A government commission on assessment following the abolition of levels has completed its work, and a draft of its report has been leaked to The Guardian. A link is half-way down this article. It is well worth reading.
The commission was attended by an Ofsted representative, and includes a statement of "Myths" about Ofsted's expectations of assessment. Unfortunately, these myths are close to reality as far as too many teachers and school managements are concerned, and the problem stems from an approach to inspection that is based on unreliable data. Teachers are being required to write down far too much, and this must stop.
The commission's members were:
- John McIntosh, CBE
- Shahed Ahmed, Elmhurst Primary School
- Daisy Christodoulou, Ark
- Professor Robert Coe, Durham University and the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring
- Sam Freedman, Teach First
- Mark Neild, Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form
- Natalie Packer, National Association for Special Educational Needs
- Dame Alison Peacock, The Wroxham Teaching School