The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) has been statutory for schools since September 2021. It was originally intended for introduction in 2020, but was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This controversial on-entry assessment looks at pupils’ basic skills as they arrive at school, and is now a notable feature of the autumn term calendar for Reception teachers and early years leaders.
The results of the RBA are compared with pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 to measure the progress that children make throughout their time in primary school. The first results of this progress measure will be published in 2028.
So what’s involved in the administration of the assessment? And how will the data be used? Our guide explains all.
What is the Reception Baseline Assessment?
The RBA assesses early maths and literacy, communication and language. It’s not a test as such, because of the age of the children being assessed. Instead, it’s called an “age-appropriate assessment”.
The assessment is linked to the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) and is delivered one-to-one with pupils in English.
When does the RBA take place?
Pupils starting Reception (the academic year in which they turn 5) in September will take the RBA in their first six weeks of school.
Any pupils joining the class at a later date (as part of a spring or summer cohort, for example) will also take it in their first six weeks, unless the assessment has already been completed at a different school.
More information on primary assessment
Who can administer the RBA?
The person completing the RBA with the pupil should be the Reception class teacher, the Reception teaching assistant or another suitably qualified professional who’s known to the pupil (such as the EYFS lead or Sendco).
What does the RBA look like?
The RBA should take up to 20 minutes per pupil to complete, but it can be paused and restarted. There are two parts to the assessment:
1. Mathematics tasks
- Early numbers
- Early addition and subtraction
- Mathematical language
- Early understanding of pattern
2. Literacy, communication and language tasks
- Early vocabulary
- Phonological awareness
- Early comprehension
The exercises include practical tasks using physical resources, such as plastic shapes and picture cards. The pupil can respond through speaking, pointing or moving objects.
How is the assessment recorded?
As the pupil engages with the tasks, there’s an online scoring system for the practitioner to complete. The total number of marks available in the assessment is 39.
The online system will automatically “route” the pupil through the assessment, so they’re not presented with too many tasks they’re likely to be unsuccessful with. The number of tasks will vary, but all pupils will be given tasks that add up to at least 22 marks.
Is the assessment adapted for pupils with SEND?
The RBA has been designed to be accessible to the majority of pupils on entry to school. It has been designed so pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those learning English as an additional language (EAL) can participate in the standard assessment format.
Modified resources are available for pupils with visual impairments. For pupils with a hearing impairment or who use sign language, the assessment can be carried out in British Sign Language or any sign-supported English using signs the pupil is familiar with.
What is the RBA data used for?
The scores recorded by school staff on the online system will be sent to the national pupil database. They’re not standardised for the age of the pupil and there’s no pass mark.
This data will be used to create a cohort-level progress measure of schools at the end of key stage 2, when pupils take Sats exams and move on to secondary education.
Schools will get narrative statements describing how each pupil did on the different content in the assessment.
What is the RBA data not used for?
The individual scores from the RBA won’t be made available to the school. The data therefore can’t be used to:
- Gain detailed information about pupils’ areas for development
- Provide ongoing formative information for practitioners
- Measure performance in the early years
- Evaluate pre-school settings
- Hold early years practitioners to account
Schools must carry out their own internal assessments if they want to collect data for any of these purposes.
What are the main criticisms of the RBA?
As the results of the tests are not shared in full with schools, instead being held for use by the Department for Education, some primary leaders have questioned the value of an assessment that takes up staff time but delivers no discernible classroom benefit.
There are also workload and supply concerns around the RBA.
Many report that the RBA takes much longer than 20 minutes to administer to each pupil in practice, meaning more time taken out of teachers’ week - especially those with large classes.
The one-to-one nature of the assessment also means teachers need cover - without any funding to pay for it.
Teachers have also expressed that the test itself is “a bit dull”, resulting in some children losing concentration halfway through. “We are not always seeing the best engagement or focus,” says early years lead Helen Pinnington, leading to concerns that the RBA could be failing to measure ability accurately.
Read more: Reception baseline: wrong time, wrong idea?
