Why we shouldn’t be using KS4 criteria for KS3 assessments

Hello Colleague

It’s entirely understandable to want to get some purchase on how pupils in KS3 are likely to do at the end of the KS4 exams, either in the core subjects or if they are taking a subject as an option.

There are several reasons why this is tricky:

One reason is that the KS3 national curriculum programmes of study are not the same as exam specifications, so it’s not right that they are judged on KS4 criteria.

A second reason is that the exam criteria are for making judgements about what students have achieved at the end of a course, not for content which has been taught up to five years earlier.

Another conundrum is that criterion referenced tests have the appearance of accuracy – all we need to do is check that a student’s work matches the criterion. But in practice, it’s much harder to do, which is why public exams are moderated and why there are often remarks.

Given the complexity at a national level, it’s simply not possible to give a realistic picture of standards at KS3.

The bottom line is that KS3 should not be contorted to fit the final exams. The KS3 years and the programmes of study need to be respected in their own right.

And this means thinking differently about how we make judgements.

I’ll be talking through some of the options.

I’ll be offering some suggestions in the second part of KS3 Assessment; Challenges and Opportunities on Wednesday 12th February 4pm 

If you or your school don’t already have an annual subscription, it’s easy to subscribe and you get access to the popular subject networks and ongoing professional development. £150/free trial.

Until next time

Mary