Obsessed with Assessment – Details, episodes & analysis

The Curriculum and Assessment Review for England is well upon us. The newly elected Labour government stipulated that they wanted to deliver a “A broader, richer, cutting-edge curriculum that drives high and rising schools standards and sets all young people up for life and work”. They appointed an expert panel to lead the review in August 2024, this was followed by a “call for evidence” in September, in which stakeholders could submit their views online, and latterly the panel have been conducting regional roadshow events around the country. 

We’ve managed to get along to a couple of these events and we wanted to break down for you our reflections on what happened, what was said and whether there were any clues as to direction-of-travel next.

Sam welcomes his first ever guests onto Obsessed with Assessment podcast, hoping to go deeper still into the world of testing. John and Sophie bring their experience of working within the English exam system to offer insights aplenty. Most importantly, Sam is finally able to address the elephant in the room - The Exam Man's claim of being the number 1 exams and assessment podcast in the world!

An extended version of our chat can be found on The Exam Man channels:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/3w7fux47

Apple: https://tinyurl.com/ykme3xtr

Website: https://theexamman.com/episode/obsessed-with-assessment

We love to hear listener comments. If there is no function for leaving a message on your podcast platform of choice, then you can always email us at assessment@twinkl.co.uk. Please also like and subscribe.

Sam Denno can be found on x.com.

What are formative and summative assessment and when should we be using them in classroom practice? Sam and Paul share their research findings in this 15-minute CPD podcast.

Let us know your thoughts and ideas for future episodes by emailing us at assessment@twinkl.co.uk. And to read the blog that accompanies this podcast, click here.

This week, Sam and Paul take a look at what assessment might look like in the future. Are we on cusp of a classroom revolution in the UK?

If you've got a view on the issues in this episode, or you want to share your ideas for other episodes, email us on assessment@twinkl.co.uk. And if you'd like to read our accompanying blog, check it out here.

How did our obsession with exams, tests and data start, and what does it tell us about current practice? Sam and Paul dive into the fundamentals in their 15-minute CPD podcast.

Got some feedback on this episode or want to share some ideas? Email us on assessment@twinkl.co.uk. And if you'd like to read the blog that accompanies this episode, check it out here.

What are the realities of classroom assessment? How do we keep it effective without making our workload excessive? Find out with assessment experts Sam and Paul in this 15-minute CPD podcast from Twinkl.

Got a point of view to share or an idea for a podcast episode? Email us on assessment@twinkl.co.uk.

Sam and Emma dig into some learning and revision techniques that could offer students the means to enhance their grade outcomes. For real? They certainly think so, and they've been convinced by authors such as Jonathan Firth and Dr John Dunlovsky - both educators and psychologists - who provide ample evidence that these ideas should be taken seriously. OwA unpack retrieval practice and distributed practice, before squishing them together and offering the most potent solution to students' revision woes!

We'd love to hear your thoughts. You can leave a comment on some podcast platforms, or you can email the show at assessment@twinkl.co.uk. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam Denno can be found on x.com.

In what represents a brand new strand for Obsessed with Assessment podcast, we throw ourselves at the latest educational assessment news. Here, we look at Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson's talk to trust leaders on November 7th 2024 and carry out an analysis of all of the highlights, focusing, as is our wont on the implications for assessment in the UK.

Sam Denno is joined by new co-host, Emma Louise Rose-McHale, in the first of three episodes in which they explore the education system in Denmark, and specifically the way that assessment is used. They consider the advantages of the Danish methods, and how they differ to England. You can read the associated blog here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/obsessed-with-assessment-what-can-we-learn-from-denmark

You can also email Obsessed with Assessment at assessment@twinkl.co.uk.

Don't forget to like and subscribe if you find this episode helpful.

This week, Sam and Paul take a deep dive into data! Just how much should we rely on data when it comes to assessment? You can read the associated blog here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/assessment-what-are-the-limitations-of-data

If you have an assessment anecdote or an idea for an episode, drop us an email on assessment@twinkl.co.uk.