Government report recommends Chartered Educational Assessors in all schools.

The Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors (CIEA) welcomes today's Government announcement that all schools should have a lead assessor. The report from the Expert Group on Assessment also recommends that by 2020 all schools should have access to an accredited Chartered Educational Assessor (CEA).

This announcement highlights the importance of raising standards in educational assessment, endorsing it as a skill inseparable from teaching and learning. The Department of Children Schools and Families will also work with the CIEA to develop an assessment accreditation for schools nationwide.

Graham Herbert, Deputy Head of the CIEA said, "Today's announcement is very much in line with our strategy of having 3,000 Chartered Educational Assessors in schools across England in the next three years.  This is a huge step forward for the assessment community and gives assessors a voice in the wider field of education.  We are delighted to be playing a central role in delivering best practice in assessment.

"Feedback from our CEA pilot last year was very encouraging with 85% of teaching staff involved agreeing that assessment practices had improved as a direct result.  Furthermore 92% of the assessors taking part stated that it had improved perceptions of assessment within schools. This demonstrates that evaluation of a students' performance is an essential part of teaching strategy."

Sarah McCarthy-Fry, MP, Under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners addressed delegates at the CIEA national conference yesterday. "Testing should be rigorous and thorough, but not stressful. 
"We have committed £150m over three years to develop teachers' skills in Assessment for Learning.  Informed teaching and good assessment is the lynchpin that holds our qualifications together."

The CIEA national conference was held yesterday at the Millennium Gloucester in Kensington, where delegates also heard from Lord Stewart Sutherland, chair of the CIEA and author of the Sutherland Report; Dr Mike Cresswell, Director General, AQA; Professor Gordon Stobart, Institute of Education and Professor Tymms, Durham University.

To read the full report please click here