Join educational assessment detectives Sam Denno and Emma McHale as they take a deep dive into the intricacies of classroom assessment. Each episode, they sift through reports, strategies, blogs, videos, guidance and ideas from experts, then condense their findings into 15 minutes of concentrated CPD.

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After 10 months and 35 episodes, Obsessed with Assessment is drawing to a close. Sam Denno is moving to a new role at Twinkl Educational Publishing and his focus will no longer be purely on assessment, so he signs off, along with co-host Emma Rose-McHale, with a fittingly lively conversation about top learnings from past episodes. What were Emma and Sam&#39;s favourite episodes? And, what are the most important assessment takeaways that they picked up along their journey? All this and more, as we wish farewell to the greatest educational assessment podcast there will ever be.

The Final Analysis

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Sam Denno, assessment lead at Twinkl Educational Publishing, is joined by OCR representatives, Sarah Gotting and Amy Jones, in discussing the negative spiral created by post-16 GCSE Maths resits. They talk through the problem, before Sarah and Amy present OCR&#39;s possible solution to the current pattern. OCR are proposing a new-look GCSE as part of the national conversation around curriculum and assessment. Not only does the concept tackle the issue of post-16 resits, it also addresses several other potential frustrations in the present system. Want to join the OCR Maths Advisory Panel? Submit your interest <a href="https://ocrpanel.recollective.com/maths-advisory-group/join?key=Cxp7" rel="nofollow">here</a>. You can find Sam Denno on LinkedIn and BlueSky.

Assessment in the News: solving the maths resit problem (with special guests Sarah Gotting and Amy Jones from OCR)

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James Beadle becomes only the second podcast guest to make a repeat visit, as he brings his wisdom to bear on the issue of assessment literacy. He argues that all stakeholders in the assessment process - including teachers, students and parents - should have some degree of understanding of the way that assessments work. Everyone could listen into this podcast as a trememdous starting point! Sam Denno is the host of Obsessed with Assessment and is also the National Assessment Lead at Twinkl Educational Publishing. James Beadle is a Senior Professional Development Manager at The Assessment Network, an arm of Cambridge University Press &amp; Assessment.Tell us what you think about the concepts that are discussed by emailing on assessment@twinkl.co.uk.

We should ALL become assessment literate (with special guest James Beadle)

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&#34;All assessment should be formative, even when it&#39;s summative&#34; - so went the wisdom of Obsessed with Assessment host, Sam Denno. His guest in this episode, James Beadle, is here to unpick all of that and add some additional nuance. James considers the purposes of formative and summative assessment respectively, what they set out to achieve, and how we can use intelligent questioning to ensure that we are optimising the functionality of both forms.Sam Denno is the National Assessment Lead at Twinkl Educational Publishing. James Beadle is a Senior Professional Development Manager at The Assessment Network, an arm of Cambridge University Press &amp; Assessment.Further reading: https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/blogs/what-and-why-do-we-assess-in-the-classroom/You can contact the show using the email address assessment@twinkl.co.uk.

Why we should treat formative and summative differently (with special guest James Beadle)

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Sam and Emma go to work on assessment validity, poring over the research of Prof Keith Topping to consider everything teachers need to bear in mind when setting both formative and summative tests. If our assessment is invalid then there is little point in doing it, so it is worth giving thought to this area. We love to hear your feedback and comments, like and subscribe or email us at assessment@twinkl.co.uk.

Are your assessments valid?

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Sam Denno sits down with Daisy Christodoulou, Director of Education at No More Marking and author of Seven Myths About Education, to get to grips with another assessment concept. Comparative judgement is a means of testing student work without the need for a complex rubric and offers an efficient and reliable means of marking, particularly when it comes to writing. Daisy speaks passionately about the benefits of comparative judgement - can she win Sam over? Moreover, how convinced are you by the concept?You can get in touch with the show on assessment@twinkl.co.uk, and you can seek Sam Denno out on BlueSky and LinkedIn.If you want to know more about the work that Daisy Christodoulou does, then you can visit her blog <a href="https://substack.nomoremarking.com/" rel="nofollow">here</a> and the No More Marking website <a href="https://www.nomoremarking.com/?countryCode=GB" rel="nofollow">here</a>.Daisy references the original calculations of Louis Thurstone which represent the foundation of comparative judgement. If you&#39;re interested in these then you can find them <a href="https://brocku.ca/MeadProject/Thurstone/Thurstone_1927f.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.

