NEU comment re ‘Pointless’ baseline assessment pilot for 4 year olds announced by Government

Commenting on the announcement by Nick Gibb that the DfE will be looking for schools to take part in a pilot scheme for the proposed baseline assessment tests, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

“Schools Minister Nick Gibb claims that making all four year olds take a baseline test as soon as they enter school will provide a ‘fair and accurate measure’ of their attainment.

‘’This is completely misleading. Mr Gibb has been told by an expert panel of the British Educational Research Association that testing four year olds will not produce reliable results, and that the case for baseline testing has not been made. 

‘Baseline testing is a waste of teachers’ time and public money.  The Government should listen to what teachers, school leaders and education experts are saying: it is time that they stopped thinking that the answer to problems of assessment and accountability is to introduce new tests.

‘Given the workload crisis and the uselessness of this test many schools will not sign up to Mr Gibb’s pointless pilot, and the NEU will support them in that decision”.