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NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE


BEW REVIEW – INCOHERENT FUDGE

The NASUWT has labelled the findings of Lord Bew’s review of Key Stage 2 testing and assessment in England as ‘incoherent’ and accused Lord Bew of ‘ducking the issue’ in his Report.

THE BEW RECOMMENDATIONS

The current writing test should be replaced by a teacher assessment of writing composition, backed with a further test of spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. A ‘light touch’ moderation system should be introduced.
Maths tests should continue to be externally marked.
Reading tests should be retained but be refined over time.
Science tests should continue to be teacher assessed, with a sample test to monitor national standards.
Speaking and listening should continue to be teacher assessed.
Three-year rolling averages of pupils’ results should be introduced to give a rounded picture of a school’s performance.
More emphasis should be placed on pupil progress, with the introduction of a new measure focusing on the progress of lower attaining pupils.
Data should be used more effectively to ease the transition between primary and secondary education. More use should be made by secondary schools of the statutory teacher assessments in English, maths and science and there should be more detailed reporting of pupil attainment to inform progress into Key Stage 3.

The NASUWT considers the Report to be confused and failing to set out a coherent future path for Key Stage 2 testing and assessment.

Ministers have now accepted all the recommendations.

Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary, described the report as ‘a fudge’ and warned that Lord Bew’s recommendations would place teachers under even greater scrutiny, pressure and bureaucracy.

“The simple and straightforward question Lord Bew was asked to look at was the relative merits of teacher assessment versus externally marked testing, whilst ensuring public confidence,” she said.

“However, it is difficult to see how the recommendations will achieve this aim when Lord Bew himself says that external marking gives greater confidence, consistency and reliability of results, but then goes on to ignore his own advice by recommending an extension of teacher assessment.

“Bew is claiming to give more trust to teachers but his recommendations on teacher assessment and making the annual performance tables even more burdensome, will do the opposite.”

The NASUWT is concerned that the focus on testing misses the point. It’s not the tests that cause the problems, but the use of the data to feed the performance league tables, which force teachers to teach to the tests and narrows the curriculum.

Unless the system of accountability is changed to restore confidence in the professional judgment and autonomy of classroom teachers, any change will result in increased pressure and workload burdens on teachers.

Nothing in Lord Bew’s Report moves towards that position. If his recommendations are implemented, teachers can look forward to bureaucratic, time consuming and labour intensive teacher assessment and moderation.

The NASUWT has made a formal response to Lord Bew’s Report and has raised concerns directly with the Secretary of State, Michael Gove.

The NASUWT’s response to the Bew Review and further advice and information on the NASUWT’s position on testing and assessment can be found at www.nasuwt.org.uk/Curriculum.