Sign In
Sign In
Register for Free

Think baseline assessments have been scrapped? Think again

Catherine Kirkup of the NFER explains why education professionals shouldn't overlook the value of baseline assessments…

Catherine Kirkup
by Catherine Kirkup
Paddington Bear whole school resource pack
DOWNLOAD A FREE RESOURCE! Paddington Bear – Whole-school lesson plans & activity sheets
PrimaryEnglish

If, like many education professionals, you’ve barely had more than a few moments this month to skim the media headlines, you could be forgiven for believing that the ‘controversial’ baseline assessments are as good as buried.

Seeing headlines such as ‘Baseline tests dropped for reception pupils’ you may have breathed a sigh of relief at there being one less ‘hoop’ to jump through and one less formal assessment to fit into an already crammed schedule.

However, the reality is that baseline assessments have not been scrapped completely. Those that have had time to digest the news in more detail will be aware of the following two points:

  • It’s true that outcomes from baseline assessments will not be used for accountability, but schools still have the option to continue using baseline assessments as part of their own on-entry assessment of pupils
  • The DfE will continue to cover the basic cost of approved baseline assessments for local authority maintained schools, academies and free schools

The importance of on-entry assessment

Although baseline assessments were originally introduced in 2015 to measure pupil progress between reception and KS2, it shouldn’t be forgotten that they also allow practitioners to get to know the children – just as they do when they listen to them read, or take the time to observe self-initiated play-based activities.

Reception practitioners already do their own form of on-entry assessment, and have done since long before the DfE announced its intention to introduce baseline assessments as a formal accountability measure. There is a clear need to gather information on pupils as they start Reception, as understanding a pupil’s strengths and weaknesses will enable teachers to tailor support to the child’s needs going forward.

With this in mind, the question faced by the majority of primary schools is not if they should continue with some form of baseline measure, but more how they should continue. Reception practitioners can opt to gather information using their own methods, or they can use an approved baseline assessment. One key difference is that using a formal, approved baseline assessment that is reliable and robust will provide practitioners with a way to assess children on a level playing field.

Making the right choice

While the benefits of doing some form of on-entry assessment in reception do not need to be reiterated, it’s important that schools choose a method of assessment that is right for them.

Primary schools may decide to revert to using their own on-entry assessment methods – but before doing so, they should consider the benefits of using a standardised baseline assessment.

For example, the structured approach of a standardised assessment with small steps leading from one task to the next can make it easier for Early Years practitioners to make reliable judgements.

Another benefit of standardised assessments is that practitioners are able assess all children one-to-one in the same way, using the same equipment supplied by the provider. Standardising the tasks and contexts in which such assessments take place will ensure that every child has exactly the same opportunity to show what they know and can do. This will facilitate consistency in delivery, both within and across schools, and produce more comparable outcomes that are less open to interpretation.

Assessing young children formally

It’s also important to understand that baseline assessments are not written tests for four-year-olds. In 2015, schools were able to choose between three approved baseline assessment schemes, none of which were written tests.

These approved assessments included a computer-based test from the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at Durham University (CEM); an assessment using a mixture of tasks and observation from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER); and an observation-only assessment from Early Excellence.

While Early Excellence has taken a wholly observational approach, assessing children in the course of normal classroom activities, the other two providers provide a ‘formal’ assessment in the sense that the assessments – or at least part of the assessments – follow a standardised or prescribed approach. This year, another computer-based assessment produced by GL Assessment is also available.

While the above are all ‘formal’ one-to-one assessments, there is nothing to suggest that the child does not enjoy the experience. Suggesting that such assessments may be harmful for children underestimates the professionalism of those Early Years practitioners who deliver the assessments in a supportive and engaging manner.

Although it is important that the majority of the child’s day comprises self-initiated play-based activities, choosing the right assessment will mean that 10 to 15 minutes of practitioner-directed activity is neither harmful for the child, nor wasteful for the practitioner.


Catherine Kirkup is Research Director at the NFER; for more information, visit nfer.ac.uk or follow @TheNFER

You might also be interested in...