http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/This is an RSS feed of all the press releases and articles from the GL Assessment web siteGranada Learningen-gbSat, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT'They provide a remarkably comprehensive picture of children's mental health.' - Mental Health Today Feb 2010http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2010_releases/mentalhealthtoday.pdfSat, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMTThe Law, and education is transforming to refllect the changes in the SEN landscape. Recent statistics indicate that as many as one in five children in thew UK have a special educational need (SEN); a number that has increased steadily in the past four years.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2010_releases/edutodaymch.pdfSat, 19 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT'Enjoying and achieving' is one of the five Every Child Matters outcomes. But while achievement has easily measurable outcomes, enjoyment is a much trickier concept.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2010_releases/specialchildren-mch.pdfSat, 05 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMTSandwell PCT speak about the benefits of using WellComm: A Speech and Language Toolkit for the Early Years.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2010_releases/speechmag.pdfTue, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has published the third edition of the British Picture Vocabulary Scale, the UK’s leading vocabulary assessment for standard English.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2009_releases/bpvs3.aspTue, 05 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has today expanded its e-assessment portfolio with the launch of online versions of its well-established Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning test series. The digital versions will run on GL Assessment’s powerful online testing system, Testwise, which has now delivered over one million online tests to schools in the UK and over 70 countries worldwide. Verbal Reasoning Digital and Non-Verbal Reasoning Digital mirror their popular paper-based equivalents, but offer added flexibility for teachers, instant scoring and reporting, and a more motivating experience for pupils.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2009_releases/vrandnvrdigital.aspThu, 30 Sep 2009 10:00:00 GMTOne in 10 children between the ages of five and 16 has a clinically recognisable mental disorder that could affect their achievement in school and beyond. As schools now have an obligation to help identify the mental heath needs of their pupils, GL Assessment has today published Measures of Children’s Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing: A Portfolio for Education and Health Professionals.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2009_releases/childrensmentalhealth.aspSun, 01 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMTSir Jim Rose’s Review of dyslexia ('Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties'. June 2009) taken together with the government’s commitment to provide £10m of support is a huge morale booster for families affected by Dyslexia.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/geraldhaighjimrosedyslexiareview.aspFri, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment welcomes Sir Jim Rose's review into dyslexia and the Government's commitment to £10 million to fund specialist teaching and support for children with dyslexia and literacy difficulties.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2009_releases/jimrose.aspFri, 23 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has today published a new edition of its well-established spelling test series, the British Spelling Test Series 2 (BSTS2) for 6 to 13 year olds. The new edition is designed to play an important role in checking that spelling attainment is on track, supporting teachers in their own assessment of their pupils' attainment and highlighting where additional support is needed for those pupils for whom spelling is especially difficult.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2009_releases/bsts2.aspTue, 30 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment, in partnership with MetaMetrics®, Inc., is bringing The Lexile Framework® for Reading to the UK with the launch of a new version of its Progress in English (PIE) assessment for seven to 11 year olds. Highly successful in the US for boosting children's achievement in literacy, the Lexile Framework allows for more detailed grading of text than a reading age or key stage level indicators that are widely used by schools and publishers today. The 400,000 UK children who currently take PIE tests each year will be able to benefit from the Lexile Framework straight away.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2009_releases/lexiles.aspFri, 05 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has unveiled a new suite of standardised, paper-based reading assessments for use in primary schools. The York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension (YARC) is designed to support schools in monitoring children’s development of key literacy skills from ages four to 11. Developed in partnership with experts in reading at the University of York, the assessments enable teachers to assess young readers’ phonic and alphabetic skills and track the progress of children’s reading and reading comprehension across the primary years.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2009_releases/york-launch.aspMon, 01 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMTIf Britain is to prosper in the future we will need sharper assessment tools to make sure pupils are developing essential basic skills. GL Assessment's Andrew Thraves investigates the Assessing Pupils' Progress scheme in School Leadership Today magazine. Please see the pdf attached and also the website:http://www.teachingtimes.com/zone/secondary-leadership.htmMon, 01 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMTA correct spelling of a word is a correct spelling. Incorrect spellings, on the other hand, may vary considerably. As a result, these incorrect spellings can illuminate how a pupil's spelling is developing and which aspects of the spelling system they may be finding difficult.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/spelling-errors.aspFri, 08 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has today unveiled the Let’s Think! Handbook - a comprehensive guide for headteachers, local authority advisors and professional development providers looking to implement thinking programmes in primary schools. It is designed to offer an introduction to ‘cognitive acceleration’.