Baseline assessment results at age 4: associations with pupil background factors

Abstract

Wandsworth Local Education Authority first introduced baseline assessment for all 4‐year‐olds entering primary school reception classes in Autumn 1992. Assessment of early literacy skills forms a central part of this, and methods include both structured teacher observation and a standardised assessment (the LARR Test of Emergent Literacy). This paper reports the baseline results for over 11,000 children who were assessed between 1993 and 1997. Results indicate significant variations in baseline attainment associated with pupils’ age, sex, length of nursery education, economic disadvantage, ethnic group and home language. The results also reveal complex interactions between these factors which are important for a full understanding of pupils’ attainment at this early age. At the school level, baseline results varied widely across schools with similar proportions of pupils entitled to free school meals and English as an additional language. This result urges caution in the interpretation of the benchmark data published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA, 1998). Data on pupils’ progress from baseline to the end of Key Stage 1 are summarised and the implications discussed.