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Education: Assessments

Volume 475: debated on Monday 28 April 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much schools spent on re-marking (a) GCSE, (b) A and AS level and (c) key stage 3 SAT papers in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007. (200313)

The fees for re-marking of national curriculum tests are published by the NAA (National Assessment Agency) test operations agency each year and can be found on the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s website at http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_11997.aspx The NAA does not keep specific information on how much schools paid to the test operations agency for re-marking key stage 3 test papers via the review process.

The Department does not collect information on re-marking costs for GCSE, A and AS-level papers. The data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to schools of delivering (a) Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 national tests, (b) GCSEs and (c) A-Levels and AS-Levels; and if he will make a statement. (201206)

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority estimates the costs of delivering the national tests for Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 in 2007/08 to be some £51 million. This is the cost of the delivery contracts for tests. Schools do not pay fees for tests.

GCSEs, and AS and A-Levels are administered by independent awarding bodies. The costs incurred by all local authority maintained schools for test administration and examination entry fees and any accreditation costs related to pupils taking GCSEs, GNVQs, AS and A2 qualifications in 2006-07, which is the most recent year for which figures are available, totalled some £241 million.

The new independent qualifications regulator, Ofqual, will be responsible for regulating the awarding body market to ensure good value for money alongside its responsibilities for maintaining standards. Subject to legislation, we intend that Ofqual will report annually to Parliament on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children attained (a) Level 1, (b) Level 2, (c) Level 3, (d) Level 4 and (e) Level 5 in (i) Key Stage 1 and (ii) Key Stage 2 tests in each year since those tests were introduced; and if he will make a statement. (201320)

I refer the hon. Member to the following links. The link

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000740/index.shtml

is for Statistical First Release "National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 1 in England 2007". Table 2 provides time series information (2001-2007) on average point scores and table 3 provides information about levels achieved by pupils assessed in 2007. The link

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000764/index.shtml

is for “National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 2 in England, 2007 (Revised)”. Table 1 provides time series information (1995-2007) about test levels achieved by pupils. Copies of these publications have been placed in the Library of the House.

Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.