Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the new standard assessment tests were trialled for children with special educational needs.

All National Curriculum tests undergo an exhaustive three-year development process entailing several stages of expert review. These experts include educational psychologists, SEND practitioners from local authorities, teachers and head teachers.

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) uses the principles of universal design in developing these tests, which are set out in Ofqual’s Guidance on the Principles of Language Accessibility in National Curriculum Assessments, a copy of which is attached. This document includes guidance to ensure tests are “fair to all irrespective of gender, language, religion, ethnic or social origin or disability”.

During the test development process, the STA specifically consults on inclusion issues for every test. The STA also invites a range of specialists to sit on inclusion panels which review the tests twice in the process. The focus of these panels is to make the tests as accessible as they can be to all pupils. Inclusion panels vary in their membership but comprise a broad range of inclusion experience and an educational psychologist sits on each panel. Trials are also undertaken which involve around 1,000 children sitting each test, and schools are able to request modified versions of the tests if required to take account of pupils with SEND.

We recently published the report of the Rochford Review of assessment for pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum tests. This review was set up to ensure pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum are given proper consideration and that an appropriate solution for statutory assessment is developed to allow them to demonstrate attainment and progress. We plan to launch a consultation on the recommendations contained in the report early in the New Year.