Editing National Curriculum assessment (section)

==History==
The assessments were introduced following the introduction of a National Curriculum to schools in England and Wales under the [[Education Reform Act 1988]]. As the curriculum was gradually rolled out from 1989, statutory assessments were introduced between 1991 and 1995, with those in Key Stage 1 first, following by Key Stages 2 and 3 respectively as each cohort completed a full key stage.<ref name="NFER">{{cite book|last1=Hutchinson|first1=Dougal|title=How reliable in National Curriculum Assessment?|date=1994|publisher=National Foundation for Education Research|isbn=0700513590|pages=6–10}}</ref> The assessments were introduced only for the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. The first assessments in Key Stage 1 were a range of cross-curricular tasks to be delivered in the classroom, known as standardised assessment tasks - hence the common acronym 'SATs'. However, the complexity of the use of these meant they were quickly replaced by more formal tasks.<ref name="NFER"/> The assessments in Key Stages 2 and 3 were developed using more traditional tests.

In all 3 Key Stages, tests became the main form of statutory assessment, but a separate strand of Teacher Assessment was also used. This allowed teachers to make judgements about pupils they taught, based on their knowledge of the pupil's learning and attainment against the attainment targets contained within the national curriculum. The results of both tests and teacher assessments were reported using a common scale of attainment levels, numbered 1 to 8 across the three key stages, with the national expectation that pupils would achieve Level 2 at the age of 7; Level 4 at the age of 11; and Level 5 or 6 by the age of 14.

This model continued, with minor adjustments to reflect the changing content of the National Curriculum, up to 2004. From 2005, the role of the tests was downplayed at Key Stage 1, with tests being used only internally to support teacher assessment judgements.<ref>{{cite news|title=Primary School tests toned down|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3656244.stm|access-date=14 January 2017|work=BBC News website|agency=BBC|date=15 September 2004|ref=BBCKS1}}</ref> Further changes came in 2008 when the government announced that testing in Key Stage 3 was to be scrapped altogether.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tests scrapped for 14-year-olds|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7669254.stm|access-date=15 January 2017|work=BBC News website|agency=BBC News|publisher=BBC|date=14 October 2008|ref=BBCKS3}}</ref>

In 2013, then [[Secretary of State for Education|Education Minister]], [[Michael Gove]] announced that when the new version of the National Curriculum was introduced to schools from 2014, the system of attainment levels would be removed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Assessing without levels|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/nationalcurriculum2014/a00225864/assessing-without-levels|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130123124929/http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/nationalcurriculum2014/a00225864/assessing-without-levels|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 January 2013|website=Archived Content: Department for Education|publisher=Department for Education|access-date=15 January 2017|ref=DfELevels}}</ref> As a result, since 2016, the old system has levels that are no longer used as part of statutory assessment. Instead, tests and teacher assessments now follow different models at each key stage.