Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what happens to, and who owns, data digitally captured under the new Reception Baseline Assessment; and what if any commercial use could be made either of the response data itself or of any other metadata.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The reception baseline assessment (RBA) is a short, interactive assessment of early mathematics, language, literacy, and communication. Its purpose is to provide baseline data for primary progress measures, which will show the progress pupils in a school make from reception until the end of key stage 2.

RBA data is owned by the department. From the 2025/26 academic year, data from the assessment will be collected via the Standard and Testing Agency’s digital assessment platform, after which the data necessary to calculate school-level progress measures will be transferred to the National Pupil Database (NPD). This data will be stored in the NPD until the relevant cohort of pupils reaches the end of key stage 2. Some data and metadata will be used to support operational delivery of the assessment, for example to support helpdesk queries. The use of the data is governed by the RBA Privacy Notice which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reception-baseline-assessment-privacy-notice. RBA data is not available for commercial use.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the £1.3 billion in co-investment reported by UK Research and Innovation in the report Annual Report and Accounts 2023–24, published on 24 July 2024, was independently verified after project award.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

UKRI verifies co-investment commitments at several stages of the grant lifecycle. Verification processes are managed according to the terms and conditions of specific grant awards and vary depending on the size of the awards. For large co-investment commitments, UKRI engages third parties to conduct verification.

At the application stage, UKRI portfolio managers verify co-investment commitments as part of usual due diligence checks, with host research organisation also undertaking due diligence to confirm that information included in applications is accurate. For completed awards, grant holders are able to report actual co-investment values via the research outcomes process.

The co-investment figure of £1.3 billion provided in the 2023-24 UKRI Annual Report and Accounts reflects project partner contributions declared at the point of application.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of any contracts between the Department for Education and the Made Tech Group other than the one concerning the Reception Baseline Assessment.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The reception baseline assessment (RBA) is a short, interactive assessment of early mathematics, language, literacy and communication. Its purpose is to provide baseline data for primary progress measures.

The department appointed Made Tech Ltd in September 2024 on a four year contract to provide digital and data capabilities with the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) to continue to deliver and build its digital assessment platform, including in relation to the RBA. This followed an open procurement, in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 process, launched in spring 2024. As with all government contracts above a certain value threshold, the contract with Made Tech can be found on the contracts finder website and accessed here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/4723159e-e752-4658-8309-b2db3552d199?origin=SearchResults&p=1.

Additionally, the department has a contract with Made Tech for Technical Architecture Services. This can be found here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/99cb71d8-8df0-498a-b5c2-9712472f8897?origin=SearchResults&p=2.

A copy of these contracts will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The department does not have a central record of all conversations with Made Tech. The department manages the relationship with Made Tech following best practice in supplier management, based on Cabinet Office guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the contract concerning the Reception Baseline Assessment between the Department for Education and the Made Tech Group.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The reception baseline assessment (RBA) is a short, interactive assessment of early mathematics, language, literacy and communication. Its purpose is to provide baseline data for primary progress measures.

The department appointed Made Tech Ltd in September 2024 on a four year contract to provide digital and data capabilities with the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) to continue to deliver and build its digital assessment platform, including in relation to the RBA. This followed an open procurement, in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 process, launched in spring 2024. As with all government contracts above a certain value threshold, the contract with Made Tech can be found on the contracts finder website and accessed here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/4723159e-e752-4658-8309-b2db3552d199?origin=SearchResults&p=1.

Additionally, the department has a contract with Made Tech for Technical Architecture Services. This can be found here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/99cb71d8-8df0-498a-b5c2-9712472f8897?origin=SearchResults&p=2.

A copy of these contracts will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The department does not have a central record of all conversations with Made Tech. The department manages the relationship with Made Tech following best practice in supplier management, based on Cabinet Office guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Department for Education has had with the Made Tech Group about matters other than the Reception Baseline Assessment.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The reception baseline assessment (RBA) is a short, interactive assessment of early mathematics, language, literacy and communication. Its purpose is to provide baseline data for primary progress measures.

The department appointed Made Tech Ltd in September 2024 on a four year contract to provide digital and data capabilities with the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) to continue to deliver and build its digital assessment platform, including in relation to the RBA. This followed an open procurement, in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 process, launched in spring 2024. As with all government contracts above a certain value threshold, the contract with Made Tech can be found on the contracts finder website and accessed here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/4723159e-e752-4658-8309-b2db3552d199?origin=SearchResults&p=1.

Additionally, the department has a contract with Made Tech for Technical Architecture Services. This can be found here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/99cb71d8-8df0-498a-b5c2-9712472f8897?origin=SearchResults&p=2.

