Early Education is part of the More Than A Score coalition which is campaigning against the government’s model of baseline assessment in Reception in England.
From September 2021, the reception baseline assessment programmes is administered to 4-year-olds in England in the first few weeks of Reception. It subjects children who are not yet of statutory school age – some barely past their 4th birthday – to assessments in the name of accountability, so that schools can demonstrate the “value” they add between Reception and Year 6. However, the proposed assessments are not a reliable or valid source of data for this purpose, and so will not improve the quality of schools, and will not benefit children – in fact, for many the process could be harmful.
Early years experts agree that:
The More Than A Score campaign gives parents, practitioners and school leaders, press and politicians information about baseline assessment, the problems with the policy, and how to get involved in the campaign for a better way forward.
Today, members of the More Than a Score campaign, including Early Education’s Chief Executive, Beatrice Merrick presented a petition of 112,000 signatures to Downing Street
Early Education
2 Victoria Square
St Albans
AL1 3TF
T: 01727 884925
E: office@early-education.org.uk
