With children having to undergo what’s known as baseline assessments within a few weeks of starting school, it is no wonder why many parents are asking if we are putting too much pressure on our children. The government like to be able to ascertain where pupils are in terms of the academic abilities and then use this base line to go forwards with them throughout their educational life.

If for example a child scores higher than average on their baseline assessment then they would want to see this continue over the years through school, showing that they exceed the average expectations of children of the same age.

Although this is a way to keep track on how a school is performing, does it really need to be this strict and involving exams? Some children may excel initially but then find the first few years a school a challenge or may have personal issues at home affecting their learning. This could well mean that for a year or two they fall down to average or below average but is this necessarily a true reflection on the school?