Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce a right for parents to request a screen-free Reception Baseline Assessment for their children.

The reception baseline assessment (RBA) provides a consistent starting point from which to measure pupils’ progress to the end of key stage 2. It is a short, one-off assessment administered one-to-one by a teacher, during which a pupil may use the screen for approximately 12 minutes. The content is slow-paced and safe, and a pupil will never be alone with the device. It includes questions where the teacher models the first response and questions where the child provides verbal responses or uses small toy bears.

A paper-based version is available in exceptional circumstances where this is more suitable for the child. Schools determine the most appropriate arrangements for individual pupils while maintaining a consistent approach to the assessment wherever possible.