This article examines the recent move towards baseline assessment in early childhood education in England. From 2016, the government will introduce the use of assessment on children's entry to school (age 4-5). In this light it is significant to establish how the move towards a baseline assessment that sits within the current early years and school entry context within England. The government intend this baseline assessment to be a part of monitoring accountability and school effectiveness. Existing baseline assessment is predominantly task-oriented and adult-led and there are well-documented issues regarding the validity and reliability of this kind of data for accountability purposes. Therefore evidence building on previous assessment research will be investigated leading into a discussion on how an observation-led baseline assessment which prioritises children's well-being and characteristics of effective learning might contribute to positive early experiences of school. On this basis the article will conclude with outlining ongoing research on a piloted observation-led baseline assessment in 12 schools in South East England

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Developing literacy in two languages can be challenging for young bilingual children. This longitudinal study investigates the effects of bilingualism in the spelling strategies of English-Portuguese speaking children. A total of 88 six-to-seven-year-old bilinguals and monolinguals were followed during one academic year and data gathered on a range of verbal and written language skills and non-verbal measures while controlling for SES.  For both bilinguals and monolinguals letter knowledge, phonological awareness and word concept were significant predictors of spelling. However, non-verbal reasoning played an increasing role in explaining spelling variance for bilinguals, suggesting that learning to spell in two alphabetic languages places more demands on non-verbal processing skills. Spelling error analyses further revealed that bilinguals when compared to monolinguals showed more reliance on phonological strategies, less compliance with the L1 orthographic system and at times transference from L2. The results suggest important implications for our understanding of spelling acquisition and the development of effective intervention practices for bilingual children.

Palabras-clave: adolescencia, inmigración, competencias sociales, rendimiento académico. ResumenEl objetivo del presente estudio fue el de evaluar la relación entre las competencias sociales, el desempeño académico y una serie de características familiares en una muestra de 98 adolescentes inmigrantes de la región del Algarve (Portugal). Se utilizó el Self-report Form del Social Skills Rating System y se recogieron datos sobre el desempeño escolar y las variables asociadas a la familia como la situación y cualificación laboral de los padres, el número de años en el país de acogida y la estructura familiar.Los resultados mostraron algunas diferencias de grupo entre los adolescentes inmigrantes de primera y segunda generación en sus competencias sociales percibidas en términos de Auto-control y Cooperación, habiéndose hallado que el grupo de segunda generación reportaba niveles significativamente más bajos en ambas sub-escalas. Además, existía en ambos grupos de adolescentes una correlación positiva y significativa entre los resultados escolares y sus niveles reportados de Asertividad y Auto-control. Los resultados se discuten en relación a la intervención en las competencias sociales en contexto escolar. AbstRActThe aim of the present study was to examine the relation between social skills, academic achievement and a range of family characteristics in a sample of 98 school adolescent immigrants in the region of Algarve (Portugal). The Self-report Form of the Social Skills Rating System was used and data was gathered about the students' academic achievement and family related variables such as: parental employment and qualifications, number of years in the country and family structure.The results show some interesting group differences between first-and second-generation adolescent immigrants in their perceived social skills in terms of Self-control and Cooperation, with the second generation group reporting significantly lower levels on these two subscales. Also, there was for all the adolescents a significant positive correlation between academic results and their reported levels of Assertion and Self-control. The results are discussed in relation to school-based social skills intervention.

Baseline assessment has recently been trialled as part of an accountability measure in English primary schools. The research presented in this colloquium examines the views of teachers related to using well-being and involvement indicators as a starting point for baseline assessment. The findings suggest that the focus on well-being was welcomed by the teachers, but provoked discussion regarding the situational nature of well-being, particularly in the context of scoring well-being as a part of the performative assessment process.