§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans for testing of pupils at 16 years in national curriculum subjects which they will not be taking in GCSE.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe Education Reform Act requires that arrangements be made for assessing pupils at or near the end of each key stage of the national curriculum. The Government intend that the GCSE and equivalent examinations should form the means of assessing the level of attainment in the national curriculum foundation subjects of all pupils who are prepared for and take such examinations at the end of their fourth key stage. My right hon. Friend will be considering in due course what supplementary assessment arrangements may be necessary to ensure that all pupils to whom assessment arrangements are intended to apply without modification are assessed against attainment targets in all the foundation subjects.