| Project | Consortium for Testing and Assessment in Schools KS3 |
| Year | 1989-1991 |
| Contributors |
Jim Patterson
Richard Kimbell Ali Farrell Tom Baird Jo Compton Paddy O’Hagan |
| Client | DES/SEAC |
Further information:
Not available electronically - all materials exist only in paper-based form and can only be accessed on site via the TERU Archives. Please email for access.
Context
The National Curriculum introduced technology as a foundation subject to be taught to all children from age 5-16. For Key Stage 3 (KS3, age 11-14) technology was the first ‘foundation’ subject to be assessed. Statutory Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) were to be introduced for end of key stage assessment in design & technology and Information Technology. The TERU team, part of a larger collaboration - the Consortium for Testing and Assessment in Schools (CATS), won the contract to develop the SATs and supporting materials, in parallel with a development team based at Middlesex University.
Focus
The team were asked to develop and trial a range of assessment tasks that could be used across all materials areas in d&t and all elements of IT.
Outcomes
Following trialling and a major pilot, a suite of tasks, both in English and Welsh were developed. The SATs were project based, integrated into the curriculum and seen as providing valid technological activities by teachers. However, the clients were seeking short, sharp focused tests that did not impinge on the curriculum and as a result the contract for developing the final versions was not awarded to the TERU team.