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2025 ARA PSC

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2025 phonics screening check assessment and reporting arrangements

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This guidance sets out the statutory requirements for national curriculum assessment and reporting during key stage 1 (KS1), for the academic year 2024 to 2025, which comprises the phonics screening check normally conducted in year 1 or, for some pupils, in year 2. It is produced by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE), and is relevant until the end of the academic year 2024 to 2025.

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National curriculum assessments: optional key stage 1 tests

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Guidance for headteachers, teachers and test administrators involved in administering the optional national curriculum tests for the end of key stage 1 (KS1).

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1.1 About this guidance

This guidance sets out the statutory requirements for the reception baseline assessment (RBA) and reporting arrangements for the academic year 2024 to 2025. The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) contracted the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to develop and deliver the RBA, and there will be references throughout this document to NFER's engagement with schools.

These assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) apply to the following schools with a reception cohort:

maintained schools, including maintained special schools

academies, including free schools

Ministry of Defence (MoD) schools

1.2 Who is this guidance for?

This guidance is for:

all staff responsible for administering the RBA

headteachers and senior leadership teams

governors and trustees

1.3 Legal status

The ARA contains delegated supplementary provision made under Article 3D of The Early Years Foundation Stage (Learning and Development Requirements) Order 2007. The Secretary of State has consulted the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) before making these provisions. Article 3D is made by the Secretary of State under powers in section 42 of the Childcare Act 2006. This document gives full effect to the provisions made in the 2007 Order concerning the RBA and has effect as if made by the Order. The ARA also contains guidance and information that does not form part of the law. Section 11 explains how the arrangements apply to different types of schools.

The statutory requirements in this document are indicated by the use of the word 'must'. Additionally, providers must take into account other provisions in this document and should not depart from them unless there is good reason for doing so. These provisions are indicated by the use of the word 'should'.

2. Reception baseline assessment

2.1 Overview

The RBA is an age-appropriate assessment of early mathematics and early literacy, communication and language. It is delivered in English and is administered within the first 6 weeks of a pupil starting reception. The assessment has 2 components, each consisting of practical tasks using physical resources. There is an online scoring system for the practitioner to use as the pupil engages with the tasks. The Department for Education (DfE) will use the data from the RBA to create school-level progress measures for primary schools, which will show the progress of pupils from reception until the end of key stage 2.

2.2 Assessment framework

The reception baseline assessment framework is written for assessment developers, though it may also be of interest to schools.

The framework sets out:

what is assessed by the RBA

assessment design and delivery

Teachers should not use the assessment framework to guide teaching and learning. Schools should continue to follow the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework for group and school-based providers until the end of the reception year. Schools may also find it useful to refer to Development Matters, which is non-statutory curriculum guidance for the EYFS, available to support providers in their delivery of the EYFS learning and development requirements. As the Development Matters guidance is non-statutory, Ofsted and inspectorates of independent schools will not have regard to it in carrying out inspections and it is up to providers to decide how they approach the curriculum.

2.3 Confirmation form

Schools must confirm their RBA contact details for the academic year 2024 to 2025 by completing the RBA confirmation form sent to participating schools' email addresses.

STA takes email addresses from Get Information about Schools (GIAS), so schools must ensure their details are up to date and sign in to GIAS via DfE Sign-in to review their details and make any changes. You can find information about updating your school's records in the 'Help' menu on the GIAS website.

Schools will receive the RBA confirmation form on Monday 13 May 2024 and must complete it by Friday 14 June 2024.

The form asks schools to provide:

their headteacher's name and email address

their nominated RBA lead's name and email address

the number of pupils anticipated in their upcoming reception cohort

the date in the autumn term when their reception cohort will start school

Schools that will not have a reception cohort in the academic year 2024 to 2025 should confirm this using the form.

If schools do not receive the RBA confirmation form, they should contact the RBA helpline on 0330 088 4171.

2.4 Assessment materials

Schools will not automatically receive RBA materials for the academic year 2024 to 2025. You should have securely stored the materials used for the RBA in the academic year 2023 to 2024 for reuse with the September 2024 reception intake.

Schools that are new to the RBA, such as newly established schools, will receive assessment materials at the beginning of the 2024 autumn term.

If schools have any concerns regarding their assessment materials, they should contact the RBA helpline on 0330 088 4171.

2.5 Making adaptations to the assessment

We have developed the RBA to be an inclusive assessment, accessible to the majority of pupils on entry to school. We have designed it so that pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and those learning English as an additional language can participate.