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2009_releases/lthandbook.aspFri, 01 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMTOn the one side are those who don’t want a book’s readership arbitrarily narrowed down, and on the other are those, who feel that buyers could do with a bit of guidance. Who's right?http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/age-banding.aspTue, 08 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMTIn his book, “Propellerhead”, Antony Woodward describes how, having bought a share in a little aeroplane, he embarks on learning to fly. Like most learner pilots he finds the bit where you take off and tool around the sky to be very easy. However, Antony just cannot get the knack of landing.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/app.aspTue, 08 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMTSimon is what some might call a typical ten year old boy. He loves motorbikes, he enjoys spending time with his friends and he doesn’t always eat his vegetables at dinner time. Simon has another thing in common with many boys of his age. He doesn’t like reading.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/justthebookforyou.aspTue, 08 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMTWe always knew that George, our grandson, was a bit different from other children. At Nursery, for example, he never wanted to join the other children on the carpet in the cosy business of hearing teacher reading stories.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/georgeandme.aspTue, 01 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has today unveiled the Dyslexia Portfolio, a series of short diagnostic and attainment tests that is set to transform the way children with dyslexia are assessed and then supported in the classroom.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2008_releases/dyslexiaport.aspTue, 29 Sep 2008 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment, the UK’s leading independent provider of tests and assessment services for education, has announced that its Progress in English Digital and Progress in Maths Digital assessments are to be used in schools across the United States in a major partnership between themselves, The American Education Corporation (AEC) and MetaMetrics™, Inc.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2008_releases/american.aspTue, 21 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMTIn a harsh light, the ongoing assessment of pupils can be viewed as a burden on many teachers’ already over-stretched workloads. And much of the press coverage on assessment depicts it as little more than an added pressure for children and their parents.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/opinionpeice.aspTue, 21 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMTIf you had to sum up the Brown government’s approach to education you’d probably end up with something like, “Flexibility with rigour”. That, of course, sounds suspiciously like a contradiction, except that it isn’t really.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/wheredoesassessmentsit.aspTue, 21 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMTEvery teacher’s been there. At six on Saturday evening you contemplate three separate piles of exercise books. When the phone rings you say, “Sorry, I can’t come, I have to do my marking”, then sigh, pour a glass, and put on a CD of Nat King Cole singing, “Don’t Get Around Much Any More.”http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/themark.aspMon, 01 Jun 2008 10:00:00 GMTGerald Haigh looks at what is happening at the cutting edge of ICT in schools.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/new-century.aspTue, 14 Apr 2008 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has announced a partnership with leading children's publisher Usborne. The agreement will see a wide range of popular Usborne books published with a new type of classification, called a Lexile measure, clearly visible on the cover. The Lexile Framework for Reading™ is set to become a new benchmark for assessing children's books as it allows for more detailed grading of text difficulty than the standard reading age or key stage levels that are widely used by schools and publishers today.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2008_releases/usbourne.aspWed, 01 Apr 2008 10:00:00 GMTIs a behaviourist approach to teaching coming back into fashion? Gerald Haig looks at the relationship between today's VLEs and the 1950's concept of a 'teaching machine'.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/human-touch.aspFri, 28 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment is unveiling Measuring Success, a series of quick and easy assessments for five to 11-year-olds, on stand R11 at The Education Show. Launching in maths and science, Measuring Success will make it simpler for teachers to check their pupils' progress in these key subjects throughout the year so that lessons can be personalised to support every child in achieving to the best of their ability.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2008_releases/measuring_success.aspFri, 28 Feb 2008 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has unveiled Let’s Think Through Literacy! on stand R11 at The Education Show, a programme designed to support nine to 11-year-olds in the development of key thinking skills that will help boost their achievement in literacy.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2008_releases/lttl.aspThu, 09 Jan 2008 10:00:00 GMTToday at BETT 2008, GL Assessment announced a partnership with U.S.-based educational measurement company MetaMetrics™ Inc. to transform the way schools measure and monitor children’s reading abilities.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2008_releases/lexile_framework_for_reading.aspThu, 02 Jan 2008 10:00:00 GMTnferNelson, the UK’s biggest independent provider of educational assessment, is announcing at BETT 2008 that it has changed its name to GL Assessment.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2008_releases/new_name.aspTue, 31 Dec 2007 10:00:00 GMTNFER and Granada Learning today announced that their formal relationship in respect of nferNelson will end on 31 December 2007.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2007_releases/joint_statement.aspFri, 01 Nov 2007 10:00:00 GMTGerald Haigh asks what all the marking is for, what does it have to do with the assessment process and is it all worth the trouble?http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/effective-assessment.aspWed, 19 Jun 2007 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment’s Cognitive Abilities Test 3 (CAT3) is the most widely used test of reasoning ability in the UK.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/St.MarysCaseStudy.aspWed, 19 Jun 2007 10:00:00 GMTWe are the normal, standard, busy Learning Support Department – understaffed and overworked. When a program comes on the market that makes our lives a little easier, we all get giddy and excited.