A copy of these contracts will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The department does not have a central record of all conversations with Made Tech. The department manages the relationship with Made Tech following best practice in supplier management, based on Cabinet Office guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what research the Department for Education has conducted or commissioned into the benefits of allowing reception class pupils to use iPads or similar devices for recording their responses themselves in the Reception Baseline Assessment.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The reception baseline assessment (RBA) is a short, interactive assessment of early mathematics, language, literacy and communication, administered by teachers with individual pupils. Its purpose is to provide baseline data for primary progress measures, which will show pupil progress from reception until the end of key stage 2. ​From September 2025, some digital elements will be included in the assessment, where the pupil can point or move items on a tablet or similar device. This will provide benefits including reduced workload for teachers and better support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, using the assessment’s built-in accessibility settings.

The digital elements of RBA have been in development since 2019, and subject to extensive trials with teachers and pupils using the standards and testing agency’s internationally recognised assessment development approach. This has included item validation trials in 2020, 2021 and 2023 involving 2,801 pupils across 277 schools, and a technical pre-test trial in 2022 where 2,406 assessments were completed across a nationally representative sample of 254 schools. In November and December 2024 a voluntary trial involving over 1,000 schools took place, and participating schools undertook key activities needed to administer the assessment, including completing a sample assessment with three pupils. Input from the trials and extensive review by early years experts and teachers, has helped shape the content and the digital platform to meet the needs of schools and pupils.

The revised RBA will remain interactive and play-based and retain the use of small toys and verbal responses for other questions. Pupils can respond verbally to on-screen questions if they do not wish to interact with the screen and a paper-based alternative is available where, this is more suitable for the pupil. One moving image is included in the assessment, but this can be made static by the teacher where this is more appropriate for the pupil.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the results of the beta tool trial in relation to the Reception Baseline Assessment which was reportedly conducted in a few hundred schools.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The reception baseline assessment (RBA) is a short, interactive assessment of early mathematics, language, literacy and communication, administered by teachers with individual pupils. Its purpose is to provide baseline data for primary progress measures, which will show pupil progress from reception until the end of key stage 2. ​From September 2025, some digital elements will be included in the assessment, where the pupil can point or move items on a tablet or similar device. This will provide benefits including reduced workload for teachers and better support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, using the assessment’s built-in accessibility settings.

The digital elements of RBA have been in development since 2019, and subject to extensive trials with teachers and pupils using the standards and testing agency’s internationally recognised assessment development approach. This has included item validation trials in 2020, 2021 and 2023 involving 2,801 pupils across 277 schools, and a technical pre-test trial in 2022 where 2,406 assessments were completed across a nationally representative sample of 254 schools. In November and December 2024 a voluntary trial involving over 1,000 schools took place, and participating schools undertook key activities needed to administer the assessment, including completing a sample assessment with three pupils. Input from the trials and extensive review by early years experts and teachers, has helped shape the content and the digital platform to meet the needs of schools and pupils.

The revised RBA will remain interactive and play-based and retain the use of small toys and verbal responses for other questions. Pupils can respond verbally to on-screen questions if they do not wish to interact with the screen and a paper-based alternative is available where, this is more suitable for the pupil. One moving image is included in the assessment, but this can be made static by the teacher where this is more appropriate for the pupil.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the digital content of the new Reception Baseline Assessment will include moving images.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The reception baseline assessment (RBA) is a short, interactive assessment of early mathematics, language, literacy and communication, administered by teachers with individual pupils. Its purpose is to provide baseline data for primary progress measures, which will show pupil progress from reception until the end of key stage 2. ​From September 2025, some digital elements will be included in the assessment, where the pupil can point or move items on a tablet or similar device. This will provide benefits including reduced workload for teachers and better support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, using the assessment’s built-in accessibility settings.

The digital elements of RBA have been in development since 2019, and subject to extensive trials with teachers and pupils using the standards and testing agency’s internationally recognised assessment development approach. This has included item validation trials in 2020, 2021 and 2023 involving 2,801 pupils across 277 schools, and a technical pre-test trial in 2022 where 2,406 assessments were completed across a nationally representative sample of 254 schools. In November and December 2024 a voluntary trial involving over 1,000 schools took place, and participating schools undertook key activities needed to administer the assessment, including completing a sample assessment with three pupils. Input from the trials and extensive review by early years experts and teachers, has helped shape the content and the digital platform to meet the needs of schools and pupils.

The revised RBA will remain interactive and play-based and retain the use of small toys and verbal responses for other questions. Pupils can respond verbally to on-screen questions if they do not wish to interact with the screen and a paper-based alternative is available where, this is more suitable for the pupil. One moving image is included in the assessment, but this can be made static by the teacher where this is more appropriate for the pupil.

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