NATIONAL NUMERACY TESTS: NUMERACY TESTS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND WELSH (FROM YEAR 2 THROUGH TO YEAR 9)

Descriptions

The Minister for Education and Skills has set out the government’s commitment to improve education and training provision and to secure better outcomes for learners, business and employers. One element of the improvement strategy is the introduction of a national numeracy test. Numeracy tests are an essential tool in measuring progress and identifying issues at both ends of the ability spectrum, but particularly in instances where pupils are falling behind; they are an invaluable diagnostic tool. From May 2013, it will be a statutory requirement for all schools in Wales to use the Welsh Government’s numeracy test on an annual basis with all learners in all school years from Year 2 through to Year 9. The tests will be available in both English and Welsh and will be used for the purpose of formative and summative assessment as well as assisting with diagnosis.The Department for Education and Skills is also currently developing a National Literacy and Numeracy Framework for use in all schools in Wales. The National Literacy and Numeracy Framework will provide schools with annual expected outcomes in literacy and numeracy for learners aged 5 to 14. The Framework will contain a numeracy matrix which will allow schools to determine how pupils are performing against national standards for numeracy at the end of each academic year. Schools will use the Framework to determine pupil progress in literacy and numeracy and provide annual reports to parents/carers based on teacher assessment which will be informed by the results of the national numeracy tests.The Welsh Government wishes to invite tenders for the development, production and distribution of a suite of bespoke national numeracy tests. As its principle requirement the client requires a bank of test materials to be developed, in English and in Welsh, which contain a set of items that test children’s procedural skills and their ability to reason mathematically. The first set of tests will need to be developed by a date agreed as viable to support the May 2013 testing timetable. Further development and refinement of the tests will take place throughout the lifetime of the contract. The Welsh Government, on behalf of the Welsh Ministers, will be conducting this procurement exercise through the etenderwales portal https://etenderwales.bravosolution.co.uk Tender documents and other information must be downloaded from and returned through this portal. If you require any further assistance the BravoSolution helpdesk is available on:Email: help@bravosolution.co.uk Phone: 0800 368 4850 / Fax: 020 7060 0480Full information in accessing the portal is found in Section IV