This briefing provides information on the Government’s approved providers for the new reception baseline assessments which will become optional in the 2015/16 school year. It focuses on the NUT’s concerns around the involvement of private providers in delivering the tests.
- The providers
- The six successful bidders to deliver theassessments were announced on 4 February 2015. They are:
- Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, Durham University (CEM)
- Early Excellence
- GL Assessment
- Hodder Education
- National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)
- Speech Link
- The assessments offered by the providers vary in approach and include computer and tablet-based, paper-based, ongoing observation, and task-based activities.
- Further information on each provider is given below.
- How the contracts will work
- Providers need to recruit a minimumof 1,777 schools - equivalent to 10 per cent of the total number of schools with a reception class - to their particular reception baseline. The deadline for sign-up is 30 April 2015.
- Should they fail to meet this target they would not be able to deliver their assessment to schools. However, the contract would remain in place to allow the supplier to recruit schools for the following academic year, subject to the DfE exercising the option to extend the contracts.
- Under-recruiting providers may be included if fewer than four meet the 10 per cent target, as long as they have recruited at least 1,000 eligible schools.The DfE also say the minimum requirement may be waived if the number of schools choosing to administer the reception baseline is fewer than 8,887.
- The DfE will contact schools by 3 June 2015 if they have chosen a provider that has been suspended. They will then have to choose an alternative provider.
- For the 2015-16 academic year the Government will pay for the “basic costs” of approved baselines for local-authority maintained schools, academies and free schools.The “basic cost” is not defined in any document and the prices offered by the different providers vary.
- Schools will be reimbursed directly for the basic cost, but from September 2016 this will then be included in the school budget.
- Once the 19 months initial contract period is over there will be potential for contracts to be extended by a further 12 months.
- The total value of the contracts, including extensions, is between£2 and 4.2 million.
- Pricing and marketing of the assessments
- Comparison is difficult because there appears to be no standard price or pricing structure. In some cases the providers offer an overall cost for the package, in other cases it is offered on a per-pupil basis either including or excluding VAT. Prices also vary for basic packages even when offered on a comparable basis i.e. cost per pupil.
- One organisation (GL Assessment) is offering a sign-up incentive with every school purchasing the product before 31 March2015 entered intoa competition to win two tablet computers.
- Providers may be using the baseline as a platform to sell other products. Some providers advertise the basic package but also give prices for enhanced versions of the assessment or even additional products.
- GL Assessment, for example, displays links to three additional assessment products under the heading “frequently used with” on its reception baseline webpage. The additional products are progress tests for Key Stages 1-4 in English, Maths and Science.
- It is unclear to what extent, if any, the Government is contributing to any publicity. However, it appears that it is up to the providers themselves to organise this. This may give the larger commercial organisations (Hodder and GL Assessment for example – see below) a competitive advantage over the not-for-profits.
- Additional information
- Two of the organisations which have been approved to deliver the baseline assessments also have currently ongoing contracts with the DfE to undertake research into baseline programmes.
- The National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) was awarded a nine-month contract worth £49.7K in June 2014, to undertake surveys of teachers, school leaders and parents to ascertain their views on baseline assessment.
- The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) is also involved in a parallel quantitative study in which it will “simulate an accountability environment” for a group of schools, to judge changes in their behaviour.
- The final reports for both projects are to be delivered by the end of March 2015 but this may be delayed due to election purdah which begins on 30 March.
- NFER is also involved in the early development of the new KS1 and KS2 tests which are due to be introduced in 2016. The organisation is delivering four contracts on behalf of the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) this year: KS1 technical pre-test (awarded value: £1,145,281); KS1 item validation trial (awarded value: £478,224); KS2 technical pre-test (awarded value: £1,310,435): and KS2 item validation trial (awarded value: £498,395).
Notes on providers
Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, Durham University (CEM)
CEM is a not-for-profit research organisation based within the School of Education at Durham University. Its Director is Robert Coe, Professor of Education in the School.
Product: CEM’s baseline assessment package BASE runs on a computer, laptop or tablet, and is carried out one-to-one with a teacher or teaching assistant working with each child.
Pricing: CEM offer three packages priced per pupil: BASEline (£3.50 exc. VAT); BASE Progress (£7.00 exc. VAT) and BASE Inspection Ready (£8.50 exc. VAT).
‘BASEline’ covers the required maths and literacy components whereas the more expensive packages include features such as national comparisons, assessments of Personal Social and Emotional Development (PSED)and tailored reporting for Ofsted and parents.
