‘High-stakes’ testing harming teaching and learning in primary school, say MPs

Assessment is closely linked to the accountability system in primary schools, with Key Stage 2 results used to hold schools and teachers to account on the progress and attainment of pupils. The Committee finds, however, that this high stakes system can leading to a narrowing of the curriculum and 'teaching to the test', as well as affecting teacher and pupil wellbeing.

The Committee calls for the scrapping of publication of results from a single cohort, proposing instead that a rolling three year average of Key Stage 2 results be published. Schools should still have yearly cohort level data available for their own use. The Committee also urges Ofsted to ensure it looks across the whole curriculum at primary school and guard against putting too great a focus on Key Stage 2 results. Ofsted should ensure that it reports on a broad and balanced curriculum in every primary school report. Every Ofsted inspection report should specifically include science as a core subject alongside English and maths, as well as a range of other areas of the curriculum and extra-curricular activities.

Neil Carmichael, Chair of the Education Committee, said: “Many of the negative effects of assessment in primary schools are caused by the use of results in the accountability system rather than the assessment system itself. The resulting high-stakes system has led to a narrowing of the curriculum with a focus on English and maths at the expense of other subjects like science, humanities and the arts. It is right that schools are held to account for their performance but the Government should act to lower the stakes and help teachers to deliver a broad, balanced, and fulfilling curriculum for primary school children.”

Emphasis on technical aspects of writing not supported by evidence

The Committee is concerned by the emphasis on technical aspects of writing and the diminished focus on composition and creativity at primary school. The Committee is not convinced this leads directly to improved writing and calls for the Government to reconsider this balance. The report recommends the Government make spelling, punctuation and grammar tests non-statutory at Key Stage 2, but still available for schools for internal monitoring of pupil performance.

Special educational needs and disability

The Committee heard that underlying many of the criticisms of the new writing assessment system is its inaccessibility for pupils with SEND. The focus on spelling and handwriting can disproportionately affect pupils with dyslexia or dyspraxia, and there has been criticism of the level of difficulty of the tests. The Committee welcomes the Rochford review of assessment for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum tests and looks forward to the implementation of its conclusions.

Pupil progress – introducing a baseline measure

The Committee welcomes the increased focus on pupil progress but urges the Government to be cautious in introducing a baseline measure. The Committee recommends that the primary purpose of a measure of children at age 4 should be as a diagnostic tool which helps teachers to identify individual pupil needs. This measure should only be carried out through teacher assessment.

Ineffective implementation of new primary tests

The DfE and STA did not oversee the implementation of new SATs in 2016 effectively and left schools feeling confused and under pressure. Guidance was published late leaving little time for schools to prepare pupils for assessments. For future reforms, schools must be given at least a year to implement changes with no incremental changes within that time.

National curriculum levels

National curriculum levels as a measure of pupil performance were removed last year, leaving schools with the flexibility to design their own assessment systems. However, the report finds that school leaders and teachers were not given enough advice, guidance or training to design and implement effective systems resulting in many schools using low quality commercial solutions. The Committee recommends the Government provide better advice and guidance, mitigating the risk of schools purchasing low-quality assessment systems from commercial providers.

ENDS

Editor’s Notes

1. A list of the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations can be found on p.24 of the report.

2. The Education Committee’s report outlines recommendations on a range of areas relating to primary assessment including implementation and design of the new SATs, the impact of high-stakes assessment and the link with school accountability, and the support and training available to schools and teaching staff. The report is published in the week ahead of children taking SATs in English and maths (in w/c 8 May) and at a time when Government is consulting on primary assessment, with a plan to remove statutory assessment at Key Stage 1.

3. Narrowing of the curriculum – (from paragraph 51 of the report) The narrowing of the curriculum at primary school was commented on last year by Sir Michael Wilshaw, the previous Chief Inspector, who said that during a focused set of inspections, inspectors found that there was a “lack of time allocated to the study of science and foreign languages”. Most schools were spending four hours or more a week teaching English and maths, yet around two thirds of schools spent one to two hours per week teaching science, and around a fifth spent less than one hour. This data is supported by a survey carried out by the Wellcome Trust and NFER.