Assessment

The latest news and analysis on exams in the UK, including key dates, timetables, results and statistics for Sats, GCSEs and A levels

Thursday

8th Feb 2024

ÌÇÐÄVlog Scotland’s 10 questions with... Stephen Kelly
The Edinburgh head of education on the essential qualities in a school leader, why teaching is not a performance and the importance of a ‘culture of love’ in schools
Stephen Kelly

Wednesday

7th Feb 2024

Call to scrap literacy and numeracy SNSAs at all stages
SNSAs lead to schools being judged ‘inappropriately’ and are ‘inconsistent’ with a play-based approach in early primary, says Willie Rennie
Call to scrap literacy and numeracy SNSAs at all stages

Monday

5th Feb 2024

Esports qualification is ‘stepping stone’ to lucrative industry
Esports course is ‘first of its kind’ in Scottish schools and aims to tap into the fast-growing gaming scene
esports stepping stone

Friday

2nd Feb 2024

Is the end nigh for Progress 8 - and if not, should it be?
With P8 increasingly under fire from critics, a suspension of it occurring imminently and Labour eyeing reform, Grainne Hallahan looks at whether the measure is on its way out
Is the end nigh for Progress 8 - and if not, should it be?

Thursday

1st Feb 2024

SQA plays down impact of strike action on exams
Unite says strikes in February and other industrial action stretching into exams season will have ‘major impact’, but SQA accuses union of ‘scaremongering’
Crash test dummy
GCSEs and A levels 2023: how did schools perform?
Final GCSE and A-level data, including multi-academy trust performance, has been published today
GCSEs and A levels 2023: How did schools perform?
Heads urge DfE to pause school Progress 8 scores
ASCL questions how the government can measure secondary school student progress without a baseline from primary
Heads urge DfE to pause school Progress 8 scores

Tuesday

30th Jan 2024

Wales to introduce vocational GCSEs
It is hoped the new brand of qualification – which will be called VCSEs and will replace existing vocational qualifications such as Btecs – will improve parity of esteem
Wales to introduce vocational GCSEs

Monday

29th Jan 2024

Northern Ireland’s transfer tests: what you need to know
A new common system of transfer tests is the biggest change to post-primary selection in Northern Ireland since the end of the old 11-plus in 2008
Northern Ireland’s transfer tests: what you need to know

Thursday

25th Jan 2024

What does Pisa really tell us about Scottish education?
The fallout from Scotland’s Pisa results in December was well documented, but the picture is more nuanced when you pick your way past political and ideological attacks, finds Emma Seith
Scotland PISA

Sunday

21st Jan 2024

How we closed our GCSE gender gap
Narrowing the attainment gap between girls and boys at GCSE requires a subject-specific approach, says history teacher Emma Smith
How we closed our GCSE gender gap

Thursday

18th Jan 2024

Boost grades at RAAC-hit schools by up to 10%, experts urge
Academics say a plan is needed for students who have faced the worst disruption owing to crumbling concrete in their school buildings
Workmen looking at structure