Assessment is now regarded as a 'high stakes' issue: schools, teachers, and individual pupils are often judged by the results of national tests and public examinations. This book addresses both formal and informal ways of assessing children's work and progress. Pupils' learning is often neglected in the debate, so this book puts what children actually learn right at its center, for mechanical assessment without due regard for the wider issues about learning would be sterile. The book is divided into six units which address topics such as: principles and purposes of assessment; written, oral and practical evaluation; self-assessment, the 'whole school' approach; and staff development and appraisal. The inclusion of practical activities, discussion topics, photographs, cartoons and case examples makes this a very user-friendly book for both trainee and experienced teachers in secondary schools.

Ted Wragg is Professor of Education at Exeter University.