Information and accountability improves teaching, says former adviser

Teaching in English schools now benefits from the availability of a rigorous accountability system and extra information, according to a former government adviser.

And assessment can consequently be carried out more effectively, Conor Ryan told the BBC.

The former adviser to David Blunkett when he was education secretary noted that "a rich set of data" and "a system of accountability" mean that the government can ensure that the curriculum is being covered appropriately.

Speaking in response to comments from a leading academic about the narrowing of the curriculum, he added that the changes are an improvement on past times when it was not possible to compare how schools taught the curriculum.

Professor Margaret Brown told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that too much testing in schools is narrowing the curriculum, arguing that it forces teachers to concentrate on "particular aspects" of core subjects.

National curriculum results will be released as expected on July 8th despite concerns about problems with marking, said the manager of the firm that assesses the tests this week.