Educational Assessment System Reform

Sarah Hall Excerpts

Wednesday 15th October 2025 Westminster Hall

[Sarah Hall (Warrington South) (Lab/Co-op)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Josh Dean) for securing this crucial debate.

Teachers and parents alike tell me the same thing: there is too much pressure and not enough time to focus on children as people. We all want an assessment system that raises standards and helps children reach their full potential. Right now, the pressure it creates is doing the opposite. It is piling stress on pupils, parents and teachers, affecting confidence, wellbeing and learning and leaving too many children feeling like they are being judged and not supported. Too often schools feel like a conveyor belt, moving children along whether or not they are ready and sorting them by how well they cope—not by what they can do.

Our current system focuses on what children know without fully understanding what helps them learn. If we want to improve attainment, we have to look at the emotional, social and behavioural foundations that sit underneath it. When a child feels safe, calm and supported, they achieve more. That is what Nurture UK has been showing for over 50 years. It works with schools across the country helping teachers to assess and support children’s social and emotional development through tools such as the Boxall Profile assessment tool and interventions based on the six principles of nurture. These are rooted in the importance of supporting children to build secure attachments as a basis for lasting resilience and happiness in school. It is a low-cost, evidence-based way for schools to understand how pupils are coping and step in early when they need to.

Schools that embed nurture approaches see improved attendance, better behaviour, fewer exclusions and stronger progress. Just ask James Roach, CEO of the Inclusive Multi Academy Trust, who says that

“the impact of this approach is evident in the significant improvements we’ve seen in attendance, behaviour, and a reduction in exclusions.”

It is a simple truth: when we invest in children’s emotional and social wellbeing, academic outcomes rise. That is what we should be building into assessment reform. Through my work as chair of the inclusion and nurture in education all-party parliamentary group, I am working closely with Nurture UK, the charity leading this work, to explore how we can make these approaches part of everyday practice in schools. If we want higher standards, we need to give every child the right conditions to meet them. Emotional and social development should be recognised as part of learning, not left to chance.

I have three asks for the Minister. The first is to make sure that schools can assess pupils’ social and emotional development alongside their academic progress so that we understand what is helping or holding back learning. The second is to strengthen support around exams and results. Those moments can be overwhelming, so pupils need guidance and reassurance to get through them. The third is to protect the classroom and make it a safe and stable place, especially during times of pressure. Teachers need time, training and trust to nurture as well as teach. These are simple, practical steps that would lift wellbeing and achievement. If we get this right, we will have a system that works for children, parents and teachers—one that finally gives every child the space to do their best and thrive.