The importance of the individual – now, more than ever by Tim Oates, 18 March 2021 One area of great rhetoric in education surrounds ‘individualised’ or ‘personalised’ learning. These terms are often used interchangeably, which may or may not be appropriate depending on the intentions of the author. Tim Oates looks at the greater importance of what it translates into from the perspective of individual students.
Professor Jane Mellanby 1938-2021 by Tim Oates, 09 March 2021 Tim Oates Director of Assessment Research and Development pays tribute to Professor Jane Mellanby, who passed away on 08 February 2021, and reflects on our sense of Jane.
What hurricanes and earthquakes can tell us about Coronavirus ‘recovery learning’ by Tim Oates, 04 March 2021 There is clear insight to be drawn from past crises, and an opportunity to not just catch-up on learning after the impact Covid, but actually to improve student attainment now and in the future.
What will this year’s GCSE and A Level results tell us about the cohorts of 2020? by Tim Oates, 16 July 2020 More than a million students will receive GCSE and A Level grades this summer, but in a far from normal way. Tim Oates, Director of Assessment Research and Development, explains how we should support this year's cohorts to focus on the next stage of their education on results day.
What we did before PISA by Tim Oates, 20 December 2017 While investigating design challenges for national assessment in this 'accountability era', Sandra Johnson explores international performance surveys which pre-date PISA.
Finland - old stories, new headlines by Tim Oates, 27 October 2016 Tim Oates addresses the 'zombie ideas' which misinterpret the success behind the Finnish education system, debunking the myths and accepted truths which 'refuse to die'. Read more.
Gender and assessment by Tim Oates, 03 October 2016 Gender and assessment - surely everything's changed... but it's not clear that it has...
Tweaks, not bangs - continuing curriculum review by Tim Oates, 15 September 2016 Tim Oates argues that the curriculum isn't "all sorted", but a series of 'tweaks' rather than 'big bang' reform is what's needed.
Holding it all together... why we need a Framework for National Assessment by Tim Oates, 26 May 2016 Tim Oates argues that it's time to introduce a Framework for National Assessment to guarantee stability, quality and consensus.
Who's the most tested one of all? by Tim Oates, 16 May 2016 Tim Oates CBE looks to straighten the facts around fears the UK has one of the most assessed school systems in the world.