Controlled Assessment 'damaged children's education'

An OFQUAL report published today, and covered in this Daily Telegraph article has confirmed what a large number of Geography teachers already knew: that Controlled Assessment is NOT a good idea...

Fortunately, I escaped having to organise CA in my own school, but working with many teachers over the last few years has reminded me many times of the endless headaches organising, monitoring and scrutinising the assessments. Fieldwork trips have become quick dashes to grab as much information as possible, and have perhaps been moulded with the various levels of 'control' in mind. Access to computer rooms and the need to monitor internet access have occupied time and created additional stress. Students have not necessarily benefited from the change.
All of this has taken time: the thing that is perhaps in shortest supply in most teachers' lives (despite what some of the people adding comments to the Telegraph article have said...)


“The amount of time taken up in each subject by controlled assessment, meant a narrowing of teaching, and fewer opportunities for activities such as off-site trips that deepen students’ understanding and interest,” the study said.
“In several subjects the loss of teaching and learning time was the single biggest drawback to controlled assessment.”
Geography is described as one of those subjects that has been affected the most.


Click the link HERE to download a PDF copy of the report, which was produced by Ipsos Mori.

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