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/DyslexiaScreenerArticle.aspWed, 19 Jun 2007 10:00:00 GMTMany recent studies have shown that teachers can assist the development of their pupils' thinking using a method called ‘cognitive acceleration’. King’s College London defines the term as “a method for the development of students' general thinking ability or general intelligence”.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/EncouragingChildrentoThink.aspSat, 04 May 2007 10:00:00 GMTDyscalculia (sometimes known as ‘number blindness’) is a serious disability that affects 6-7% of the population. This is about the same prevalence as dyslexia, but it is far less widely recognised by teachers, parents, educational authorities and scientists.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/dyscalculia2.aspSat, 04 May 2007 10:00:00 GMTAs any secondary Special Needs Co-ordinator will be well aware, a considerable amount of testing must be carried out in order to make applications for Access Arrangements for pupils who have difficulty accessing exams and assessments in their normal format.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/accessarrangements2.aspThu, 11 Apr 2007 10:00:00 GMTAn online version of GL Assessment’s popular Single Word Spelling Test has been unveiled today. Designed for students aged 6 – 14, Single Word Spelling Test Digital is an untimed, standardised spelling test that uses sentence completion questions that are relevant for all UK curricula.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2006_releases/swstdemopressrelease.aspTue, 11 Dec 2006 10:00:00 GMTAssessment for Learning (AfL) has established itself as one of the most successful educational developments in recent years.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/InvaluableResourcesforAfL.aspWed, 21 Nov 2006 10:00:00 GMTTo develop children's reasoning powers you need to have a theory about the learning mind. Cognitive Acceleration offers just such a model and research shows it works.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/developingchildrensthinking.aspThu, 18 Oct 2006 10:00:00 GMTWhat have the following activities got in common – wall papering, playing chess, assembling flat-pack furniture, replacing a hip joint and studying vector geometry? Among other things, they all involve the exercise of spatial ability.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/importanceofbeingpspatial.aspThu, 04 Oct 2006 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has today launched the Phoneme Factory Phonology Screener, a digital screener that helps teachers and SENCOs detect phonological difficulties in children aged between 4 – 8 years.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2006_releases/phoneme_factory.aspThu, 06 Sep 2006 10:00:00 GMTLeading independent test publisher, GL Assessment, has launched a new website for professionals seeking information and advice about educational and healthcare assessments.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/press/press_releases/2006_releases/website_launch.aspTue, 05 Jun 2006 10:00:00 GMTLeading independent test publisher, GL Assessment, has today unveiled two new titles in its established Black Box series on Assessment for Learning (AfL). The series, written by Paul Black, Dylan Wiliam and the King’s College London assessment team, offers practical advice on using and improving AfL in the classroom.../press/press_releases/2006_releases/black_box.aspFri, 25 May 2006 10:00:00 GMTLeading independent test publisher, GL Assessment, has extended its e-assessment portfolio with the addition of Progress in English 7 – 11 Digital, an online version of the short form of its popular standardised test series for 7 to 11 year olds.../press/press_releases/2006_releases/pie_digital.aspTue, 08 May 2006 10:00:00 GMTWe know that minute-to-minute and day-to-day assessment can improve student learning. What we know far less about is how teachers can be supported in developing these practices in their own classrooms...http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/assessmentlearning.aspTue, 27 Mar 2006 10:00:00 GMTDyslexia, a specific difficulty with the learning of literacy skills, is the most common and best-defined learning disability. Moreover, after thirty years of steadily expanding research of excellent quality, it is the condition which – for sufferers and professionals alike – has made the most progress in identification and remediation...http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/dyslexiabuildingblocks.aspWed, 14 Mar 2006 10:00:00 GMTAn important use of reading tests is to compare a child's reading with that of children of a similar age. They give us some idea of whether the child's skill is developing normally ie "Is this child doing as well as we would expect for someone of his or her age?" Some reading tests seek to answer this question by giving children's scores as Reading Ages...http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/makingsense.aspWed, 14 Feb 2006 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment has today published a literacy series that is designed to embed assessment for learning into the primary classroom. Developed by the National Foundation of Educational Research (NFER), Assessment for Learning: Literacy is an off-the-shelf package that concentrates on peer and self-assessment.../press/press_releases/2006_releases/assessment_for_learning.aspWed, 07 Feb 2006 10:00:00 GMTGL Assessment’s Let’s Think! Early Years is a new resource pack that is designed to stimulate the development of children’s thinking skills as they begin formal education.../press/press_releases/2006_releases/lets_think_early_years.aspThu, 02 Nov 2005 10:00:00 GMTWith Personalising Learning high on the agenda for schools, Granada Learning and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) are working in partnership to find out teachers’ views on the subject.../press/press_releases/2005_releases/personalising_learning_survey.aspWed, 08 Feb 2005 10:00:00 GMTAfter being overlooked in previous years, the recognition of ‘emotional literacy’ is now staging a comeback. Adrian Faupel discusses how the control and management of our emotions can impact long-term personal and professional success.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/understandingemotionalliteracy.aspWed, 08 Feb 2005 10:00:00 GMTTim Cornford, Chief Executive of the British Psychological Society, looks at key points in assessment at Key Stage 1 whilst Gail Cowmeadow, former manager of Key Stage 1 national assessment, offers advice on how we can improve our teacher assessment techniques.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/improveassessment.aspTue, 18 Oct 2004 10:00:00 GMTMartin Turner of the Dyslexia Institute discusses Dyslexia Screener.http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/articles/dyslexiascreener.asp