Although it is not made clear on the website, it appears that only the costs of the basic package would be covered by Government.
Early Excellence
Early Excellence is a Limited Company based in Huddersfield which offers “training and primary resources services”. The company was founded by its Director Liz Marsden in 1997. Early Excellence also sells furniture, outdoor play equipment and storage for early years settings.
Product:According to the website Early Excellence Baseline (EExBA) “does not include any predetermined tasks or tests”. It instead relies on reception teachers“making judgements on children's attainment drawing information from previous settings and parents, as well as observations and interactions with the children on entry to YR.” Data can be recorded electronically or on paper but must be submitted to Early Excellence in a pre-set electronic format.
Pricing: registration fee of £85.00 then £3.10 per child (exc. VAT). The website states that the DfE will reimburse these costs but does not say how.
Early Excellence has also been advertising a series of briefings held in their centre in Huddersfield and various venues nationwide. The website states that the briefings will provide “EYFS leaders with an overview of the nationally accredited baseline models” but also that the“Early Excellence Baseline will feature in detail, provided that it becomes one of the accredited models.” The briefings are priced at £55-65 per delegate.
GL Assessment
GL Assessment describesitself as a “leading provider of integrated assessments, stakeholder surveys, self-evaluation systems and professional development services.” The company was founded in 1980. It also operates in Ireland and has an international division – GL Education. GL’s partners include ASCL, NAHT and the National Governors Association (NGA).
GL has worked with at least two free schools including the Maharishi Free School in Lancashire and the One in a Million Free School in Bradford.
Product: ‘Baseline’ is a one-to-one assessment that is delivered on two tablets – one for the pupil and one for the teacher.
Price:£3.95 (+VAT) per pupil. This price includes reports, training and support. Schools can choose to assess each pupil twice in a year - at the beginning and, optionally, at the end of Reception, at no extra charge.GL say that the order will be logged and the school invoiced in September and that the DfE will cover the cost.
Presumably schools would need to already have or be willing to purchase tablets.
The website advertises that schools ordering the product before 31 March will be entered into a prize draw to win two tablets – “two ASUS Transformer Pads will be given to a school every month from January until March 2015.”
There are links to three additional assessment products under the heading “frequently used with” at the bottom of the company’s reception baselinewebpage. The additional products are progress tests for Key Stages 1-4 in English, Maths and Science.
Hodder Education
Hodder Education provides assessment resources for children aged 4 to 16+. It is the educational wing of international publishing group Hachette UK which is in turn owned by Hachette Livre, the world’s second largest trade and educational publisher. Hodder Education also incorporates Philip Allan, aneducational conference provider.
Product:Hodder Reception Baseline Assessment is entirely paper-based. The manuals and resources have not yet been published although sample pages can be downloaded from the website.
Pricing:the component resources are priced individually: Manual (£25), Literacy Stimulus Book (£25) Maths Stimulus Book (£25), Teacher Script & Pupil Record Booklet x 10 (£15), Specimen Set (£70).
Schools are told to order online now and they will be invoiced when the resources are published in June.
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)
NFER is an independent provider of research, assessment and information services for education, training and children's services. It carries out contract research for various governmental and non-governmental bodies. It also sells curriculum guides and other products to schools.It is a not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity. According to its website total expenditure for 2013/14 was £11.2m, of which £11m was the cost of charitable activities.
Product: NFER’s baseline assessment consists of a mixture of tasks and observation checklists.
Price: a school pack costs £225 including a teacher administration guide, resource pack and access to an online recording and analysis tool. Additional options are advertised on the order screen: additional resource packs (£50 each) and individual pupil record packs with 10 booklets (£10).
There is no information about how schools will be reimbursed by the Government.
Speech Link Multimedia Ltd
The company was founded in 2004 and has just two directors. It specialises in speech, language and communication. The website claims that it provides “standardised assessments, targeted interventions and resources for reception children in over 3,000 schools in the UK and internationally.”
Product:The reception baseline is carried out online on a laptop, tablet or desktop computer withadult and child listening to a series of recorded prompts. The adult clicks on the picture the child has indicated. Assessment data for each child is sent directly to the DfE from Speech Link. The package also includes reports and extra tracking tools.
Pricing:£4.95 (+VAT) per pupil. Speech Link saysit they will invoice the school in September and that in October the DfE will then deposit funds with the school to pay the invoice.
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