A New Era

Chair's welcome

The current education and assessment system fails too many pupils, teachers and schools. Nor does it meet the needs of business. The time for change is now.

Hundreds of thousands leave school every year without the skills they need.

We need a national conversation around a new approach that radically overhauls the system, that is designed to realise the potential and life chances of all children, is kinder to teachers and students and benefits the whole country.

The Independent Assessment Commission (IAC) brings together academics, parents and students as well as the National Education Union, Chartered College of Teaching, the EDGE Foundation and the CBI.

The IAC wants more for young people in England and more for the future of England.

We are not anti-exams. But we are against an approach that assesses all young people based only on exams – and anti any system that excludes any young person from the system.

Qualifications that form part of a new ERA of Equitable, Reliable Assessment will encourage all young people to want to learn throughout their personal and professional lives.

This is beneficial for young people, for our society and our economy.

Professor Louise Hayward

Chair