FORMER Oxfordshire education chief Sir Tim Brighouse has been given a say in the blueprint for how children’s schoolwork should be assessed.

Sir Tim, who was chief education officer for the county between 1978 and 1989 and still lives in Headington, was part of an expert group formed to review assessment for children taking Key Stages one, two and three.

Among their recommendations, announced by Schools Secretary Ed Balls on Thursday, were plans to scrap science exams for 11-year-olds and to take tests later, so secondary schools would rely on teacher assessments, rather than test scores.

Children would also be given a “graduation certificate” when they leave primary school, recording several kinds of achievement, rather than just test results – something which Mr Balls has asked Sir Tim to develop.

Sir Tim said: “The input I have had has been informed by my work with children in Oxfordshire, Birmingham and London. During the course of the work, I have informally canvassed the views of quite a lot of primary headteachers in Oxfordshire.

“While I’m sure that many of them would have wished we had gone a lot further in terms of removing Key Stage Two tests, I think the primary graduation certificate will be something they will wholeheartedly find helpful and will welcome.”

Sir Tim would not be drawn on his personal input into the review.

Another key change is that instead of league tables being published as they currently are, in terms of percentages of children who have achieved benchmark levels, so-called “balanced score cards” will be released.

Sir Tim said: “There will be a publication of what a school is like, with data showing what they are good at in terms of tests and exams, but also what progress they are making with the most vulnerable children, how the school is doing in terms of its wider remit, like sport and arts, and how motivated the young people are.”

Sats tests for 14-year-olds have already been scrapped by Mr Balls, and Thursday’s review left the door open for the tests for 11-year-olds to be dropped at a later date.

Sir Tim added: “We have made a shift in the right direction.

“It will be better for kids, better for teachers and better for parents, who will be much better informed as a result.”

The expert group also recommended “single level tests” in English and maths, which would be taken by pupils when teachers felt they were ready, rather than on a set date.

The National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Head Teachers oppose testing and both are planning to ballot members on boycotting next year’s exams if they are not scrapped.