Philip Pullman joins calls to scrap baseline tests for four and five-year-olds

The author adds his voice to that of educationalists, early years specialists and psychologists in calling for the ‘statistically invalid’ assessments be stopped

Children’s author Philip Pullman has joined leading educationalists, early years specialists and psychologists in calling for the testing of four and five-year-olds in their first weeks at primary schools to be scrapped.

The tests, known as baseline assessment, are due to be trialled in a number of schools from September and will be used to measure basic skills including children’s ability to count and recognise letters and numbers immediately when they start in reception class. They will be introduced nationally in 2016.

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