Can we use other assessment tools, such as the Salford reading tests that give a reading age?

The Salford tests and any other reading age test cannot test reading for children following an SSP and would be contrary to guidance from Ofsted and the Reading framework, which state:

‘Teachers should use their programme’s phonic assessments to check for gaps in children’s knowledge. They should then provide further practice for them in reading words with the specific GPCs that they have not yet learnt fully and then blending them.’
(Ofsted)

‘Teachers should pay attention to pupils’ misconceptions and adjust teaching minute by minute through the lesson: reviewing a GPC; repeating a step to support blending; explaining the meaning of an unfamiliar word in response to a puzzled look, or directing attention to a pupil who has lost focus.

The aims of summative assessment are to provide:

• teachers with information about what each child has learned in a given period

• leaders with information about which children might benefit from additional support.’
(The Reading Framework, DfE 2023)

The Salford reading test and any other reading age test will not give accurate assessment of the children’s reading ability matched to the phonics progression of Little Wandle and therefore will not give accurate or useful data about the children’s progress or a reading age for that child. These tests will not be fully decodable and so are not suitable for children following an SSP. Even if they state that they are, they will not be following the Little Wandle progression. It is a waste of time and should be avoided. Please put your energy into assessment that is useful and meets the Ofsted criteria.