The scrapping of KS3 “Sats” tests
Ed Balls’s surprise decision last week to scrap the KS3 tests is the biggest Government retreat on testing policy in the past 20 years. It is, of course, to be welcomed, in terms of the immediate implications in the classroom: teachers I have been in contact with this week are already savouring the chance to inject some creativity into their year nine lessons, although there are some more cautious voices out there. But the implications, in terms of what the decision says about the relationship between the accountability system and pupils’ educational experiences, are also worth considering. In a sense, as I implied in an article for the TES lastRead More →