ABSTRACT
This section takes a 'sideways look' at assessment. It is not so much concerned with 'how to do assessment' - teachers are very practised at that - but with 'why', 'what', 'when', 'how', 'where' and 'for whom', The emphasis, time and effort spent on key stage testing has tended to shift attention away from more important questions about assessment. However, the National Curriculum claims to help teachers to:
assess what each pupil knows, understands and can do;
use their assessments and the programmes of study to identify the learning needs of individual pupils;
plan programmes of work which take account of their pupils' attainments and allow them to work at different levels;
ensure that all pupils achieve their maximum potential.
