GL Education’s International Director, James Neill shares his insights on the current trends in assessment and evaluation among British schools and how transforming assessment policies can help improve education.
Having gained my degree in Physics, a PGCE beckoned. I taught both physics and science at schools in Nottingham, London and Thailand, and I then joined Pearson Edexcel, where I worked with schools and stakeholders in England and the Middle East to support curriculum development. I was fascinated by the educational differences between the two parts of the world, and GL Education gave me the chance to explore this more. As an established, trusted, UK-based organisation, it has given me a great opportunity to help share good assessment practice and improve teaching and learning on a global scale.
When it comes to using our kind of assessments – assessments that identify a student’s potential, attainment and any barriers to learning they may face – schools around the world are all at different stages. No two schools have exactly the same starting point; each has its own challenges depending on their mix of student nationalities, the curricula they offer, teacher experience and a number of students with English as an Additional Language (EAL), for example, as well as the local regulations that are in place.
Some of the most interesting projects I’ve been involved with are the ones that support schools in understanding how assessment data can support literacy and EAL strategies.
We have seen a much greater appreciation of how assessment data can help students reach their potential, as well as how data can support school improvement. This is true in British schools in the Middle East, as well as CBSE and IB schools in the region, too.
We are also hearing this from partner organisations in the region, such as BSME, CIS and COBIS, who are all seeing schools using assessment data effectively to support their accreditation programmes.
The other big trend is the sea change in understanding about student wellbeing – the world has woken up to the fact that student wellbeing is a huge part of the picture and I think it’s fair to say that the Middle East is a shining light here.
We recently conducted a huge study of pupil attitudes in the Middle East and South East Asia, and our analyses showed that one in ten children in international schools has attitudinal roadblocks to learning. In particular, a significant minority of students struggle with low levels of self-belief, a poor perception of their own capabilities and little confidence in their own learning. A lot is being done to support student wellbeing but clearly, we need to do more.
Traditionally, schools focused mainly on the final exams that students take at age 16 or 18. However, schools are now seeing the benefits of using assessment data much earlier on. This kind of data allows schools, teachers, parents and students take more ownership and control over their learning, which in turn helps students to reach their potential.
It’s important to note that assessment in itself is not the answer, though; it’s what you do with the data that counts. It’s the ‘so what?’ factor – what does the data show and how can you use it to make an impact? If this kind of data can’t be used to improve teaching and learning, schools shouldn’t use it.
Schools in the Middle East have been using our assessments – such as the Cognitive Abilities Test and the Progress Test Series – for many years now and we will be showcasing some of the excellent assessment practice that is emerging in the region.
We’re delighted to welcome Matthew Savage, the Principal of the International Community School Amman, who is a passionate believer in how data can empower educators to understand their students better, personalise their learning experience and help them on the path to success. Don’t miss it!
James Neill is the International Director at GL Education, a leading provider of benchmarking, formative and diagnostic assessments to British, bilingual and international schools in over 100 countries worldwide. James works with international schools, stakeholders and Ministries of Education to support their use of GL Education’s assessments in the Middle East and around the world.
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