Practitioners can make adaptations to the resources if they deem this necessary - for example, enlarging them to an appropriate size for the pupil. Any adaptations should not advantage individual pupils and you should base them primarily on early indication of what is normal classroom practice. You can find information on adapting resources in the RBA administration guide, provided with your assessment materials and available to download from the 'Documents' area of the Baseline ePortal (BeP), and in the modified guide which you can request through the 'Resources' area of the BeP.

Schools may find that some pupils are unable to access the assessment even with necessary adaptations. If this is the case, schools must record those pupils as 'disapplied' on the BeP (see section 6.1). This includes schools where all pupils are unable to access the assessment.

2.6 Modified assessment materials

Modified materials are available for pupils with visual impairments where adjustments to the standard resources would not be sufficient. Schools who require these materials can request them through the 'Resources' area of the BeP.

More information on modified materials is available in the RBA administration guide provided with assessment materials and downloadable from the BeP.

These dates may be subject to change.

Monday 13 May

Schools receive the RBA confirmation form via email, requesting updated RBA contact details.

Friday 14 June

Deadline for all schools to complete the RBA confirmation form.

Start of the autumn term

RBA contacts receive sign in details for the BeP.

Schools can upload pupil data and administer assessments with pupils from the start of their autumn term.

Narrative reports for pupils who have completed both assessment components are available for practitioners to download.

Tuesday 5 November

Deadline for headteachers to submit the headteacher's declaration form (HDF) on the BeP.

4. Responsibilities

4.1 Headteachers' responsibilities

All references to headteachers include acting headteachers or anyone with delegated authority in the absence of the headteacher.

Headteachers must ensure that:

the requirements outlined in the ARA are implemented in their school

teachers and other staff comply with the ARA

the deadlines in the ARA are met

the needs of all pupils are considered, and suitable arrangements are put in place to enable pupils to take part in the assessment, where possible - refer to section 6.1

parents are issued with a privacy notice that explains how pupils' personal data is processed

Headteachers must:

complete and submit the RBA confirmation form by Friday 14 June 2024

ensure pupil data has been uploaded to the BeP for all reception pupils, including any who start reception later in the academic year

work with practitioners to identify which pupils will take the RBA and whether there are any who the headteacher should disapply from the assessment

discuss with practitioners whether any pupils will need modified versions of the assessment and, if so, place an order on the BeP

keep all assessment materials secure and confidential

ensure that those administering the assessment are familiar with the materials and follow the guidance in the RBA administration guide

ensure that assessments are administered in the first 6 weeks of participating pupils starting reception

work with practitioners to ensure that they have recorded an appropriate assessment status on the BeP for any pupils not participating in the assessment - refer to section 6.1

notify STA of any incident that may have affected the integrity, security or confidentiality of the assessment

complete and submit the RBA HDF on the BeP by Tuesday 5 November 2024

Headteacher's declaration form

The HDF confirms that either:

all assessments have been, or will be, administered according to guidance

issues have been, or will be, reported to the RBA helpline on 0330 088 4171, as set out in Annex B, paragraphs 21 and 22 (headteacher's responsibilities), of the EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers

The HDF will be available from the start of the autumn term, and you must submit it by Tuesday 5 November 2024.

If you cannot complete the HDF, or have made errors in your submission, you should notify the RBA helpline on 0330 088 4171.

4.2 Teachers' responsibilities

Teachers and other practitioners administering the RBA must comply with the statutory provisions of this ARA and should also follow the guidance and information within this ARA. The same applies to Annex B of the EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers, when carrying out assessment and reporting functions.

5. Assessment administration

5.1 When to administer the assessment

Practitioners must complete the RBA for participating pupils in the first 6 weeks after they enter reception. Assessments must continue throughout the academic year for any pupils who join reception and have not already participated in the RBA.

5.2 Staff administering the assessment

The assessment must be administered on a one-to-one basis by a practitioner who is known to the pupil. This does not need to be the class teacher. It could be a reception teaching assistant or suitably qualified practitioner, such as an early years lead or special educational needs coordinator (SENCO).

Practitioners should familiarise themselves with the preview assessment, assessment training videos and administration guidance on the BeP ahead of administering the RBA to their pupils. Training can be completed individually, in groups, or across schools.

Accounts should not be shared, so each practitioner administering the assessment must have their own named BeP account. The school's Admin account must create these accounts and give them practitioner permissions. Practitioners can also be given Administrator permissions, if required.

5.3 Sign in details

At the end of the academic year 2023 to 2024, each school's pupil details, assessment data and school-created staff accounts will be removed from their BeP.

