We have launched new information page to provide reliable and accurate information to parents and teachers about the reception baseline assessment.
The reception baseline assessment (RBA) is a short, interactive assessment which will provide a snapshot of where children are when they arrive at school. By doing this, we can measure the progress that children make between the start of primary school and the end of year 6. The introduction of the assessment also means that in time children will no longer have to do the end-of-key stage 1 assessments.
The assessment only lasts around 20 minutes and is a one-to-one session with a teacher or teaching assistant, and is interactive and practical. The child will be asked to complete different tasks and activities and give verbal responses.
A pilot for the RBA is running from September 2019 at over 9,000 participating schools, before the assessment is introduced across all schools from September 2020. You can find out from your school if they are participating in the pilot.
There is no need for a parent or school to prepare a child for the RBA, and the scores will not be shared. Children will not ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ the RBA and in most cases they should not be aware that they are being assessed. The RBA is used to calculate a school-level progress measure.
We are confident that the introduction of the RBA will give teachers more valuable one-to-one time with their pupils in their first weeks of school, and provide a strong foundation from which we can measure pupil progress and make sure schools are providing the high-quality education that every child deserves.
Our new information page is available to be accessed at any time.
Check out our teaching blog where a headteacher explains why his school is taking part in the RBA pilot.