Assessment

The latest news and analysis on exams in the UK, including key dates, timetables, results and statistics for Sats, GCSEs and A levels

Friday

18th Mar 2022

Sats 2022: Most school leaders want tests to be cancelled
Primary assessments should not go ahead as normal, as disruption to learning has not been felt ‘evenly’, headteachers’ leader warns
primary pupils working on tests at desks

Wednesday

16th Mar 2022

Thousands of markers still needed as SQA exams loom
Exclusive: Exams get underway in Scotland next month but SQA figures show that over a quarter of marker positions are yet to be filled
Scotland, markers, recruited, SQA

Tuesday

15th Mar 2022

GCSEs 2022: ‘Bank’ TAG work to focus on exams, says minister
Schools should focus ‘as much as possible’ on exams preparation now, schools minister tells MPs
Schools Minister Robin Walker who was speaking at the Schools North East conference today.
Is this the best way to teach writing in KS3?
Introducing workshopping into key stage 3 English lessons has been transformational, says Katie Packman – as she shares how to reap the benefits
Is this the best way to teach writing in KS3?
Have 10 years of a knowledge-rich curriculum helped pupils?
A focus on facts means we may have created a generation unprepared for the modern world, say Tim Brighouse and Mick Waters
decade knowledge rich curriculum

Monday

14th Mar 2022

When it comes to catch-up, do the children know best?
Pupil voice is too often left out of key policy decisions made on behalf of children – but that needs to change, says Megan Dixon
When it comes to catch up, do the children know best?

Sunday

13th Mar 2022

Ofsted, exams, Covid and league tables: heads’ key concerns
DfE reforms, Ofsted inspections, the impact of Covid and the future of exams were among the big issues debated by heads at this year’s ASCL conference
Round, up, Ofsted, Covid

Saturday

12th Mar 2022

GCSEs 2022: Summer exams ‘likely to widen disadvantage gap’
Heads’ warning over Covid impact on exam results comes as Ofqual chief says awarding differential grades would be impossible
GCSE exams could widen the disadvantage gap this year, head teachers leader Geoff Barton has said.
No pupils should be held back by lack of ‘good’ schools
Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson warns of over 200,000 pupils in areas with no schools rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’
Bridget Phillipson

Friday

11th Mar 2022

Keep school Covid tests free to avoid exam disruption, Zahawi told
Heads’ leader warns virus among staff is still leading to whole year group closures in the run-up to GCSEs and A levels
Free, tests, Covid
GCSE league tables: ‘Schools thrown to the wolves’
The vast majority of school leaders think it’s wrong for the government to publish secondary school league tables this year after all the Covid disruption
More than 8 in 10 headteachers are opposed to league tables being published based on this summer's GCSEs a new poll has found.

Thursday

10th Mar 2022

Muir told exams are ‘necessary and beneficial’
But exams should be ‘lighter touch’, say respondents to the consultation that informed report on Scottish education reform
Muir told exams are ‘necessary and beneficial’