HC Deb 08 May 2000 vol 349 cc293-4W
Mr. Wyatt

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will request that the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority cease the practice of selling Key Stages 2 and 3 past papers to BBC Educational. [121093]

Jacqui Smith

No. The QCA has a contract with BBC Educational allowing them to publish past Key Stages 2 and 3 test papers together with a guide book for parents. The test papers are reproduced for the previous year in order to help parents understand the nature of the test which their children are taking. The approach is consistent with two general policies of making the tests available for general use and encouraging parents to help their children prepare for the tests.

Mr. Wyatt

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to improve the training of end of Key Stage 2 test markers. [121092]

Jacqui Smith

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has responsibility for the development, administration and marking of the National Curriculum tests, on behalf of the Secretary of State, and takes considerable care in the development and marking arrangements for all the tests. This was reflected in the findings of the Rose Review, an independent cross-party panel set up last year to consider the test development and assessment arrangements at Key Stage 2. As part of the quality control of marking, each external marking agency evaluates the training programme for each year and makes recommendations for change or improvement. In addition the QCA seeks the views of a sample of markers on all aspects of the process, including training. Such feedback is put into the continuous programme of improvement conducted year-on-year.

Mr. Wyatt

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment whether he expects teachers to check the marking of end of Key Stage 2 test papers on their return from the external marking agency. [121090]

Jacqui Smith

Teachers are not expected to check the marking of test papers on their return from the external marking agency. However, teachers may wish to use the tests as a means of providing feedback to pupils on their performance and, in order to do this, they would have to review the pupils' marks against the markscheme. It is for schools to decide whether and how to use the tests in reviewing pupils performance. Teachers may also have doubts about the final level awarded to any pupil. If they decide to request a formal review of the marking in the test, they would need to refer to the markscheme in order to identify errors and provide a reason for a review.