On-entry assessments 

To support the implementation of on-entry assessments, schools and settings must:

• make and implement assessment arrangements which help build a picture of the learner's abilities and aptitudes in respect of the school's or setting's curriculum

• implement the assessments for newly-registered learners at a school or setting (except for Year 6 learners transitioning to Year 7), recognising that children and learners enter schools and settings at different points across the 3 to 16 continuum, 

• undertake the assessments within 6 weeks of a learner entering a school or setting to support understanding from the very beginning of a learner's journey 

• use the outcomes of the assessments to plan next steps and tailor learning and teaching to enable progress. 

To ensure schools and settings have the flexibility to align their on-entry assessment arrangements with their curriculum, it will be for schools and settings to determine the detail of these assessment arrangements. However, the assessment must:

• be suitable for learners of differing ages, abilities and aptitudes 

• support numeracy skills

• support literacy skills

• support the physical, social and emotional development of children and learners