About us

We develop and deliver assessments for children in education between reception and the end of key stage 2.

Our purpose is to provide an effective and robust testing, assessment and moderation system to measure and monitor pupils’ progress and attainment through primary school from reception to the end of key stage 2 (KS2). We are also responsible for managing the general qualifications logistics service provided to exam centres and examiners.

Who we are

We are an executive agency of the Department for Education, with staff based at sites throughout the UK.

You can find information about the employment offer when working at the Department for Education (DfE).

Our responsibilities

We are responsible for:

  • developing and implementing assessment policy for schools, including assessment arrangements for pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum tests
  • delivering national curriculum assessment cycles, including the development and delivery of tests at key stage 1 (KS1) and KS2 in the core subjects of English and mathematics, as well as the phonics screening check
  • developing the multiplication tables check (MTC) to be introduced as a statutory assessment in 2020
  • developing the reception baseline assessment (RBA) to form the baseline for measuring progress in primary school, scheduled to be introduced from 2020
  • the development and operational delivery of the KS2 science sampling tests
  • supporting schools to administer tests and assessments
  • setting and maintaining test standards
  • managing the submission and moderation of teacher assessment
  • managing the general qualifications logistics service provided to exam centres and examiners

Our priorities

From 2019 to 2024, our priorities will be to:

  • deliver national curriculum assessment cycles, including development and delivery of tests at KS1 and KS2 in the core subjects of English and mathematics, as well as the phonics screening check
  • conduct biennial science sampling tests to monitor national standards in science at the end of KS2
  • provide a secure and stable primary assessment system, incorporating the outcomes of the 2017 public consultations on primary assessment and the outcomes of the Rochford Review
  • develop and manage the delivery of the MTC, to be introduced as the first digital statutory assessment in 2020
  • develop and manage the delivery of the RBA, from 2020, to provide a robust baseline for school accountability progress measures
  • manage the logistics service for general qualifications

Test operations services programme

In July 2018, Capita Business Services was awarded the contract for delivery of the 2020 to 2024 KS1 and KS2 tests in English and mathematics and the phonics screening check. The contract aims to enable more effective and integrated operational delivery by bringing together the following services, currently delivered through a number of separate contracts:

  • print
  • collation
  • logistics
  • marking
  • data
  • helpline
  • systems

Corporate information

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