The Education (National Curriculum) (Assessment Arrangements for the Core Subjects) (Key Stage 1) Order 1993

Verification of assessments

6.—(1) This article makes provision for the verification of teacher and standard task assessments by the local education authority (in the case of schools which they maintain) and the assessment authority (in the case of grant-maintained schools) and the substitution for levels of attainment determined by such assessments of levels determined by them, and in this article each such authority is referred to as “the verifying authority”.

(2) In the case of schools maintained by a local education authority, that authority shall exercise the functions conferred by this article in relation to each such school and each core subject.

(3) On request by the verifying authority the head teacher shall provide them with the results of teacher assessments and standard task assessments of such number or proportion of pupils and in such subjects or attainment targets of subjects as they may require, together with the supporting material referred to in paragraph (4), to enable the verifying authority to verify the assessments.

(4) The supporting material consists of the records and other evidence of a pupil’s achievements relied on by a teacher in making a teacher assessment, the pupil’s written response to the standard tasks and such further material as the authority may reasonably require.

(5) If after such verification the verifying authority consider that the results of the assessments are accurate, they shall so notify the head teacher, and the levels of all pupils at the school determined by teacher and standard task assessments (whether or not verified) shall be the levels for the subject in question.

(6) If after such verification the verifying authority consider that some of the results are inaccurate, they shall so notify the head teacher and, if they so request, the head teacher shall as soon as practicable—

(a) arrange for the results considered to be inaccurate, together with such other results as the authority may request, to be reconsidered by the teachers concerned and subsequently submitted to the authority for verification; and

(b) provide the authority with the results of the assessments of all other pupils in the subject in question which have not been verified, together with the supporting material referred to in paragraph (3), for verification.

(7) Where any level of attainment determined by the authority differs from the level determined by a teacher or standard task assessment, the level determined by the authority after verification shall be the level of attainment.

(8) It shall be the duty of the head teacher and the governing body—

(a) to permit the verifying authority to enter the premises of the school at all reasonable times in order to observe the implementation of the arrangements specified by this Order;

(b) to permit the verifying authority to inspect and take copies of documents and other articles relating to teacher or standard task assessment; and

(c) to provide to the verifying authority such information relating to such assessment as they may reasonably request.

(9) For the purpose of exercising its functions under this article the local education authority shall appoint such competent persons as they think fit, and each such authority shall consult with at least two such others with a view to ensuring that consistent standards and principles are applied by the authority in verifying the results of assessments.

(10) A person is not competent for the purposes of paragraph (9) unless he has recent experience of the provision of the National Curriculum in primary schools.