§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will make a statement about the level of support being provided to teachers of children with special educational needs to develop appropriate systems of assessment leading to level 1 of key stage 1 of the national curriculum;
(2) if he will take steps to develop a system of assessment within the national curriculum to take proper account of those children who are currently assessed as working towards level 1 of key stage 1;
(3) if he will make a statement about work being undertaken by local education authorities and schools to develop systems of assessment appropriate for children who are currently assessed as working towards level 1 of key stage 1 of the national curriculum.
§ Mr. ForthThe statutory assessment arrangements for key stage 1 already provide for teachers to assess those pupils who are working towards level 1, including those with special educational needs. Teachers are able to use the framework provided by the national curriculum, and extend it in the light of individual needs and circumstances,660W to identify suitable targets for those working towards level 1. These arrangements are kept under review by the School Examinations and Assessment Council—SEAC.
All local education authorities receive specific grant for education support and training to meet their in-service training requirements for assessment. This includes arrangements for teachers of children with special educational needs.
Arrangements to disseminate good practice between schools and LEAs' specialist advisers are encouraged.
SEAC has also given extensive guidance to LEAs and teachers on appropriate assessment arrangements for pupils with special educational needs. Additionally some LEAs, in conjunction with their schools, are developing further guidance for teachers of pupils working towards level 1.
SEAC's guidance, which is kept under review, provides for a considerable degree of flexibility which teachers are able to use in making adaptations to both testing procedures and the tests themselves. The effectiveness of these general assessment arrangements are also reviewed, as appropriate, during the periodic school survey programme conducted by the Office for Standards in Education.
§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will undertake a survey of the effects of the introduction of the national curriculum and its associated assessment and testing on the work load of teachers and its impact on their health.