its senses and realise that baseline assessment was never a good idea in the first place. We need the Government to discuss with us what appropriate assessment in Early Years education looks like. |
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