Every autumn brings a familiar workload for assessment leaders, as they establish pupils’ starting points, check that systems are working and help colleagues make sense of the information they collect.
This year that work comes with more change than usual, including new inspection arrangements, revised statutory guidance and fresh national data, which together raise the question of what assessment leaders should be paying attention to.
Here are four questions worth asking this term.
1. Does our assessment approach still match the guidance?
The 2026-27 teacher assessment guidance sets out an important message: teachers should not track or record evidence solely to show that pupils have met individual framework statements, and a school’s assessment policy should set out when recording is needed.
It also states that AI tools and comparative judgement approaches should not be relied on to make or moderate judgements, which is timely as many schools are exploring how AI might support assessment.
Autumn is a good moment to check that your policy and day-to-day practice line up, and to ask whether everything teachers are recording is actually being used.
2. How well do we understand our data in context?
Inspectors now have more information than before. The IDSR includes school-level EYFS profile data for the first time, along with an expanded attendance section and a new similar schools comparison that groups schools by prior attainment, disadvantage and other contextual factors.
Assessment leaders who understand what this data shows, and how it compares with their own internal tracking, will be much better prepared for conversations with governors, senior leaders and inspectors.
It’s also worth reading the provisional KS2 prior attainment breakdowns with care this year, as the DfE are looking closely at the disadvantaged gap. You will want to be aware of how improvements in attainment for your pupils compares with national data.
3. Can we show that inclusion is making a difference?
Inclusion is now a discrete, graded evaluation area, and inspectors will look at how well schools support pupils who are disadvantaged, have SEND, are known to social care or face other barriers to learning.
For assessment leaders, this means being able to show both what support is in place and whether it is working. Can you identify how these groups are progressing, spot where gaps are widening and show that interventions are having an impact? Answering that confidently depends on assessment information that is well organised and easy to interpret.
4. How confident are colleagues in their judgements?
Reliable teacher assessment depends on a shared understanding of standards. Last year’s moderation found that greater depth judgements, along with rigour around spelling and punctuation, were less secure in some schools, so these are worth revisiting early through moderation and professional dialogue.
The statutory calendar matters here too. Several documents and deadlines have been published already and it helps to have key dates mapped out now and avoid a rush in spring.
Don’t Wait Until Spring
Several important statutory deadlines fall this term, and the inspection and data changes are already in effect, so the sooner assessment leaders are up to date, the easier the rest of the year will be.
Juniper Education’s School Assessment Leader training gives you the latest statutory updates, national data and inspection changes in one session, along with practical time to consider inclusion, moderation and AI with colleagues from other schools. You’ll come away knowing what has changed, what to prioritise and what to share with your senior leaders and staff.
Places are limited, so book now to secure yours.
Book your place for the autumn session.
