Are they cancelled?

[Simcfc73]

Our Exams Officer has said that they are doing away with these tests.

Not sure if he is jum,ping the gun regarding stopping testing kids at certain ages but he said we wouldn't be doing the tests this year.

Anyone else heard this?

[mrforgetful]

Yes there are many threads on it.

Basically it's been changed from a compulsory test to an optional guide.

[plexer]

You been under a rock for the past couple of weeks Simcfc73?

Ben

[Simcfc73]

Nope, just being trying to teach myself divs, scriptalicious and redesigning our website.

[e_g_r]

Wish they were here, SLT decided to go ahead with them anyway as mocks and am doing them this week and next.

[sahmeepee]

We're probably going to go ahead with them anyway. I believe "Assessment for Learning" is the phrase du jour. I'm sure there are a million better ways to assess pupils' ICT skills, but the Head of ICT wants the test because it is about applying skills rather than just testing knowledge/theory. He also thinks he will find the results they send back useful.

At this point I can't find much out about how they are changing the test itself. For example, are they still issuing 2 50 minute tests within a specified test window this year? And next year? I gather that they plan to keep using the software for about another 6 years pretty much unchanged (chortle!) Presumably they will be able to sell off a few CPS web servers at RM HQ - I think the server load might be dropping a fair bit!

Incidentally, we had an HMI inspector in looking at ICT recently.. one of his points to focus on was the KS3 ICT test and what the kids thought of it etc. He wasn't aware when he arrived that it had been scrapped a week earlier. Needless to say, the kids slagged it off quite nicely. Maybe they aren't such a bad bunch after all

[tosca925]

Yep we are going ahead with it as well. I think for year 8's though only this time.