§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of the children who are tested at the key stage one national curriculum assessment are aged(a) seven and (b) six at the time of the test.
§ Mr. ForthThe information requested is not held centrally. In 1992 teachers were able to administer the end of key stage 1 tests from the mid-point of the spring term until the mid-point of the summer one. Estimates based on quarterly birth rate statistics recorded by OPCS reveal that by the end of this testing period less than 25 per cent. of pupils tested would not have reached their seventh birthdays.
§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Education how many hours of teacher time he expects to be allocated to the administration and management of key stage one tests in primary schools(a) currently and (b) when the full range of national curriculum subjects is tested.
§ Mr. ForthThe test of reading expected, teachers were able to administer the 1992 statutory tests for seven-year-olds in English, mathematics and science in 24 hours, on average, for each class. This was well within the maximum of 30 hours allowed for. In addition teachers took on average nine hours to test individual pupils'698W reading ability by hearing them read aloud. Teachers were able to choose to administer the tests at any time between the mid-point of the spring term and the mid-point of the summer term.
The 1993 tests in English, mathematics and science will be to the same model and should take the same time.
Assessments in the other foundation subjects will be based on teachers' own assessments of pupils' school work, although teachers will have available voluntary tests in technology, history and geography to use at their own discretion.