Schools must provide contact details for their headteacher and RBA lead for the academic year 2024 to 2025 via the confirmation form - refer to section 2.3.

School IDs and usernames will not change for the Admin and Headteacher accounts. For security, however, the passwords for these accounts will be reset.

Prior to the start of the autumn term, NFER will send out the sign in details and new passwords, needed to access the BeP, to the contacts provided in the confirmation form.

The Admin account can then be used to create individual accounts for staff members who will carry out the assessment.

5.4 Password resets

If a member of staff forgets their password, it can be reset via a school's Admin account on the BeP. Headteachers are also able to reset passwords for any member of staff.

The Admin account can also be used to reset the Headteacher password. This can be done via the 'Administration' area of the BeP under 'Manage staff'. Information on how to do this is available in the 'Help' area of the BeP.

Schools can upload pupil data using the Admin or Headteacher accounts. You can also create named user accounts with Administrator permissions to upload pupil data.

Schools must upload data to the BeP for all reception pupils at the start of the autumn term, before carrying out any assessments. The 'System guide', available in the 'Help' area of the BeP, gives detailed instructions on how to do this.

Pupil data uploaded before the start of the academic year will be treated as part of the reception cohort in the previous academic year 2023 to 2024. This data will be removed from the BeP before the start of the new academic year.

We recommend that schools use a Common Transfer File (CTF) to upload pupil data onto the BeP. Alternatively, you can download templates from the BeP to populate with pupil data and then upload onto the BeP.

The BeP will ask for pupils' personal details, including a unique pupil number (UPN). If a pupil is uploaded with a temporary UPN and a permanent UPN is available later on, their UPN can be amended:

1. Sign in to the Admin account, Headteacher account, or a named account with Administrator permissions.

2. Access the 'Manage pupils' area, find the pupil's name in the list of pupils and select the 'Edit' icon on the row displaying the pupil's details.

3. Update the UPN field and save the change.

Schools should continue to upload pupil data for any pupils who start reception later in the academic year and have not already completed the assessment.

5.6 Running assessments

Instructions on running the assessments are available in the training materials on the BeP. However, the following helpful tips will assist with successful administration.

Before starting an assessment, ensure you only have one tab open on your browser.

If you need to pause or discontinue an assessment (refer to section 6.4), you should select either the 'Pause' or 'Discontinue' button, which will lead to a screen asking for a reason. Selecting from the radio buttons displayed and submitting the reason will return you to the list of pupils. You should use the navigation features within the BeP, and not use the browser's 'Back' button, to return to the assessment screen.

When completing an assessment, it is important to select the 'End' button. This will return you to the list of pupils.

For security reasons, users who are about to leave their computer unattended should sign out of the BeP, close any open tabs and close the browser before doing so.

5.7 Data collection and reporting

Practitioners must record a pupil's answers on the BeP. While administering the assessment, the practitioner must select 'Yes' if the pupil answers correctly, or 'No' if the pupil answers the question incorrectly. The data will be submitted automatically, but practitioners should make sure to press the 'End' button at the end of each assessment component to ensure that the assessment status is correctly updated.

Narrative statements on how pupils performed in the assessment, across both components, will be available for practitioners to download from the 'Reporting' area of the BeP from the start of the autumn term.

No numerical score will be shared, and DfE will only use the assessment data for the purposes of calculating the progress measure.

5.8 Security of assessment materials

Headteachers must continue to keep materials secure and ensure that confidentiality of assessment materials is maintained at all times so that no pupil has an advantage. Schools must not use assessment materials for any purpose other than administering the assessment.

Headteachers must ensure teachers and all other staff who may handle the materials understand the need to maintain the integrity, security and confidentiality of the assessment.

5.9 Administration guidance

Schools must administer the assessment in accordance with the administration guide. This ensures that assessments are delivered consistently and fairly.

The administration guide is available on the BeP in the 'Documents' area. To access this area, select your account name in the top right corner, then select 'Documents' from the drop-down menu.

The administration guide contains assessment-specific content and you must keep it secure.

If you have any questions about the administration guide, please contact the RBA helpline on 0330 088 4171.

5.10 IT guidance

Schools should check that their operating systems and internet browsers are compatible with the BeP and familiarise themselves with the online system guidance available in the 'Help' area.

Suitable operating systems include:

It is strongly recommended that schools use the latest versions of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge to access the BeP. The latest versions of Safari and Firefox are, however, also suitable.

6. Assessment participation

6.1 Participating pupils

Schools must upload details for all eligible pupils in the reception cohort to the BeP.

