Exams need reform. For most young people in England’s secondary schools, extensive batteries of narrowly focused written test papers are the exclusive form of assessment. The current examination system is not fit for purpose, not fit for the future and needs change now.
There is an overwhelming case for reform and support for it is growing. A broad consensus across the political and educational spectrum is arguing for change, including former prime ministers and education secretaries from different political parties, alongside other representative voices. This consensus was reflected in the Times Education Commission, within Rethinking Assessment and also within the independent assessment commission (IAC), which I served when president of the National Education Union (NEU).
