Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will place in the Library the mandate or remit given to the Standards and Testing Authority for the review of assessment that Authority is carrying out for her Department.

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) was established in October 2011 as an executive agency of the Department for Education. On its establishment, the STA took over some of the functions of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, which was abolished.

The Agency’s primary purpose is to provide an effective and robust testing, assessment and moderation system to measure and monitor pupils’ progress through primary school from reception to the end of Key Stage 3. The Agency is responsible for the development and delivery of National Curriculum assessments and testing in England, and this work is underpinned by regulations made by the Secretary of State for Education, namely the Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 1 Assessment Arrangements) (England) Order 2004 and the Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 2 Assessment Arrangements) (England) Order 2003. The powers to make these regulations are set out in sections 87 and 210 of the Education Act 2002.