The Department of Education has today published the findings from
an Independent Review of Key Stage Assessment in Northern
Ireland. The Review examines assessment of pupils from ages 4 to
14 throughout primary school and Key Stage 3 (Years 8-10) at
post-primary.
The published report ‘Supporting Progress for Every
Child' sets out key recommendations on the purpose, nature
and design of assessment. It proposes a new framework of short,
low-stakes assessments to support learning in the key areas of
literacy, number and science. These assessments are taken in
class and like current assessments used by schools annually, do
not require any revision or preparation.
The aim is to provide clear, consistent and easy to understand
information to parents and teachers on children's progress
throughout their time in school. Schools currently buy-in
commercial assessments to track children's progress across the
curriculum. This new approach will end the need for every school
to spend significant resources on different assessments that
cannot be used to understand our education system as a whole.
The review was conducted by a panel of education experts made up
of Tim Oates CBE, Dr Mick Walker and Garry Matthewson, former
Principal of Holy Family Primary School.
Responding to the report, Education Minister, said: “I welcome the Independent
Review of Assessment Panel's report and thank the Panel for their
thorough and thoughtful work. When I launched my education
strategy, TransformED, I was clear that we needed to
fundamentally review assessment arrangements in Northern Ireland.
This report delivers on that commitment. The Panel has conducted
an evidence-based review of international approaches and set out
thoughtful proposals on the purpose, nature and design of
assessment.
“Importantly, the Panel heard directly from teachers and school
leaders who spoke not only of their commitment to high standards,
but also of the challenges posed by duplication, workload,
administrative burden and assessment becoming an end in itself.
The proposals in this report explicitly address those concerns.
They aim to reduce workload, remove unnecessary complexity and
ensure assessment informs learning rather than adding pressure to
the system.”
The Minister continued: “This report gives us a strong evidence
base to develop an assessment system for Northern Ireland that
sets high standards and supports progress for every child.”
The Chair of the Independent Review Panel, Tim Oates CBE, said:
“The Panel wish to thank all those across the education system
who took the time to engage with us and share their insights. The
scale of response and the quality of professional insight shared
were invaluable in informing our work.
“Our recommendations are grounded in evidence-informed practice
and research. They have focused on ‘policy learning', not ‘policy
borrowing', to ensure solutions are bespoke and appropriate for
Northern Ireland. The Panel proposes a streamlined statutory
assessment pathway focusing on literacy, numeracy and science,
designed to be low‑workload, high‑impact and aligned with the
forthcoming curriculum. All elements of our report focus on both
equity and attainment: supporting the progress of every child.”
concluded: “This report marks an
important milestone in our work to build an assessment system
that truly supports learning, promotes equity, drives excellence
and ensures every learner has the chance to
succeed. Crucially, it provides a pathway to reduce
workload, simplify processes and support schools in focusing on
what matters most: high‑quality teaching and the progress of
every child. I will now carefully consider the findings and
recommendations before setting out next steps.”
The Panel's work was informed by extensive stakeholder
engagement, including direct engagement with schools, a written
consultation and a public call for evidence, to identify current
best practice and key areas for development.
The full report of the Independent Review of Assessment is
available at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/independent-review-assessment.
Notes to editors:
1. The Independent Review of Assessment was commissioned by
Education Minister as part of the TransformED
strategy, which aims to deliver a world-class education system
rooted in excellence and equity for all learners.
2. The terms of reference for the Independent Review of
Assessment Panel can be accessed at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/independent-review-assessment-panel-terms-reference
3. Biographical details for each member are available on the
Department's website at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/panel-member-biographies.
