The Government has issued a leaflet for parents about a new hurdle for children starting school in September– the reception baseline assessment (RBA). The public relations effort issued by the Standards and Testing Agency is called ‘Information for Parents’, but it presents a highly misleading view of the controversial baseline test and what it might mean for children.
The Government has never asked parents whether they approve of testing young children as they start school, but a recent YouGov survey found only 6 per cent of parents thought it was important to test maths and English as children start school, while the vast majority prioritised settling in, making friends and enjoying the school day. After all the disruption of the pandemic many people put children’s wellbeing first, including the House of Lords scrutiny committee. But the government is determined to barrel on with its plans.
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