How comparative judgement is a game-changer (with special guest Daisy Christodoulou)

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Sam Denno and Emma Rose-McHale are back. This time they are exploring self assessment and gauging its effectiveness, backed up by their reading of research by various educational experts. Is self assessment a valuable mechanism in the teacher toolbox, or a waste-of-time gimmick? Sam and Emma consider all of the pros and cons and offer up advice for how it can be embedded most effectively into teacher practice.

Getting the most out of self assessment

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Sam Denno is joined by three STEM specialists in order to discuss the alarming TIMSS pupil characteristics report published in March 2025. TIMSS data reveals that the difference between boy and girl attainment in the assessment is &#34;statistically significant&#34; and is the widest gap of any participating country over the last 20 years. Twinkl leaders, Sally Cole (Digital Maths Lead), Sapphire MacDonald (Secondary Maths Lead) and Emma Rose-McHale (STEM Team Leader) chew over the reasons behind the gender gap and offer solutions to teachers seeking to address it. The March 2025 TIMSS report can be found <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67c05df4750837d7604dbc5c/TIMSS_national_report_for_england_volume_2.pdf" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Like and subcribe. Contact the show on assessment@twinkl.co.uk.

Assessment in the News: addressing the STEM gender gap

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The Obsessed with Assessment duo dig into the research behind peer assessment, determining its value as a teaching and learning tool. They explore when and when not to use peer assessment. and propose important variables that teachers should bear in mind in order to implement it as effectively as possible.

Getting the most out of peer assessment

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In this episode we talk to Dr Lewis Doyle about unconscious biases, particularly when it comes to marking and assessment. In a groundbreaking study in 2022, Lewis and his team asked 400 teachers to mark the same piece of work but provided different pupil contexts to the teachers before they began. The results were fascinating. Lewis talks about the research and what we can learn from it as both educators and members of wider society. The full report can be found in the British Journal of Educational Psychology <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjep.12541" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Lewis is a post-doctoral researcher at the Université de Poitiers and a visiting researcher at the University of Sussex. He has a particular interest in how social psychological processes contribute to educational outcomes and prejudice. He belongs to a group of psychologists calling themselves the <a href="https://www.schoolinclusion.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">School Inclusion Group</a> who carry out research in order to understand and combat educational inequalities.

Dealing with our unconscious biases (with special guest Dr Lewis Doyle)

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Our conversation with Dr Mick Walker takes a turn towards CPD as we consider ways in which teachers should be judged, what we need to do to make a lesson observation a positive experience and how to go about spreading knowledge and sharing best practice. Mick is as engaging as ever in this thought-provoking chat. Afterwards, hosts Sam Denno and Emma Rose-McHale reflect on the key takeaways. Subscribe to the podcast to get notifications of new episodes as soon as they drop. You can email the show at assessment@twinkl.co.uk. Find Sam Denno, Twinkl&#39;s National Assessment Lead on LinkedIn and BlueSky. Dr MIck Walker is the president of the Chartered Institute of Education Assessors, who run a series of courses on educational assessment.

Becoming a better teacher (with special guest Dr Mick Walker)

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Assessment specialist Dr Mick Walker of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors joins us again to talk about creating effective assessments. Via an insightful anecdote, Mick brings to light the importance of language in our questioning and discusses why we need to always have our pupils in mind when designing our tests. After the conversation, Sam Denno and Emma Rose-McHale debrief and suggest some key takeaways that educators could embed in their practice.

Ensuring we're asking pupils the right questions (with special guest Dr Mick Walker)

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As we await a spring-time report on the Curriculum and Assessment Review and the progress that Becky Francis and her panel are making, Sam Denno sits down with Dr Mick Walker of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors to discuss his experience of working on curriculum design in the past, and how he feels about the current process. Mick articulates both pessimism and hope as he reflects upon the challenges of aligning educational requirements with governmental limitations, and considers the role that assessment plays in the whole conversation.

Assessment in the News: Curriculum & Assessment Review - views of a former curriculum designer (with Dr Mick Walker)

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Sam and Emma dig into Ofsted&#39;s 3rd February press release, in which they launched brand new information about their incoming framework proposals and, in particular, their much talked about school report cards. What is Sam enthusiastic about, and what does Emma make faces at?