Headteachers make the final decision about whether it is appropriate for a pupil to take the RBA. In exceptional circumstances, headteachers may decide that a pupil is unable to participate, even when making appropriate adaptations to resources, and should therefore be disapplied. In these cases, a headteacher should:

discuss the pupil's circumstances and needs with their parents and teachers

if appropriate, consult with the school's SENCO, an educational psychologist, medical professional, or other specialist staff, to consider whether modified resources may make the assessment accessible

To disapply a pupil, the headteacher should sign in to the BeP using their Headteacher account and select the 'Headteacher' area. Pupils cannot be disapplied once they have started an assessment. You should not start assessments for pupils who may be marked as 'disapplied'. The headteacher must confirm that the pupil cannot access either component of the assessment. For more detail on how to do this, please refer to the 'System guide' in the 'Help' area of the BeP.

Every school is required to upload all reception pupils to the BeP, including pupils who are unable to access the assessment and who will therefore be marked as 'disapplied'. Failure to do so may result in a maladministration investigation.

6.2 Pupils who change schools

If a pupil arrives at your school after completing both assessment components at another school, they do not need to be reassessed, nor does their data need to be uploaded to the BeP. However, if their data has been uploaded to your school in error, you should change their overall status to 'pupil uploaded in error/did not join the school'.

If a pupil leaves your school before they completed the whole assessment, you should change that pupil's overall status to 'pupil has left the school without completing assessments'.

6.3 Delaying pupils

It may be appropriate for the headteacher to delay a pupil's assessment if they are unable to complete the assessment within 6 weeks of starting reception - for example, a pupil may not start school at the intended time due to deferred entry or a long period of illness. To delay a pupil's assessment, the headteacher must sign in to the BeP using their Headteacher account and select the 'Headteacher' area.

If you record a pupil as delayed, they will have an assessment status of 'delayed incomplete' until they complete the assessment. Pupils who have completed the assessment after being marked as delayed will have an assessment status of 'delayed complete'. A pupil cannot have an assessment status of 'delayed complete' until they have completed the assessment.

6.4 Assessment statuses

Schools must ensure all pupils have an assessment status on the BeP 6 weeks after entering reception. This includes pupils not participating in the assessment.

Schools will be able to assign one of the following statuses on the BeP:

assessment complete

delayed complete

delayed incomplete

disapplied (unable to participate in the assessment)

pupil has left the school without completing assessments

pupil uploaded in error/did not join the school

If a pupil has been set to 'pupil uploaded in error/did not join the school' or 'pupil has left the school without completing assessments' by mistake, a headteacher can reset their status to 'pupil enrolled at this school' by editing the pupil's details using their Headteacher account.

7. Quality monitoring

We use quality monitoring to ensure the assessment is administered according to the guidance and practitioners have sufficient understanding of how to administer the assessment.

Schools have a statutory responsibility to carry out the RBA and a quality monitoring visit, if the school is selected, is part of this responsibility. Quality monitoring visits are carried out by NFER - not local authorities - on behalf of STA. NFER will contact schools if they are going to receive a quality monitoring visit and they must arrange a convenient date and time.

8. Maladministration

The term 'maladministration' refers to any act that:

affects the integrity, security, or confidentiality of the RBA

leads to an outcome that does not accurately reflect a pupil's independent achievement

Potential maladministration can arise from misunderstandings about how to administer the RBA. To help avoid this, practitioners should ensure they are familiar with the training materials and must administer the assessment in accordance with the guidance.

STA receives allegations of maladministration from various sources, including parents, school staff or external organisations - for example, Ofsted. We log all allegations of maladministration and ask anyone reporting an allegation for as much detail as possible so that cases can be investigated. We will process and retain all information collected in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

If practitioners do not comply with the provisions of this ARA and other guidance, this could result in STA investigating the school for maladministration. Allegations of maladministration are reviewed and investigated in consultation with schools to support practices, provide clarification and ultimately check and ensure the validity of data and information.

9. Reporting to parents

Schools should inform parents that they will administer the RBA with all participating reception pupils. Schools have access to model privacy notices they can use as a basis for their own.

You should share privacy notices with parents at the beginning of the school year. There is no legal requirement for schools to report RBA narrative statements to parents, although it may be helpful to use them as the basis of any feedback to parents. However, schools must share a pupil's RBA narrative statements with the child's parents if they request them.

10. Keeping and maintaining records

10.1 Pupils' educational records

Maintained schools and non-maintained special schools must ensure that educational records are maintained and disclosed to parents on request, as prescribed in the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005. Educational records include information about pupils (and former pupils):

processed by, or on behalf of, the governing body or a teacher

originating from, or supplied by, local authority employees

originating from, or supplied by, teachers or other employees of the school

Information processed by a teacher solely for the teacher's own use is excluded from the definition of educational records.

