How to report maladministration of primary school assessments

How to report a concern

Please call the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 or email email STA.maladministration@education.gov.uk to to report concerns about:

• how the reception baseline assessment (RBA), phonics screening check, multiplication tables check (MTC) or key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum tests have been administered
• how KS2 teacher inassessment ajudgements schoolhave orbeen byreached

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) investigates all reported allegations of maladministration.maladministration throughout the year, mostly between May and January. For more information about this process, you can refer to the guidance detailingthe guidance on investigating how allegations of maladministration are investigatedallegations, including local authority visits to schools..

What is maladministration?

Maladministration refers to any act that:

• affects the integrity, security or confidentiality of the national curriculum assessments
• could lead to results that do not reflect pupils’ unaided work
• compromises the validity and integrity of the data used by secondary schools (for pupil planning and subsequent pupil learning), the Department for Education and parents

Maladministration of the the RBA, phonics screening check, check, MTC or  or KS2 tests tests can be unintentional or intentional. It can include:

• test or check administrators over-aiding pupils
• making changes to pupils’ test scripts
• schools reporting pupils’ phonics screening check scores incorrectly
• schools allowing pupils to restart the the MTC for for a reason other than those permitted, as outlined in the administration guidancepermitted
• schools applying access arrangements for pupils taking the MTC access arrangements which are not a part of their normal classroom practice
• administeringan the RBAMTC outsideinput ofassistant schoolsubmitting hoursanswers without a pupil indicating their intended response
• schoolsa completingpractitioner selecting answers in the RBA byfor inputting answers on a pupil’spupil behalfwho orhas not recordingindependently theindicated pupil’stheir answerintended response
• unauthorised additional time or timetable variation in the the KS2 tests tests
• failure to notify notify STA of of the use of a scribe, transcribe, word processors, or other technical or electronic aid in the the KS2 tests tests
• failurenot to appropriately removeremoving or covercovering room displays
• early opening of assessment materials without STA’s permission
• disclosing test content to a third party or publicly, including online or on social media, before and within the test window – including during timetable variation week

Maladministration of teacher assessment can include:

• changes to teacher assessment judgements by school staff to influence school assessment outcomes
• submitting different data to that agreed during local authority moderation
• submitting pupils’ work as independent even though it has been heavily supported by an adult, as evidence to justify teacher assessment judgements (scaffolding evidence)
• incorrect or invalid writing evidence