Rethinking Assessment is delighted to share The Practice Network Case Studies 2025 – a new publication celebrating the creativity, courage and collaboration of schools and educators who are exploring what assessment could look like when it truly reflects the full breadth of learning.

Funded by the Comino Foundation, and supported by the Edge Foundation, the Practice Network 2024-5 brought together schools and colleges across the UK to experiment with innovative approaches to assessment, from digital learner profiles and skills-based rubrics to the use of artificial intelligence in teaching and feedback. The result is a collection of rich, reflective case studies that offer inspiration and practical insight for anyone interested in rethinking assessment in their own context.

A Community of Innovators

The Practice Network is a growing community of forward-thinking schools, colleges and educators who are ready to move beyond the constraints of traditional assessment models. Over the previous academic year 2024-5, thirteen institutions worked together in themed workstreams, exploring one of three key areas: AI and assessment, digital learner profiles, and skills assessment.

Through a mix of expert-led webinars, collaborative design sessions and peer discussion, participants have had the chance to learn from national and international examples, test new ideas in their own settings, and share their emerging practices with others.

As Professor José Chambers MBE, Chair of Trustees at the Comino Foundation, notes in her Foreword to the report, these schools are part of an “empowered movement”, one that encourages teachers and learners to co-own the process of assessment, and to use it as a tool for reflection, growth and genuine understanding.

Learner Profiles: Making Learning Visible

For many schools, the process of rethinking assessment began with a simple but powerful question: how can we capture a fuller, more personal picture of each child’s learning journey?

At Cuffley Primary School in Hertfordshire, this question led to the creation of digital learner profiles designed to give every pupil a voice in how their learning is represented. Built using Google Sites and updated regularly through structured one-to-one conversations, these profiles include a personal About Me section, reflections on achievements and challenges, and multimedia evidence such as photos, artwork and project records.

Teachers found that the profiles strengthened relationships and helped staff understand their pupils as whole people, not just learners. They also provided valuable continuity through transitions between year groups. Next year, Cuffley plans to expand the model across Upper Key Stage 2, building time into the school day for pupils to maintain and reflect on their profiles more independently.

Meanwhile, MADE – Manchester’s Local Cultural Education Partnership has adapted the learner profile approach to support young people taking part in its Creative Leaders Programme. The team recognised that participants were developing key leadership skills through real-world cultural projects, but lacked a way to track and showcase their growth. Their new learner profile tool will enable students to evidence skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and communication across the year, not only as part of reflection, but as a foundation for employability and creative confidence.

Skills-Based Assessment in Action

Other members of the Practice Network have been experimenting with embedding skills assessment directly into the curriculum.

At The Bolton School Junior Girls’ Division, staff extended their “Hesketh Habits” framework across Years 3–6, integrating skills like curiosity, creativity and communication into cross-curricular inquiry projects. From designing mythical creatures in English and History to creating eco-advocacy campaigns about rainforests, pupils combined subject knowledge with real-world skills. Each project culminated in a digital portfolio, a visually rich record of learning that combined photos, videos and written reflections.

Similarly, Hayfield Lane Primary School in Doncaster focused on revitalising pupil motivation and confidence in writing through their well-established “3Cs” framework: critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. Their work this year saw pupils take ownership of the writing process, using peer feedback, prototyping, and reflection to improve their work. Staff reported impressive outcomes – not only improved writing quality, but increased enthusiasm and agency among pupils.

At The Hathershaw College in Oldham, music teachers tackled a long-standing challenge: how to make feedback and progress visible in a practical subject. Moving beyond topic-by-topic rubrics, they developed a new model based on what it means to be an expert musician, with consistent criteria used across Key Stage 3. This new approach allows students to understand the long-term trajectory of their musical development while supporting teachers with a more coherent assessment framework.

Exploring AI in Assessment

At Ladybridge High School in Bolton, staff have been exploring how artificial intelligence might enhance both formative and summative assessment. Starting with creative subjects like Art, teachers have trialled AI tools such as ChatGPT for learners over age 13, Brisk and Diffit to help generate differentiated learning resources, scaffold feedback and enrich student reflection.

AI was also tested as a way to model and improve self-assessment. For instance, photography students used AI-generated critique prompts to analyse and refine their own work, an exercise that strengthened both subject understanding and digital literacy. Teachers emphasise that this is still early-stage exploration, but it has already prompted valuable professional dialogue about ethics, accuracy and the role of AI in supporting human judgment.

The school’s next step is to create a coherent whole-school policy on AI use in teaching and learning, ensuring that innovation remains responsible, equitable and aligned with their educational values.

Learning Together: A Shared Journey

What stands out most across these case studies is the power of collaboration. Schools are not working in isolation; they are learning with and from each other. The Practice Network has created a safe space for professional curiosity and a place to share successes, discuss challenges and adapt ideas to suit different contexts.

These projects are very much works in progress. There is no single model or template for rethinking assessment, and that’s exactly the point. Each school is finding its own path, shaped by its learners, staff, and community. Whether through learner profiles, digital portfolios, skills rubrics or AI experimentation, these educators are redefining what it means to evidence learning in ways that are humane, authentic and future-focused.

Looking Ahead

As the Practice Network moves into its next phase, Rethinking Assessment is delighted to share that the Practice Network is now available publicly, thanks to funding from AQA this year.

The new programme of speakers is free to all schools and colleges and aims to support schools in testing, refining and sharing their work. With this new partnership with AQA and an ever-growing community of schools, the movement towards more meaningful, learner-centred assessment continues to build momentum.

For educators curious about what’s possible, and eager to join a network of schools reimagining assessment for the future, The Practice Network Case Studies 2025 offers inspiration, practical ideas and proof that change is already happening.