The Voice of Early Childhood1 Sep 2025

Making the most of the Reception Baseline Assessment

In this re-released episode and article David Meechan critically explores the reception baseline assessment (RBA), questioning its purpose, reliability and impact on children, teachers and families. Drawing on his research and personal experience, he highlights practical ways educators and leaders can navigate the RBA while advocating for assessment approaches that truly reflect and support child-centred learning in the early weeks of school.

Read the article here:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/whats-the-problem-with-the-reception-baseline-assessment/

Our 2026 conference info & tickets:

https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2026/

Get in touch and share your voice:

Do you have thoughts, questions or feedback? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/

Episode breakdown:

03:30 - How David's work started on the RBA
05:50 - Requesting his son's withdrawal from the assessment
07:55 - Inconsistencies of withdrawal from the assessment
09:30 - Moral issues with assessment and testing
11:30 - Research into the baseline assessment
14:40 - Signing away a child's data footprint
15:57 - The datafication of early years
19:00 - Are the children's best interests at heart?
20:40 - Taking teachers out of classrooms
21:58 - Key findings from David's baseline research
23:50 - Treating children as a means to an end
27:35 - Making the most of the reception baseline assessment
29:00 - A holistic approach to the baseline assessment
30:40 - Reliability of the baseline assessment
32:00 - Reducing lived experiences to abstract numbers
34:15 - Positives taken from the baseline assessment
36:00 - Giving value to assessment
40:00 - Tips for teachers conducting the baseline assessment

Hear and read more on The Voice of Early Childhood website: www.thevoiceofearlychildhood.com

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