Education chiefs say age disparities do not have an unfair impact on younger children in the new benchmark for reception class pupils.

The new ’Good Level of Development’ attainment standard was introduced in island schools for four- and five-year-olds in 2016-17.

But some teachers and parents have highlighted that children born almost a year apart may be in the same reception class - effectively a 25% difference in age.

The Isle of Man Examiner asked the Department of Education, Sport and Culture how the GLD benchmark took into such age gaps and, given that the difference in ages could amount to the equivalent of a child’s life, whether that brought into question the value of the measure.

A department spokesman said: ’There will always be an age disparity within a year group and summer-born children do not necessarily score lower within the GLD data.

’Assessments in the foundation stage also identify typical age and stage of development as a guide, but observational assessments focus on the unique child’s abilities.’

The spokesman added: ’Schools are also required to evaluate the progress pupils make, from a starting point, through the academic year.

’Collation of this data provides a valuable overview of progress made for the cohort and the individual and, along with a range of other assessment information, enables the setting of appropriate future goals and learning activities for individuals.’

Following the introduction of GLD criteria for measuring children, the DESC gave 17 out of 32 primary schools a target of ’improving GLD’ in the current year. But the department has also warned of the ’harmful’ effect of using GLD to judge schools.

A full list of GLD attainment percentages for each primary school was published by the department in response to a Tynwald question - but only after advice from the information commissioner, amid possible concerns over data protection.

He ruled that it was regarded as ’aggregate data’ - rather than personal data - so could be given.

Isle of Man Newspapers chose not to publish figures for individual schools as - particularly in reception classes with a small intake - it would be possible in some circumstances to identify individual children from the percentages given.

The highest attainment percentage of all of the schools was 87%. One school was recorded as having 0% and the next lowest was 6.7% - but large variations suggested there was no consistency in how the GLD was assessed in its first year.

The department acknowledged there had been ’issues’ with implementation.

The introduction of GLD has raised issues about whether it is right that children as young as four should be measured in such a way.

Retired teacher Vicky Christian, who taught in primary schools both on and off-island - including at the reception class stage - said she was uncomfortable with the idea of such formal assessments of children that young.

The age difference concerned her. It is possible for children born in September one year to be alongside others who were born as late as August the following year.

’That does make a big difference,’ she said. ’You cannot compare a child starting school at nearly five with a child who is just four.’

As her career progressed, she said, teachers were forced to spend more time recording evidence to feed the demand for data, meaning they spent less time actually teaching.

She feared the data could be used to apply pressure on schools and teachers - which could have a knock-on effect on the children.

Since GLD’s introduction in England, concerns have been raised that the publication of data puts pressure on children, as well as teachers.

In Guernsey, GLD is used for internal assessment only. The results are not published.

We asked the DESC whether it had considered a similar approach here.

The spokesman made it clear the figures had been published in response to a Tynwald question, tabled by children’s champion Daphne Caine.

’In providing the data for Tynwald, the department was seeking to be open and honest with the court,’ the spokesman said.