Schools aren't sure how to assess their pupils' progress under Wales' new curriculum as old-style testing takes a back seat. A report from education inspectorate Estyn says: "Many school leaders express some uncertainty about how to approach assessment in the context of the Curriculum for Wales."
Some schools are also worried that "there will be ‘something coming around the corner’ with regards to assessment and its role in accountability”, inspectors found. But Chief Inspector Owen Evans said tests aren't everything and won't be used as a way to hold schools to account.
"In weaker schools, leaders continue to view assessment primarily as a system for providing external accountability, " Estyn's report says. The document suggests best practice for assessment under the new curriculum which began in all primaries and half of secondaries this term.
