Early years experts demand 'urgent review' of RBA

A letter to education secretary Lucy Powell calling for an “urgent review” of the Reception Baseline Assessment has received more than 130 signatures from prominent figures in the early years and the wider education sector.

The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) contradicts the government’s stated concerns about children’s screen use, the letter states, calling for a review of both the touchscreen component and the test overall.

Those named in the letter include Beatrice Merrick, chief executive of the British Association for Early Childhood Education; Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU teaching union; and representatives of the UCL Institute of Education.

Reliability of the RBA questioned

The RBA is taken by Reception pupils aged 4-5 within the first six weeks of their first term. The government’s guidance on screen time for children aged 2 to 5 advises parents to “try to keep it to one hour a day” but “less if possible”.

The letter argues that the RBA, having become fully digital since September 2025, contradicts the government’s own guidance.

It also references NEU survey data collected in 2025, revealing that less than 5 per cent of teachers believed the RBA was a “good experience for children” and two-thirds of respondents said that increased screen time was detrimental to their classes.

The letter states: “The reliability of RBA data has always been criticised; digitisation has further undermined its credibility.

“If children are unsure how to use the technology or answer the questions, or become distressed while trying, the digital technology is not accurately assessing a child’s abilities. How can these results possibly provide an accurate baseline for a progress measure in Year 6?”

The letter adds: “Please urgently review not just the use of touchscreens in the RBA, but the flawed nature of this assessment and its impact on Reception classes.”

Answers sought from education secretary

Those behind the letter have said they would be keen to meet the education secretary to discuss the matter.

Alison Ali, spokesperson for the More Than A Score campaign group, said: “In 2028 the RBA results will be used as a measure of progress to Year 6 Sats.

“We are still waiting for the government to explain how a 20-minute test taken at the age of 4 will be compared to four days of maths and English tests.”

She added: “Perhaps Lucy Powell will be the first education secretary to listen to those who know young children best, and put an end to this waste of classroom time.”

Last September, during the first year of a fully digital assessment, Teacher Tapp survey data shared with Tes revealed that two in three teachers faced “technical problems” in delivering the RBA, which heads said would result in inaccurate school and pupil data going to the Department for Education.

The DfE has been asked for comment.