Lord Sutherland began the event with a discussion around the ending of statutory Key Stage 3 assessments and asked whether we are heading in the direction of a system focussed on internal teacher assessment.

The issues raised during the debate related to the purpose to which the assessments were used and that the way tests provided statistics for accountability, not only for schools and parents but also for government to enable the measurement of improvements in learning. It was agreed that there would always need to be a system of national testing to enable the on-going measurement of standards of achievement.

Issues were also raised concerning the subjectivity and skill sets of teachers if the system was to be focussed on more internal teacher assessments. The role then for the CIEA is to ensure that there is a national standard of consistency in the application of assessment, supported by the CIEA Professional Framework of Assessment, for all teachers to work towards such as a Chartered Educational Assessor (CEA).

Questions were raised around the high stakes nature of Key Stage 3 testing which can lend itself to a situation where teachers are simply 'teaching to the test' and whether this would then be the case should the system move to internal teacher assessment. The group agreed that assessment should be used to inform teaching and improve learning but if the teacher assessments were used for high stakes accountability then it is unlikely that the teaching profession would be any better off.

There was a short debate on how to ensure standards of teacher assessment are maintained with some teachers having a more detailed knowledge of assessment than others. There would be a need for training to ensure standards were maintained and all schools had access to an assessment expert or CEA so that standards could be monitored.

In summary, there is certainly a realignment of external and internal assessment as shown with the new diplomas and APP. The roundtable agreed the there is a need to ensure that whatever the government decides in terms of assessment, people have access to the skills to be able to make judgments of their pupils.

Link to report and recommendations.

A more detailed report of the event will be published in the next edition of Make the Grade magazine which will be available to members in January 2010.