When we consider the children who do not sit the exam with the children who do not achieve the expected levels, we see that the differences in attainment outcomes increase over time.
Describing comparisons of attainment australia rcs data that are restricted to those who take the test could be misleading. To check the robustness of the finding, we should count all children in school in the denominator, including those who did not sit the test. This is especially important when comparing groups who are likely to be excluded from testing because of learning difficulties, behaviour problems or frequent absence.
The substantial increase in the proportion of children who do not sit these exams from Year 2 to Year 6 highlights a critical period where exams may become too challenging, or adequate support is lacking, causing many children with neurodisability to be excluded from assessments. SEN provision should focus on this stage of primary school to ensure these children receive the necessary support to participate fully.
A full description of our ongoing study can be found here.
ECHILDeducationhealthneurodisability
About the Author: Ayana Cant
Ayana is a research assistant at the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. Her current research focuses on linking health and education data to investigate the impact of chronic conditions and SEN provision on educational outcomes of primary school children in England.