My latest article for Edutopia has now been published: 5 Ways to Make Assessments More Accessible Without Lowering Expectations.

The article grew out of a question I return to often in my teaching: what is an assessment really measuring?

Many pupils can understand an idea, explain it in conversation, or show their thinking when the task is made more explicit, yet their written assessment results do not always reflect that understanding. A low mark may show that a pupil needs more teaching. It may also show that the assessment has placed additional demands on reading, writing, processing speed, working memory, organisation, confidence with the format, or tolerance of time pressure.

That distinction is important because it changes what adults do next. If a pupil has not understood the content, they need further teaching of the content. If they understand the content but cannot show it through the route provided, they may need a different kind of support.

In the Edutopia article, I focus on practical strategies teachers can use to make assessments more accessible without reducing expectations. These include starting with the skill being assessed, making instructions easier to hold onto, teaching the assessment format before it counts, separating knowledge from the recording method, and reducing unnecessary time pressure.

Instead of making assessments easier, this is about making them more accurate. When unnecessary barriers are reduced, teachers get clearer information about what pupils know, and pupils have a fairer chance to show what they can do.

The article also links to my assessment accessibility grid, which I developed from conversations with pupils about the hidden demands in assessment. One version is designed as a conversation starter with pupils, and the other is intended as an audit tool for teachers when planning or reviewing assessment tasks.

You can read the Edutopia article here: Making Assessment More Accessible | Edutopia

You can also read more about the assessment accessibility grid and download the resources here: Assessment Accessibility Grid | Kate Coldrick

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Written by Kate Coldrick, a literacy tutor and educational writer based in Woodbury near Exeter. My work focuses on inclusive literacy teaching, autism, dyslexia, neurodiversity and assessment, particularly for pupils whose understanding is not always fully reflected by standard written tasks or test conditions.

For related teaching materials, downloadable resources and guides, visit my resources page.