Education Minister Paul Givan has announced the introduction of new Key Stage assessments to evaluate the literacy and numeracy skills of pupils in Northern Ireland. The system-level sample assessments will be implemented for a three-year period, commencing in the 2025-26 academic year.

The Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) will be responsible for introducing and delivering the assessments, which will evaluate pupils at the end of Key Stages 1, 2, and 3. These assessments are designed to provide insights into learning outcomes across the education system and will play a crucial role in informing future educational policies and interventions. Participation in the assessments will involve a sample of pupils, and the results will be used to identify national trends in performance.

Minister Givan emphasised the importance of these assessments: "Literacy and numeracy are the essential foundation of all education. Northern Ireland is currently without any measures of how our system is performing in both these areas at primary school and Key Stage 3. This is not acceptable and makes us an outlier internationally in being without basic performance data." He added: "This new approach is designed to provide a clear, evidence-based understanding of how well our pupils are developing essential knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics and will provide an authoritative picture on our national educational performance. The findings from the assessments will support curriculum development and teacher professional learning."

The Minister highlighted that system-level sample assessments are a common feature in many high-performing education systems around the world.

"These new arrangements have been developed in consultation with CCEA and key stakeholders, including school leaders," Mr Givan confirmed. "My Department and CCEA will work closely with schools and stakeholders to ensure the smooth implementation of the new arrangements. Further details, including timelines and guidance for schools will be provided in the coming months."

CCEA Chief Executive Gerry Campbell welcomed the announcement, saying, "In response to the Department of Education's requirement to introduce interim arrangements to assess system-wide performance in literacy and numeracy, CCEA will create and administer the new written assessments, effective from the 2025-2026 academic year."

He further explained, "This approach aims to minimise the workload on schools and provide a clear, evidence-based understanding of how well pupils are developing essential skills in reading, writing and mathematics."

It has been confirmed that a representative sample of schools will participate in the assessments annually, and the outcomes will not be published at the individual school or pupil level.