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Teachers brand new tests for four- and five-year-olds 'a waste of time'

Nearly 9 in 10 teachers in a survey believe that the Reception Baseline is a waste of teaching time, according to a survey.
Children starting school this year have to take tests in English and Maths before the October half-term PHOTO Adobe Stock
Children starting school this year have to take tests in English and Maths before the October half-term PHOTO Adobe Stock

Campaigners More Than A Score polled 478 reception class teachers, headteachers and senior leaders in schools about their experiences of the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA).

All children in Reception classes in England must take the RBA within their first few weeks of starting school before the October half-term since it became statutory in September.

The test has been widely criticised by educators, experts and parents with a key concern being the amount of time required - up to 30 minutes per child - to administer it. The survey found that just 6 per cent of respondents believe that the test did not disrupt classroom teaching time. 

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