Malt Tests - Diagnostic Maths Tests

[Guest]

Has anyone else been asked to administer these to their FS and if so what do you think or feel about them? These are diagnostic numeracy tests to be administered at end of FS to aid planning and also to ensure those gaps are not repeated the next year. I'm not too happy about these as asking 4/5 year olds to sit down with a test booklet and ring the right answers does not sit easily with my beliefs.

[catma]

EYFSP is the only statutory requirement re assessment at the end of FS.

Unfortunately what schools then ask teachers to do is a very mixed bag. There was a letter from DCSF ages ago that reiterated that practitioners should not be required to do additional assessments but what can you do if a HT demands it.

 

Any Yr1 teacher worth their salt should be able to interpret EYFSP outcomes and see gaps by doing a scale point gap analysis - in my estimation this should be the basis of transitional meetings.

 

Cx

[Guest LornaW]

Beautifully put catma!

 

There should be compulsory training for all HT on what is appropriate in FS!

 

Lorna

[catma]

I can't find my copy of the letter but a trawl on line found the relevant paragraph in the TES.

 

"I am concerned that some LAs may be placing unnecessary burdens on reception teachers by asking for other assessments to be made in addition to these (FSP) requirements. Anecdotal evidence suggests that, in some areas, reception teachers are being asked to complete, for example, baseline assessments or assessments against the key stage 1 curriculum, as well as the Foundation Stage Profile. I would be grateful for your cooperation in ensuring that reception teachers are not asked to undertake additional non-statutory requirements."

Margaret Hodge MP 2005 writing to CEOs of LAs.

 

QCDA is also very clear that this is unnecessary nonsense.

However I do understand that HTs can be exceedingly willful when working with half the deck of cards when it comes to EYFSP/early years assessment processes.

 

Cx

[Guest]

Thanks for that. My Head is very supportive it is the local network who have asked for these to be done in the cluster of schools.