We have now completed one full cycle of assessment and LA moderation of results for pupils at the end of KS1 since the changes to statutory requirements were made in 2004. During that time, schools have made the transition from reporting only test results to reporting instead their teacher assessments based on a broad and rich evidence base. The end of this cycle seems the right time to review the effectiveness of the process.

Over this period, schools have become more successful in increasing the range of evidence they use to underpin their assessments. However, as this range of evidence offered in each subject has grown, it has become increasingly difficult in the moderation process to ensure that equal and effective focus is given to the work of each school. This has sometimes limited and unbalanced discussion of the work, and issues arising have not always been fully identified or addressed.

We are proposing therefore to adopt a different model of audit in 2009 for that 25% of schools which will be involved in statutory moderation. (List attached). During the summer term, these schools will now have a timed and tightly focused one to one discussion of pupil samples with both a maths and English adviser in turn. This will allow a much more precise evaluation of the evidence to be made and will quickly identify any further issues or training needs which the school could be helped to address.

We will write to you again shortly with details of your appointment if you are to be part of the statutory moderation. If you are not part of that group we will, as in the past, offer the opportunity for you to access a voluntary moderation meeting in this revised format, which you can fund through your Primary Improvement Partnership Package (PIPP) or as advice and support. We will send further details to schools in the Spring term. In the meantime, in order to support the collection of evidence throughout the year, can we remind you that the evidence in each subject (reading, writing and mathematics) should reflect pupils' abilities to use and apply their skills in a range of different tasks across the curriculum, and may also take the form of observation notes, photographs, videos etc., with test and task papers forming only a very small part of this evidence.

We feel confident that this change will enable us all to feel even more secure in the validity of our KS1 data and the platform which it will provide for later judgements of progress.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Janet Warburton via Elizabeth Philpot at The Professional Development Centre, Woodside Road, Norwich NR7 9QL on 01603 433276 Extn. 148.