Givan welcomes Independent Review of Assessment Report

Date published: 5 March 2026

The Review examines assessment of pupils from ages 4 to 14 throughout primary school and Key Stage 3 (Years 8-10) at post-primary.

The published report ‘Supporting Progress for Every Child’ sets out key recommendations on the purpose, nature and design of assessment. It proposes a new framework of short, low-stakes assessments to support learning in the key areas of literacy, number and science. These assessments are taken in class and like current assessments used by schools annually, do not require any revision or preparation.

The aim is to provide clear, consistent and easy to understand information to parents and teachers on children’s progress throughout their time in school. Schools currently buy-in commercial assessments to track children’s progress across the curriculum. This new approach will end the need for every school to spend significant resources on different assessments that cannot be used to understand our education system as a whole.

The review was conducted by a panel of education experts made up of Tim Oates CBE, Dr Mick Walker and Garry Matthewson, former Principal of Holy Family Primary School. 

Responding to the report, Education Minister, Paul Givan said: 

“I welcome the Independent Review of Assessment Panel’s report and thank the Panel for their thorough and thoughtful work. When I launched my education strategy, TransformED, I was clear that we needed to fundamentally review assessment arrangements in Northern Ireland. This report delivers on that commitment. The Panel has conducted an evidence-based review of international approaches and set out thoughtful proposals on the purpose, nature and design of assessment.

“Importantly, the Panel heard directly from teachers and school leaders who spoke not only of their commitment to high standards, but also of the challenges posed by duplication, workload, administrative burden and assessment becoming an end in itself. The proposals in this report explicitly address those concerns. They aim to reduce workload, remove unnecessary complexity and ensure assessment informs learning rather than adding pressure to the system.”

The Minister continued: 

“This report gives us a strong evidence base to develop an assessment system for Northern Ireland that sets high standards and supports progress for every child.” 

The Chair of the Independent Review Panel, Tim Oates CBE, said: 

“The Panel wish to thank all those across the education system who took the time to engage with us and share their insights. The scale of response and the quality of professional insight shared were invaluable in informing our work.

“Our recommendations are grounded in evidence-informed practice and research. They have focused on ‘policy learning’, not ‘policy borrowing’, to ensure solutions are bespoke and appropriate for Northern Ireland. The Panel proposes a streamlined statutory assessment pathway focusing on literacy, numeracy and science, designed to be low‑workload, high‑impact and aligned with the forthcoming curriculum. All elements of our report focus on both equity and attainment: supporting the progress of every child.”

Paul Givan concluded: 

“This report marks an important milestone in our work to build an assessment system that truly supports learning, promotes equity, drives excellence and ensures every learner has the chance to succeed. Crucially, it provides a pathway to reduce workload, simplify processes and support schools in focusing on what matters most: high‑quality teaching and the progress of every child.  I will now carefully consider the findings and recommendations before setting out next steps.”

The Panel's work was informed by extensive stakeholder engagement, including direct engagement with schools, a written consultation and a public call for evidence, to identify current best practice and key areas for development.

The full report of the Independent Review of Assessment is available at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/independent-review-assessment.