This one day online conference will discuss the future of assessment in England’s schools and priorities for digital assessment moving forward.

It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss key issues being considered in the ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) following the publication of its aims, terms of reference and working principles.

With the goal of developing an assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person, those attending this conference will have an opportunity to input into the review’s findings following the recent publication of its Call for Evidence, and consider key options for meeting its aims.

We are pleased that Prof Jo-Anne Baird, Member, Curriculum and Assessment Review Group is a keynote speaker at the conference.

Delegates will consider latest thinking on the role of formative, summative and high-stakes assessment moving forward, as well as improving assessment accessibility for disadvantaged learners and students with SEND.

There will also be a focus on findings from OCR’s recently published Striking the Balance: A review of 11-16 curriculum and assessment in England, conducted by Rt Hon Charles Clarke, which focused on the intensity of exams at age 16 and potential alternatives, alongside the commitment from the CAR to consider the burden of assessment on learners.

Further sessions will assess priorities for achieving the CAR’s aims of ensuring the assessment system captures children and young people’s knowledge and abilities, as well as not placing undue burdens on education staff and - wherever possible - supporting manageable and sustainable workloads for teachers, lecturers, support staff and leaders.

In addition to strategies to reduce contested grades, further planned sessions look at the place of assessment in school accountability and measurement of progress. It follows the House of Lords Education for 11-16 Year Olds Committee calling for an end to the English Baccalaureate to allow curriculum time and resources to be allocated to technical, digital and creative studies. With school assessment, accountability and the curriculum in England all subject to reform, delegates will look at how school performance can be effectively measured moving forward.

Further sessions will consider the role of digital assessment moving forward, with the rising prominence of AI and increased interest in on-screen assessment options, as well as sector objectives for students to sit exams digitally by 2030.

Delegates will look at how technology can be used to monitor student progress and identify areas for improvement, as well as its potential impact on staff workloads. We also expect discussion on implications and opportunities of digital exams, evaluating the risks and benefits of remote invigilation, the use of adaptive testing and identifying potential bias in written tests, reducing teacher workload, and supporting disadvantaged students.

Overall, areas for discussion include:
• assessment reform: options from the Curriculum and Assessment Review - building on system strengths - strategies for future assessments
• exam system priorities: lessons from the 2024 exam season - system agility - high-stakes, formative and summative assessments - teacher autonomy - supporting student development
• high stakes assessment at 16: evaluating effectiveness in preparing learners for further study - assessment burden for learners
• school accountability and EBacc: priorities for ensuring accountability - future of the English Baccalaureate - curriculum time for technical, digital and creative studies
• inclusion: improving assessment accessibility - latest thinking and best practice in supporting of students with SEND
• digital assessment: remote and on-screen examination options - role of AI in assessments - addressing digital inequalities - inclusivity and accessibility
• workload and technology: achieving manageable demands on teachers and other staff - opportunities for technology to reduce workload, monitor student progress and support improvement
• innovation in assessment: adaptive testing - remote invigilation - developing assistive technologies - identifying and reducing potential biases
• measuring school performance: effective methods for monitoring progression and attainment - improving use of data - balancing assessment, accountability and curriculum reform.

All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely.

This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from DfE; IfATE; Ofsted; DoE, NI; and the Welsh Government.