Commenting on the results of a survey of reception teachers and primary school leaders conducted by Teacher Tapp for More Than a Score, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The research released by More Than A Score makes it clear: the Reception Baseline Assessment is an inexcusable use of children and teachers’ time. Teachers are being pulled away from their classrooms, where they can support children to feel safe and secure, in order to administer Baseline.
“There are no benefits of this test for children, families and teachers. It is striking that only 3% of reception teachers say Baseline provides accurate information and only 1% of heads and teachers say it is a good experience for children. Any responsible government would give serious consideration to whether an initiative so deeply criticised by professionals should still be pursued.
“Baseline is not designed to support the learning of our 4–5-year-olds but to provide government with performance data. It’s time the needs of our children were prioritised over league tables.”