Assessment in the News: review of Ofsted's report cards press release

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Sam Denno of Obsessed with Assessment caught up with Dr Mick Walker to conduct a fascinating conversation on numerous aspects of educational assessment. In the first of a collection of episodes, we explore Mick&#39;s experiences of working at the cutting edge of curriculum and assessment design via his roles with the National Curriculum Council and the QCA. Mick&#39;s insights are invaluable as a window into the England education system at the highest levels and as pedagogical guidance for teachers and school leaders.

Rebuilding curriculum and assessment - what teachers need to know (with special guest Dr Mick Walker, President of the CIEA)

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The National Reference Test (NRT) is a mandatory annual test administered by Ofqual and the NFER, that is delivered to a random sample of Y11 pupils. The format of the NRT is a fascinating departure from the GCSE formula, meaning that the resulting data offers the government some compelling considerations. The thing is, very few people know about the NRT! It&#39;s almost like it&#39;s being deliberately kept a secret (it&#39;s not!), which is why, in this episode of Obsessed with Assessment podcast, Sam and Emma have to don their very best sleuthing gear in order to get to the bottom of the mysteries of the National Reference Test and shine a light on it for all listeners. Prepare to have your eyes opened! Or, if your school has been one of the selected few in the past, email us at assessment@twinkl.co.uk and tell us all about your experiences.Obsessed with Assessment podcast is produced by the team at Twinkl and led by assessment thought leader, Sam Denno. You can find Sam on BlueSky and LinkedIn.

The National Reference Test - the mandatory Y11 test that nobody knows about!

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Follow our fascinating discussion as we dissect Daisy Christodoulou&#39;s blog on the purposes of assessments. Are we trying to do too much when we attempt to achieve formative, summative, accountability and national standards functions all within the same tests? Naturally, the answer is yes, but what can classroom teachers do to address this in the day-to-day? You can read Christodoulou&#39;s blog here: https://substack.nomoremarking.com/p/designing-the-perfect-assessment

Who do assessments serve?

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Sam and Emma get to work distinguishing their relative grading from their absolute grading and ponder where scaled scoring fits within all of that, in this concept-almanac of an Obsessed with Assessment episode. But, which one is the most effective?

Relative grading... absolute grading... scaled scoring... what works the best?

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In their third and final episode on Denmark, Finland and Norway, Sam and Emma consider the advantages and disadvantages of these Nordic education systems, as compared with English education. Could we adopt their methods wholesale, and would we actually want to? There are lots of questions to answer and Sam and Emma do their level best to approach them in a balanced manner, although some strong feelings do spill out occasionally! There is no associated blog with this episode, but if you want to go back and look at our <a href="https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/obsessed-with-assessment-what-can-we-learn-from-denmark" rel="nofollow">Denmark</a> and <a href="https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/obsessed-with-assessment-what-can-we-learn-from-finland" rel="nofollow">Finland</a> blogs you can find them at their respective links.You can email the show at assessment@twinkl.co.uk, or you can like subscribe or leave a comment on the platform that you listen to podcasts on.Sam can be found on <a href="https://x.com/SamDenno_Twinkl" rel="nofollow">x.com</a>.

Nordic education review: is it really that good?

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In the second of three podcasts in which Sam and Emma explore assessment in a collection of Nordic countries, they turn their attention to Finland, considering its education system, before comparing the differences to testing in England. These episodes are a response to the mention of Denmark, Finland and Norway on the Labour government&#39;s Breaking Down the Barrier to Opportunity manifesto. These Nordic countries are mentioned in relation to intergenerational pay gap persistence. You can find more details in the associated blog on the Twinkl website: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/blog/obsessed-with-assessment-what-can-we-learn-from-finlandYou can also email the show at assessment@twinkl.co.uk.Please like and subscribe and feel free to leave comments.Sam can be found on x.com as SamDenno_Twinkl

How do they get assessment right in Finland?

The 15-minute CPD podcast

Join Educational Assessment Thought Leaders Sam Denno and Paul Duffy as they take a deep dive into the intricacies of classroom assessment. Each episode, they sift through reports, strategies, blogs, videos, guidance and ideas from experts, then condense their findings into 15 minutes of concentrated CPD.