Rethinking Assessment's News & Events

News & Events

See the latest news and events from Rethinking Assessment and our partners.

Upcoming events

Eton’s approach to AI and assessment

As part of the Network’s strand on AI and assessment Jonnie Noakes, Director of Teaching and Learning at Eton will share their current thinking and latest developments in this fast moving area….

Next Generation Assessment Conference 2026

An inspiring one day conference exploring how we can make assessment more inclusive and work better to ensure every young person thrives. Building on the success of last year’s Next Generation Assessment conference, this year’s event aims to dive deeper into the future of assessment, providing high quality examples of how you can change your classroom and improve student wellbeing. Haberdashers’ Hall, London. …

Next Generation Schools Conference

Big Education is delighted to announce our upcoming conference ‘Next Generation Schools 2026’. This conference will give you the opportunity to learn from schools across the country who are working to develop exciting approaches to leadership, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment that make a difference to learning, engage and motivate teachers and build stronger communities. Held 10am-5pm in Central London. …

AQA on AI Assessment

As part of the Network’s strand on AI and Assessment hear from AQA’s expert AI and Education insight leads on the latest thinking from the exam board on the opportunities and risks ahead….

In the news

Could learner profiles fix our broken assessment system?

It is a travesty that young people are typically judged solely by a set of numbers and letters. Rethinking Assessment’s Peter Hyman, Bill Lucas and Rachel Macfarlane explore how the new RA “learner profile” can help build an approach to assessment that recognises the talents of each young person. …

Re-assessing assessment

Holly Branson discusses the recent Times Education Commission which showed the desire amongst businesses to reform assessment. She highlights the work of Bill Lucas, reflecting that the firm arguments from his report The Case for Change are exactly what we need to change assessment for the better. …

The battle for the future of assessment

Schools Week examines the growing mass of education reports and commentaries that reveal dissatisfaction with the current system. Rethinking Assessment is mentioned alongside Pearson and the IAC as organisations embarking on research, reviews and an exploration of alternatives to the current system….

Swap ‘cliff-edge’ GCSEs for ‘test when ready’ says exams review

The Independent Assessment Commission’s final report recommended that we should move to test our students when they’re ready. Geoff Barton of ASCL and Tim Oates of Cambridge Assessment discuss the strengths and limitations of this recommendation. …

Camden Council's 2030 Education Strategy

Camden Council have explicitly mentioned Rethinking Assessment in their 2030 Education Strategy, stating that they want to “Test new approaches to assessment using teacher research to support the Rethinking Assessment movement” over the next two years. …

What should matter most for getting into college? In the UK, more than a score.

The case is made for making the legacy of the covid-19 pandemic a better, more equitable and valuable assessment system that is not encompassed by ‘one-size-fits-all’ exams. The authors explain how a group of educators are brainstorming better ways to assess teenagers why this must be done. …

3 reasons GCSEs need to change – and 3 alternatives

Bill Lucas, Peter Hyman and Alistair McConville discuss the failings of the GCSE system: they are unfair, unreliable and a waste of public money. Look at the future of assessment, they explore alternatives such as a character scorecard, the extended project qualification and comparative methods….

'Scrap GCSEs to protect pupils' mental health'

Sian Griffiths reflects on the open letter and highlights the link between our current assessment system and declining mental health among young people in the UK. Griffiths reports that currently 1 in 10 aged 5-16 have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem. …

If GCSEs fall out of fashion, finding a school could get much more exciting

Leah Hardy reflects on the effects that potential changes to assessments would have on choosing schools. If Rethinking Assessment’s aims came to fruition, choosing a school for one’s children becomes an exciting prospect, with far more focus on mental health, individualism and a broad curriculum….

Why we should scrap all school exams for the year ahead

Victoria Lambert reflects on the upcoming 2021 wave of exams announced by the government and calls for the whole exam system to be scrapped for 2021, urging that this offers the education system a chance to reflect as to whether they want to stay in this system or move into into the 21st century….

GCSEs need to be scrapped – old-school grades have had their day

Victoria Lambert reports on the sorry state of 2021 GCSE exams outlining the debate between those who support the new system or the old. She highlights that as an alternative to exams, a collation of the entire school experience could be far more beneficial to students, universities and employers. …

Schools seize on ‘perfect time’ to explore a future free of GCSEs

Sian Griffiths reports on two schools which will open and will not be offering GCSEs, backing a national movement to scrap GCSEs. They argue that the pandemic disrupting the exam system has provided the perfect opportunity to implement this necessary change to assessments in the UK….

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