§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what standard assessments are used in schools to assist children with learning disabilities to progress with their education. [132091]
§ Jacqui SmithThe introduction of Baseline Assessment from 1998 in all primary schools helps teachers plan to meet the learning needs of all pupils, including those with learning difficulties. The National Curriculum also provides a framework within which teachers have the flexibility to deliver programmes of study appropriate to the needs and abilities of the children they are teaching, and the assessment arrangements associated with it provide schools with a reliable and consistent analysis of pupil performance, enabling teachers to assess pupils' progress and develop their teaching strategies accordingly. More generally, the "Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Education Needs" contains practical guidance for schools, local education authorities and others on how to identify, make provision for, and to monitor the progress of children with special educational needs, including those with learning disabilities. A variety of assessment procedures and ways of tracking pupils' progress are used, depending on the type and extent of a child's special educational needs.