Maintained schools and non-maintained special schools must also keep curricular records on every pupil. Curricular records form a 'subset' of a pupil's educational record. They are a formal record of a pupil's academic achievements, skills, abilities, and the progress they make at a school. You must update these records at least once every academic year.

Under the UK GDPR and the DPA, schools are responsible for ensuring that the collation, retention, storage and security of all personal information they produce, and hold, meets the provisions of the Act.

This includes:

personal information appearing in a pupil's educational record

any other information they hold that identifies individuals, including pupils, staff and parents

Schools must consider the implications of the DPA, under which they are required to register as a data controller with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Many schools consult their legal advisers for guidance on their responsibilities under the DPA and advice on developing their data policies. DfE provides suggested text for school privacy notices.

10.2 Disclosure of educational records

For the RBA, schools will not receive information on numeric scores and therefore cannot disclose these to parents. We designed the narrative report to be shared with parents and it should be disclosed on request.

There are several pieces of legislation under which information may be accessed from public organisations, including schools. These include the UK GDPR, the DPA and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Access to a pupil's educational record held by a maintained school or non-maintained special school is covered by a parent's right of access under the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005.

Under the 2005 Regulations, a maintained school's governing body must ensure that a pupil's educational record is made available for parents to see, free of charge, within 15 school days of receipt of the parent's written request. If a parent makes a written request for a copy of the record, this must also be provided within 15 school days of receipt of the request. Governing bodies can charge a fee for these copies, but this must not be more than the cost of supply. The ICO provides further information on charges.

The 2005 Regulations describe the material that is exempt from disclosure to parents. This relates to information that the pupil could not lawfully be given under the DPA. It also relates to information that they would not have a right of access to under the DPA, by virtue of paragraph 18 in Schedule 1 or paragraph 16 in Schedule 2 of the Act. This includes material that may cause serious harm to the physical or mental health or condition of the pupil or someone else. A school may not fulfil a parent's request for these records if there is a court order in place which limits a parent's exercise of parental responsibility. This affects the parent's entitlement to receive such information. The ICO can provide further advice.

11. Legal requirements and responsibilities

11.1 How the arrangements apply to different types of schools

Maintained schools

This ARA applies to maintained schools, including maintained special schools, with pupils in a reception cohort.

Academies and free schools

This ARA applies to all academies and free schools with pupils in a reception cohort.

Ministry of Defence schools

This ARA applies to all MoD schools with pupils in a reception cohort. Overseas schools which are not MoD schools cannot participate in the RBA.

Maintained nursery schools

This ARA does not apply to maintained nursery schools, even if a nursery has pupils of reception age.

Independent schools

This ARA does not apply to independent schools or nurseries. Independent schools cannot opt into the RBA, even if the school has pupils of reception age.

Home-educated pupils

This ARA does not apply to pupils who are being educated at home.

11.2 Special educational provision

Schools should put in place the right support for pupils with special educational needs. Schools must also make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled pupils are not at a substantial disadvantage compared to their peers.

11.3 Regulatory concerns

If you have any regulatory concerns that STA has not fully addressed in line with the published procedures, you can raise them with Ofqual. Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England.

12. Further information

Further guidance is available on the RBA collection page and the BeP.

For general enquiries about the administration of the RBA, please contact the RBA helpline on 0330 088 4171 or email receptionbaseline@nfer.ac.uk.

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2024 reception baseline assessment: assessment and reporting arrangements

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This guidance sets out the statutory requirements for the reception baseline assessment (RBA) and reporting arrangements for the academic year 2024 to 2025. The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) contracted the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to develop and deliver the RBA, and there will be references throughout this document to NFER's engagement with schools.

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2024 Information for parents reception baseline assessment

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These PowerPoints include links to relevant resources and pupil-facing activities. They are ideal to be used with small groups of pupils to review, practise, and consolidate learning. The five-minute video at the foot of this page demonstrates this in more detail.

The pupil activities are intended to stimulate interaction and discussion. We suggest you use them flexibly and are guided by pupil response, repeating activities where pupils lack confidence. The ready-to-progress criteria are intended as goals for the end of the year. When used at the start of a year, you might want to use the materials from the previous year group. If you are teaching Year 4 for example, the Year 3 materials are used to review, practice and consolidate learning from the previous year.

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79 PowerPoints, each one focusing on one of the ready-to-progress criteria in the new DfE maths guidance for KS1 and KS2