Obsessed with Assessment

In the second Obsessed with Assessment episode on assessment in the news, Sam and Emma take a look at the National Audit Office's (NAO) damning report from October on the government's SEN strategy since 2014. Our hosts dig into the poor handling of children with additional needs in mainstream schooling, and look ahead to the potential for the Curriculum and Assessment review to offer a brighter future. Most pertinently, they outline approaches and strategies that classroom teachers and school leaders could (and should) be implementing as part of their day to day.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review for England is well upon us. The newly elected Labour government stipulated that they wanted to deliver a “A broader, richer, cutting-edge curriculum that drives high and rising schools standards and sets all young people up for life and work”. They appointed an expert panel to lead the review in August 2024, this was followed by a “call for evidence” in September, in which stakeholders could submit their views online, and latterly the panel have been conducting regional roadshow events around the country. 

We’ve managed to get along to a couple of these events and we wanted to break down for you our reflections on what happened, what was said and whether there were any clues as to direction-of-travel next.

Sam welcomes his first ever guests onto Obsessed with Assessment podcast, hoping to go deeper still into the world of testing. John and Sophie bring their experience of working within the English exam system to offer insights aplenty. Most importantly, Sam is finally able to address the elephant in the room - The Exam Man's claim of being the number 1 exams and assessment podcast in the world!

An extended version of our chat can be found on The Exam Man channels:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3w7fux47

Apple: https://tinyurl.com/ykme3xtr

Website: https://theexamman.com/episode/obsessed-with-assessment

We love to hear listener comments. If there is no function for leaving a message on your podcast platform of choice, then you can always email us at [email protected]. Please also like and subscribe.

Sam Denno can be found on x.com.

Sam and Emma dig into some learning and revision techniques that could offer students the means to enhance their grade outcomes. For real? They certainly think so, and they've been convinced by authors such as Jonathan Firth and Dr John Dunlovsky - both educators and psychologists - who provide ample evidence that these ideas should be taken seriously. OwA unpack retrieval practice and distributed practice, before squishing them together and offering the most potent solution to students' revision woes!

We'd love to hear your thoughts. You can leave a comment on some podcast platforms, or you can email the show at [email protected]. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam Denno can be found on x.com.

In what represents a brand new strand for Obsessed with Assessment podcast, we throw ourselves at the latest educational assessment news. Here, we look at Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson's talk to trust leaders on November 7th 2024 and carry out an analysis of all of the highlights, focusing, as is our wont on the implications for assessment in the UK.

Sam Denno is joined by new co-host, Emma Louise Rose-McHale, in the first of three episodes in which they explore the education system in Denmark, and specifically the way that assessment is used. They consider the advantages of the Danish methods, and how they differ to England. You can read the associated blog here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/obsessed-with-assessment-what-can-we-learn-from-denmark

You can also email Obsessed with Assessment at [email protected].

Don't forget to like and subscribe if you find this episode helpful.

This week, Sam and Paul take a deep dive into data! Just how much should we rely on data when it comes to assessment? You can read the associated blog here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/assessment-what-are-the-limitations-of-data

If you have an assessment anecdote or an idea for an episode, drop us an email on [email protected].

This week, Sam and Paul discuss the justice behind assessment: is it ever possible to be completely fair to all students within an assessment framework? You can find more information on our associated blog: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/are-exams-inherently-unfair

And remember, you can email us with your thoughts on [email protected].

Is assessment the answer to all our classroom woes? Or does it have its limitations? Paul and Sam talk over the issue in their latest episode.

If you have an assessment experience to share, email us on [email protected]. And don't forget to read this week's blog, here.

How does tech affect assessment? Is it a help, or a hindrance? Paul and Sam take a look at the realities in this week's episode,

To read the blog that accompanies this podcast, click here. And if you've got an idea for a future episode, email us at [email protected].